CILIP Action Plan 2016-2020
January 2016
1 Chair’s Introduction
This Action Plan 2016-2020 sets out our vision for a revitalised CILIP. It has been developed through an open consultative process and builds on the achievements of the previous interim Business Plan while setting an ambitious agenda for change.
This plan looks ahead to a period in the history of the library, information and knowledge sector that is defined by both challenge and opportunity. The challenge is to put library and information skills and professional ethics at the heart of a democratic, equal and prosperous Information Society. The opportunity is to secure the role of our members in helping people succeed in an information-rich and complex modern world.
As the Chartered professional body for people working in the library, information and knowledge sector, CILIP is ideally placed to deliver real and positive change for our members. This Action Plan is endorsed and welcomed by the Board of Trustees, who are committed to making it a reality.
Martyn Wade Chair, CILIP
President’s Introduction
On behalf of the Presidential Team at CILIP, I welcome the fresh vision and direction set out in this Action Plan and offer my thanks to the hundreds of people who took time to contribute to it.
We live increasingly in a world of knowledge, data and information. Building a democratic, equal and prosperous society means ensuring that everyone has the opportunity to read, to learn and to develop their digital and information skills, whatever their background or means.
This Action Plan commits CILIP to building on the successes of the past and to confronting challenges such as our lack of diversity, the need for stronger engagement with policy and the changing nature of professionalism head-on.
It is time to be bold, to set a positive vision of the future for our members and to show that, by working together, we can all seize the opportunity of the Information Society.
Dawn Finch President, CILIP
2 Objective
CILIP will put library and information skills and professional values at the heart of a democratic, equal and prosperous Information Society.
We will develop a set of social, economic, cultural, creative, educational and scientific outcomes and metrics which we will use to evaluate our progress towards this objective by the end of 2020.
Charitable purpose
CILIP’s charitable purpose as defined by our Royal Charter is “to work for the benefit of the public to promote education and knowledge through the establishment and development of libraries and information services and to advance information science (being the science and practice of the collection, collation, evaluation and organised dissemination of information).”
Priorities
We will deliver our objective by focusing on 4 priorities:
Advocating for library and information skills and professional ethics
Developing a library, information and knowledge management workforce for the future
Delivering value for our members
Investing in innovation, standards and improvement Enablers
We will improve the impact of our priorities through 6 ‘enablers’:
Striving for equality and diversity in everything we do
Delivering a modern professional association that is digital-by-default
Securing our future through an open, ethical business model
Investing in a positive, healthy working culture
Maintaining our commitment to partnership & collaboration
Being a learning organisation that engages and listens Values
CILIP’s values are embodied in our 12 Ethical Principles, which are:
Concern for the public good in all professional matters, including respect for diversity within society, and the promoting of equal opportunities and human rights
Concern for the good reputation of the information profession
Commitment to the defence and the advancement of access to information
Provision of the best possible service within available resources
Balancing the needs of actual and potential users and the reasonable demands of employers
Equitable treatment of all information users
Impartiality, and avoidance of inappropriate bias
Respect for confidentiality and privacy in dealing with information users
Concern for the conservation and preservation of our information heritage in all formats
Respect for the integrity of information and for the intellectual effort of those who created it
Maintaining and improving professional knowledge, skills and competences
Respect for the skills and competences of all others
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Fig 1. Diagram illustrating the connection between CILIP’s work and the wider social, educational, cultural, creative, scientific an economic outcomes of our profession.
Structure and organisation
CILIP is a UK-based organisation that works in partnership to engage with the library, information and knowledge management community worldwide.
In the UK, CILIP’s work is organised through:
22 sector-specific Special Interest Groups organised and led by voluntary Committees, providing networking opportunities, training and CPD support within a shared area of professional interest;
9 Regional Member Networks organised and led by voluntary committees, providing members with access to events, training, professional registration support, CPD opportunities and other networking opportunities near their home or place of work;
CILIP in Scotland (CILIPS), a charitable body registered in Scotland and working in affiliation with CILIP to progress shared strategic aims for the benefit of the library and information profession. CILIPS is led by a Board of Trustees and supported by two professional staff - a Director and Policy and Digital Officer. CILIPS responsibilities are set out in joint agreements which detail their role in advocacy, policy, workforce development, Branch and member support;
CILIP Ireland, a devolved body of CILIP, administered by a voluntary committee and supported by a Development Officer. CILIP Ireland is made up of members residing in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. It is primarily responsible for representing Library and Information Professionals in Northern Ireland but also collaborates with the
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Library Association of Ireland on areas of mutual interest. CILIP Ireland does not act in the Republic of Ireland;
CILIP Cymru Wales, which represents the library, information and knowledge profession in Wales, providing cross-sector advocacy, CPD support and advice. CILIP Cymru Wales is a national committee working in partnership with CILIP and supported by a dedicated member of CILIP staff in Wales, the Head of CILIP Cymru Wales, and the Development Officer for Northern Ireland and Wales.
