Governance Framework
Royal Charter and Bye-laws
The Institution of Engineers, Australia (Engineers Australia) is a member-based not-for-profit professional association, constituted as a body corporate by Royal Charter, which was amended most recently in 2006.
The Charter identifies the objects and purposes of the organisation, and provides for Bye-laws to govern the conduct of affairs, which may be amended only by membership ballot.
Engineers Australia's principal purposes are:
- to promote and advance the science and practice of engineering and to facilitate the exchange of information and ideas;
- to advance the interests of the profession and those engaged therein;
- to liaise with governments at all levels on matters of concern to the profession and to the wider community;
- to ensure the community has confidence in the profession by admitting only properly qualified practitioners as its members; and
- to promote ethical practice among its members.
Strategic Plan 2005-2010
Our Strategic Plan 2005-2010 provides guidance for our many office-bearers and staff, to ensure the continued relevance and sustainability of our efforts into the future.
The Strategic Plan includes our vision, mission and values, our eight key objectives, and strategies to be followed to achieve them. It is available on our public website. During 2008-2009, a comprehensive consultation process across Engineers Australia was undertaken in preparation for a new five-year Strategic Plan for 2010-2015.
Vision, Mission, Values
We will be the trusted voice of the engineering profession in Australia. Respected by governments and admired by our community, we will be known worldwide for expanding the horizons of engineering and advancing the interests of our members.
Engineers Australia is the national forum for the advancement of engineering and the professional development of our members.
As professionals, we value:
- the pursuit of knowledge
- the exchange of ideas
- the commitment to professional and ethical standards
- the contributions of our members and staff
- the successes of our members
- the sustainability of engineering outcomes, and
- our leading place in the community
and our intentions are to:
- advance the science and practice of engineering
- cultivate lifelong learning by our members
- promote the contribution of the profession as widely as possible
- champion professional and ethical conduct
- welcome all who wish to practise engineering
- allow our members' aspirations to flourish
- stimulate and learn from the creativity and innovation of our members
- celebrate excellence in engineering outcomes
- drive adherence to economic, social, and environmental values
- draw inspiration and knowledge from our engineering heritage
- sustain the integrity of the profession, and
- take the lead in advocacy for the profession.
Key Objectives
We will work for success around the eight major themes of our Strategic Plan:
- our public role and professional standing in the community
- our reputation as an inclusive body for engineering professionals
- the need to encourage more young Australians to develop careers in engineering and technology
- the value that Chartered Status bestows on our members
- the continuing professional development of our members
- our international reach and influence
- our ability to communicate effectively with our members and respond to their needs, and
- the need to operate our diverse organization as coherently and transparently as possible.
Stakeholders
Our key stakeholders are our members, procuring through annual fees the benefits of membership, including personal
and professional development services, and providing the voluntary effort necessary to achieve learned society outcomes, in return for professional interaction and networking opportunities.
Other important stakeholders are:
- governments - as employers, regulators, and policymakers influencing the conduct of the professions,
- employers of engineers,
- media - both mainstream and specialist,
- like-minded professional associations, and
- future members - necessary for sustainment and growth, and their influencers - parents, community/leaders, academics, employers.
Membership
Standard membership of Engineers Australia is open to any person with an accredited tertiary qualification, who commits also to abide by Engineers Australia's Code of Ethics. Other forms of membership are available, including student membership for persons enrolled in accredited tertiary undergraduate studies. Subject to prescribed assessment processes, members can achieve Chartered Status, conferred by Engineers Australia, which confirms competency and currency in engineering practice and certifies public accountability for quality and safety. It upholds the social contract between the practitioner and the client, the profession and the community.
Engineers Australia relies on the combined efforts of our network of active members - who volunteer their expertise, enthusiasm, and time - and our dedicated staff who support them to give effect to many of the initiatives necessary for us to sustain our relevance into the future.
Office Bearers
An office bearer is a member who has been elected or appointed to a committee of Engineers Australia, which may have a governance and/or operational role. All office bearer roles are honorary, and office bearers are bound by a code of conduct. There are regulations for the election and appointment of office bearers. On-line support resources for office bearers and volunteers include role descriptions,
inductions, governance information and operational guidelines.
Performance Management
2008-2009 was the fourth year's instalment towards the goals of our Strategic Plan 2005-2010. Each year's Operational Plan is endorsed by Council, including key priorities for the year. Priorities for 2009-2010 are listed under Highlights at the front of this report.
