Having developed our new Statement of Strategic Intent 2021-2023, Engineers Ireland’s Council decided it was timely to review the governance of our Institution to ensure Engineers Ireland delivers on our core purpose - in the best interests of the profession.

Our Institution is large and complex so the scope of the review is broad, examining matters such as the role of Council and the Executive Board, delegation of duties, the conduct of our meetings, the functioning of our committees etc. PwC, who are undertaking the review, have also looked at governance arrangements in other bodies similar to Engineers Ireland.

PWC presented their report on the first Phase of the review to our Council. Their assessment is that the governance arrangements and legal structure in Engineers Ireland are adequate and would mirror those of similar organisations, however more clarity is required in certain areas.

For comparison purposes, PwC interviewed Presidents, Past-Presidents and Officers of a number of membership organisations.  The interviews were undertaken in confidence to enable the interviewees to be candid and open about the governance structure and practices of their organisations.   The organisations were all membership bodies from a cross section of professions, with membership numbers ranging from between 5,000 to 30,000 approximately.   During the interviews, PwC obtained the views of the interviewees on what worked well in their organisations in terms of governance and discussed the challenges faced and how these were addressed.

In addition to the interviews undertaken with the membership organisations, PwC undertook a desktop review of the governance arrangements of a range of comparator bodies and compared their structures and governance arrangements against those of Engineers Ireland.  Between five and ten membership bodies were reviewed over the course of the assignment.

In particular, PWC have made 12 key recommendations. These include: clarifying matters reserved for Council and matters delegated to the Executive Board; prioritising discussion on strategic planning, policy and membership matters at Council meetings; documenting the role of the President and Director General; updating Terms of Reference, tenure and reporting arrangements for all Committees and Boards; and providing induction training to help Council members and the Executive Board understand their role and function.

Following a thorough discussion, the report and recommendations were unanimously approved for consultation with members. We are now bringing this to you, our members, to get your feedback.

Updated governance arrangements can better help us to seize opportunities and manage risk in a rapidly changing environment. We encourage you to study and consider the Governance Review Report and briefing material which are available on our website and get actively involved in the consultation process by attending online meetings with our Regions, Divisions and Societies or joining a Town Hall meeting. 

Click here for more information and to register to attend an online meeting.