The Retired Members Guild, an independent, self-funding voluntary Committee providing retired members with access to events, training, advocacy and CPD support;
The Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (CILIP) which is a charitable organisation operating under Royal Charter and registered in England and Wales. CILIP comprises:
o A Presidential Team comprising the current President, Vice-President and Immediate Past President with responsibility for chairing CILIP Committees, representing the interests of the membership and championing the organisation;
o A Board of Trustees led by a Chair and Officers with responsibility for leadership, direction, oversight and representing the organisation with other partners;
o 4 Committees which inform the work of the Board – An Audit Committee, Policy Committee, Ethics Committee and Resources Committee
o A professional staff, led by a Chief Executive and Senior Management Team with responsibility for supporting the membership, developing programmes and securing the sustainability of the organisation;
5 CILIP’s unique value
CILIP’s unique value proposition for our members comprises 7 key features of the organisation:
Our Royal Charter, which empowers us to unite, develop and represent the interests of the library, information and knowledge sector and further the aims of Information Science;
Our professional ethics, which set our core values which include democracy, equality and respect for the rights of the individual;
The quality of our offer, which includes leading knowledge, insight and expertise and products and services which help our members develop their careers;
The unique skills and values of our members at the heart of a democratic, equal and prosperous Information Society;
The breadth of our community, which includes people using library and information skills based on their professional values across the public, private and 3rd sectors;
Our heritage, uniting, developing and representing the interests of the library and information professions for nearly 120 years;
The emerging demand of the Information Society for people with the skills and values to unlock the value in information, knowledge and data for the benefit of everyone
An embedded workforce
CILIP is proud to serve, support and collaborate with members embedded across more than 20 industry sectors, including:
Consulting/independent information professionals Prison
Further Education/Colleges Public
Government and Armed Forces Research
Health Care School
Social Care Special Collections
Higher Education (including LIS teaching staff) Industry (Extraction)*
Law Industry (Manufacturing)**
Museums, Archives, Galleries and Heritage Industry (Commercial Services)***
National Libraries Not working****
Not for profit/3rd sector/Charity Other
* Any extraction industries, for example: Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing, Mining, Quarrying
** Any Manufacturing industries, for example: Pharmaceutical, Aerospace, Automotive
*** Any commercial service industries: Business, Finance, Communications, Hospitality, Retail
**** Unemployed/Retired/Full-time Student/Career Break
6 Advocacy and opportunity
CILIP aims to ensure that every community, organisation and company has access to the library and information skills and professional values they need to succeed in an Information Society with an increasingly knowledge-based economy.
Over the course of this Action Plan, we will work with our Groups, partners and affiliates to achieve 4 outcomes:
The general public are informed about the need for library and information skills to make effective use of knowledge, data, information and technology;
Employers create attractive, well-paid opportunities for skilled and qualified library, information and knowledge management professionals, support their CPD and invest in information skills for their workers;
Policymakers understand, invest in and develop policy which promotes the interests of library and information;
Where necessary, the interests of our members and the public are defended against the negative consequences of policy.
Our Advocacy will be founded on a robust and reliable evidence base, developed in collaboration with our partners across the sector.
Developing the Library & Information Workforce
CILIP is the professional association for people who work in the library, information and knowledge management sector, or who use library and information skills in the course of their work.
We aim to deliver a workforce with the skills, values and competencies to help people and companies succeed in an information-rich and complex modern world.
Over the course of this Action Plan, we will work with our Groups, partners and affiliates to open up the profession through 4 connected outcomes:
People are empowered to develop literacy, information and digital skills as core competencies in daily life and learning;
People are enabled to develop their information and digital skills as core competencies for the workplace;
People who share our professional values and want to develop their skills, but for whom professional registration may not be appropriate to their work are welcomed to our membership, and;
People who want to build their careers around their library and information skills and professional values are welcomed, supported and empowered to succeed through Professional Registration, CPD and the Professional Knowledge and Skills Base (PKSB).
7 Delivering value & growing our membership
CILIP is a membership organisation for people who share our professional values and ethics and who are committed to developing their library and information skills.
Over the course of this Action Plan, we will improve the accessibility and benefits of CILIP
membership to deliver enhanced value for existing members, attract new members and increase our impact and influence on their behalf.
Our work on Membership will address 5 outcomes by 2020:
All existing CILIP members are actively engaged in their professional association, working with us to develop their skills, invest in their CPD and build successful careers;
CILIP Membership is accessible, affordable and attractive to significant numbers of new members, including people who do not intend to become Chartered professionals;
People wanting to invest in their career through Professional Registration are welcomed, supported and encouraged to invest in their continuing professional development;
CILIP members are proud of their membership and actively promote it to their peers;
CILIP’s assets (including the offices at Ridgmount Street) are invested in promoting the interests of the membership and supporting their development.
