The Chartered Insurance Institute (CII) will be conducting a widespread consultation and engagement initiative around all aspects of the professional body’s membership offering.
It will have a particular focus on “achieving even greater recognition of the professionalism of our sector”, the CII said.
This comes after the CII received criticism from advisers for proposing to deregister the Personal Finance Society (PFS) as a cost cutting exercise.
However, at its last annual general meeting, the PFS board reportedly voted down the decision to deregister as an independent entity.
Relationship with PFS
The consultation, which will formally launch in September, will ask members to share their views on their current relationship with the CII, with their societies, including the PFS, and “their ambitions for how the CII can best support all communities over the next five years”.
It will also put forward future facing proposals for its learning and assessment and membership life-long career journey.
The CII will be inviting feedback from all the branches within its membership and “family of professions”.
The consultation will be completed by the end of 2021, with the CII committed to publishing the findings of the consultation in the first quarter of 2022, followed by the professional body’s response.
The CII will also host a number of informal member events over the summer in conjunction with its volunteer member institutes and regions, to follow-up on topics raised during its recent AGM.
‘Disruption and distancing’
Sian Fisher, chief executive of the CII, said: “Engagement with our members, our customers, the public and all of our stakeholders has always been of great value to the CII. Ahead of the launch of our professional map later this year, we had a planned consultation exercise in development.
“While input to this will remain a key area for focus, we are extending the breadth of the consultation to ensure it covers all aspects of our membership offering and our relationship, as a society of professional members, with the public.”
Helen Phillips, chair of the CII, said: “The disruption and distancing caused by the pandemic make this a very timely exercise. I committed at the AGM to consult with members about various issues that were the subject of discussion.
“This consultation will serve as a vehicle to ensure that all views are heard and that the forward vision is fully informed by members insights so that we can best meet our Royal Charter commitments.”
This consultation also follows the departure of Keith Richards as chief executive of the PFS. It has not named Richards’ successor yet.