Each quarter during the year, a snapshot report is prepared for Council highlighting progress towards the key planned outcomes for the year. The final report for the year provides the basis for the report against each of our Key Objectives in the ‘Results' section of this report.
Annual executive performance reviews are linked to measures of progress towards the goals in our annual Operational Plan.
Risk management and internal auditing
Engineers Australia has in place a number of strategies relating to membership entry standards and maintenance of competence through continuing professional development. Membership entry standards and assessment processes are benchmarked and reviewed regularly against national and international standards. Members are subject to a prescribed complaints and disciplinary system, administered
by Engineers Australia.
During 2008-2009 internal audits were conducted for the following areas, under the auspices of the Audit and Risk Committee:
- Accounts receivable
- Technical societies
A comprehensive review of insurance policies was conducted and a gift policy and register were introduced.
A new risk management framework for Engineers Australia was implemented in 2008-2009. This is monitored by the Audit and Risk Committee and incorporates:
- A risk management policy and operating procedures
- An operational risk register, revised annually
- A strategic risk register, revised annually
- A risk action tracking schedule, revised quarterly
- Risk incident reporting
- Links with the internal audit plan
Staffing and Workplace Practices
The framework for work practices in Engineers Australia focuses on "People Development". We seek to provide a work environment where people can achieve their potential and deliver the desired outcomes for our members.
In addition to having attractive pay and conditions of service the organization also offers an Employee Assistance Program to assist staff with work and personal issues.
All staff are engaged under common law contracts and there is a strong emphasis on offering more flexible and innovative working arrangements. This has meant the organization has been quite successful in attracting and retaining quality staff.
Staff are employed on a full time, part time, or casual basis. Full-time staff equivalents for the last two years are tabulated below.
| Staffing at 30 June | 2008 | 2009 |
| National Office - Canberra | 74 | 78 |
| - outposted in Divisions | 10 | 14 |
| Division staff | 54 | 49 |
| Total* | 138 | 141 |
| % staff female | 63% | 64% |
| % executives female | 38% | 44% |
(* Full-time equivalents. Includes full time, part time and casual staff)
Executive Team
From left to right: Robyn Worthing - Sydney, Jamie Penrose - Communication and Marketing, Geoff Harper - Tasmania,
Rupert Grayston - Deputy Chief Executive, Sarah Carey - South Australia – representing Caroline Argent, Helen Link - Newcastle,
Ian McEwan - Queensland, Vesna Strika - Canberra, Peter Taylor - Chief Executive, Leanne Hardwicke - Director International and National Policy,
Dr Maurice Allen - Education and Assessment, Martin Dwyer - Engineering Practice and CPD,
Janice Lake - Western Australia, Michael Allen - Corporate Services, Bronwyn Russell - Northern, Glenda Graham - Victoria
Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability
Our overarching corporate responsibility is to work to achieve the principal objects and purposes set out in our Royal Charter - as listed above.
In reporting to our key stakeholders, particularly our members, on our corporate responsibility, our challenge is to demonstrate not only progress towards our key strategic objectives, but also that in the process we consider, manage, and balance the economic, social and environmental impacts of our activities.
The principle of sustainability is a core value for Engineers Australia, being incorporated in such documents as:
- our members' Code of Ethics,
- our sustainability Charter,
- sustainability guidelines to engineers in their daily practice,
- our international commitments eg. the Taipei Declaration,
- the values and guiding principles in our Strategic Plan, and
- our ongoing contribution to public policy development eg. infrastructure, future energy options, and national wellbeing eg. education curricula.
The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) was established in 1997 to provide a trusted and credible common international framework for organisations of any size to use in reporting to their stakeholders on the sustainability of their activities. In addition to each organisation's own operational performance measures, the GRI Sustainability Guidelines provide a wide range of economic, social, and environmental indicators. The Guidelines were completely reissued in 2006 (known as ‘G3') and supplementary notes for the NGO Sector are expected to be issued in 2010.
Engineers Australia is a small-to-medium office-based organisation, so only a small number of the indicators in GRI are materially relevant to our operations. The GRI Content Index in the following pages provides further detail.
We use the Greenhouse Challenge Plus tools to measure energy and paper use, and we have a set of 12 strategies to reduce our impact on the environment. More work is required if we are to establish these strategies adequately in our ongoing office practices.
