We’re proud that there’s no such thing as a typical CIBSE member. Our diversity is a tremendous strength, enabling us to better address the challenges of today’s world. That’s why it’s essential that our Council reflects a wide range of backgrounds, opinions, and ideas.
As a Council Member, your role would be to assist the Board in setting CIBSE’s goals and guiding its direction, representing the views of various groups, constituencies, and the broader Membership.
You would serve as a role model for members aspiring to leadership and be a visible, vocal champion of CIBSE in the wider community.
This role offers significant personal and professional growth and is immensely rewarding.
We encourage you to review the specific responsibilities and duties of a Council Member to see if you have the qualities to make a positive impact.
Role description and competencies
The main responsibilities of Council Members are to:
- Assist the Board in determining the strategic options for the Institution and selecting those to be pursued
- Discuss and make recommendations about how to implement and support them
- Understand and take into account the representative interests of stakeholders and the wider Membership
- Discuss and evaluate present and future opportunities, threats and risks in the external environment relating to the Institution and give guidance to the Board as appropriate
- Monitor the communications both to and from the Board, relevant stakeholders and the wider Membership and advise the Board regarding their effectiveness
- Develop and maintain constructive, collaborative and mutually respectful relations with the Board and Trustees, other Council Members and staff
- Support and when asked, explain the Institution’s decisions and rationale to colleagues and other individuals who express interest
- Promote the goodwill and support of the wider membership and relevant stakeholders
- Where appropriate, seek to enlist further volunteers to assist in the work of the Institution.
The following competencies for Council Members are desirable:
- Commitment to the Institution and to its objectives
- Awareness and understanding of the objectives and range of Institution activities, the role of Council and the key internal and external stakeholders
- Ability to promote the Institution internally and externally in a positive and constructive way
- Understanding of team member role, and listening/working constructively with others
- Ability to discuss without being adversarial or losing respect and goodwill
- Ability to provide constructive ideas and proposals for the benefit of the Institution whilst acknowledging the art of the possible
- Capacity to question information and explanations supplied by officers/staff of the Institution
- Ability to represent the consensus views of groups of members where they serve as representatives
- Acceptance of collective responsibility for Council decisions
- Honesty, integrity and a respect for confidentiality
- An awareness - on local, national and global scales - of building services engineering issues and an appreciation of how the Institution can lead or assist change for the better
- Understand the distinct roles and responsibilities of the Council and the Institution’s Board
- Be exemplary role models as leading members of the profession
- Act at all times in the best interests of the Institution
- Not benefit from their position beyond that which is allowed by the law and is in the interests of the Institution
- Identify and declare any actual or potential conflict of interest
- Not accept gifts or hospitality where this could be seen as likely to influence the decisions or guidance of the Council
- Ensure (where representing a particular group or constituency) that their constituency’s views and interests are present in the debate, while actually considering the interests of the Institution as a whole
- Be respectful of different opinions but accept the majority view
- The standard term is for three years.
- Council Members are expected to attend Council meetings regularly, in order to make an appropriate contribution.
- There are normally 3 meetings a year and Council members are expected to attend all 3 or, in the case only of representatives of Regions, Groups, Societies and Networks, arrange alternative representation.
- Elected members do not need to send alternative representation.
- Regular non-attendance may result in removal as a representative and a request for a replacement. Under these circumstances, the President will write to the Region, Group, Society or Network concerned reminding them of their obligations.
- Members are required to set time aside to solicit views from the wider membership, read and prepare for the meetings, so that they can confidently and effectively carry out their responsibilities.
- They are all expected to be active in another capacity for the Institution.