Investing in innovation, standards and improvement
As the lead UK professional body for Information Science, CILIP is committed to working in
partnership to foster an ongoing culture of research, innovation and improvement across the public, private and 3rd sectors.
Our work on Standards and Improvement will address 4 outcomes by 2020:
People engaged in the delivery of library and information services have the opportunity to participate in debate about radical directions and innovations for their development;
People responsible for the planning, improvement and financing of library and information services have access to authoritative standards and guidance reflecting best practices;
People seeking technical guidance, information and best practices in library and information management and Information Science have access to high-quality materials;
Development of standards and practices in library and information management are informed by developments in other branches of research and other industry sectors.
8 Delivering our key enablers
The ‘key enablers’ of CILIP’s work will form the basis of our success in delivering a modern, 21st century professional association for people working in library and information services.
Equality and Diversity
CILIP is committed to diversity and valuing equality within our workforce, our membership and across society. We will ensure that this commitment is embedded in our day-to-day policies and working practices with all our colleagues and partners. We will provide equality of opportunity and will not tolerate discrimination on any grounds.
Digital-by-default
CILIP will embrace digital technologies at the heart of everything we do – enhancing the value and impact of our work, improving the customer experience for members wherever they live, simplifying access to knowledge and CPD and developing new opportunities for partnership and collaboration.
Open business model
CILIP will deliver a cost-effective organisation that uses an open business model and targeted sales and marketing to foster growth. Wherever possible, we will make the knowledge and expertise of our community openly available for re-use and develop income streams based on added-value services.
Healthy working culture
CILIP will invest in the health, safety and emotional and physical wellbeing of our professional staff.
Partnership & collaboration
Whatever our programmes or priorities, we will always seek to extend the impact and sustainability of the outcome by working with people and organisations who share our professional values.
A learning organisation
CILIP will work with our members and partners on an ongoing basis to review, evaluate and improve our services.
9 CILIP Business Plan 2016-2020
CILIP is a not-for-profit enterprise which generates funds to deliver our objectives as set out in this Action Plan 2016-2020 on behalf of the membership.
Products and Services
CILIP provides primary-purpose products, services and trading activities to people, companies and organisations involved in the development and delivery of libraries, information management and information science. Our services are (by net contribution):
Fee-based membership for individual and organisations (40%)
Publishing and retail sales through Facet Books (26%)
Rented office accommodation at Ridgmount Street (19%)
Training, events and conferences (11%)
Sponsorship and other activities (4%) Potential market
The 2015 Workforce Mapping statistics provide an estimate of c. 86,000 people directly providing library and information services across more than 20 industry sectors.
In the UK, the market is changing rapidly, with declining numbers of people employed in publicly- funded sectors and increasing numbers in some parts of the Higher Education, private and 3rd sectors.
The market for CILIP products and services, notably the Professional Knowledge and Skills Base (PKSB) and paid publications offers significant potential for growth, with Facet Books already active in territories worldwide.
Business strategy
The main elements of our business strategy are:
Securing existing membership numbers & reducing attrition by improving the value and affordability of CILIP membership;
Consolidating and growing market share for CILIP membership in industry sectors in which we already have a strong offer and good representation;
Selling membership into new industry sectors on a phased basis over the 4 years of this Action Plan, coincident with the development of new products and campaigns;
Consolidating and securing existing revenues from publishing and retail and investing in structured growth for Facet Books into new territories;
Investing in Ridgmount Street as a revenue-generating asset for the benefit of members;
Developing the existing training, events and conferences offer and particularly investing in training for wider professional groups as a growth opportunity;
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Investing in new revenue streams including grant-aid, sponsorship and crowdfunding to support our campaigns and development.
Financial considerations
CILIP is committed to securing our long-term sustainability through a combination of:
Generating revenues on a full-cost recovery basis;
Maintaining a positive balance of income over expenditure;
Investing surpluses in a balanced-risk portfolio;
Maintaining the schedule of contributions to the defined-benefit pension scheme
Maintaining a positive cashflow
Making active use of reserves to support business development
CILIP is committed to making use of ethical investment strategies where available and where they yield a sufficient return to meet the financial needs of the organisation.
Business objectives
CILIP has set the objective to achieve 5-10% annual growth in revenues over the next 4 years, while maintaining growth in expenditure at between 2-3%.
11 CILIP 2016-2020 Priority Programmes
2016 2017 2018 2019
ADVOCACY
WORKFORCE
MEMBER SERVICES
STANDARDS & INNOVATION OPERATIONS
Campaign Campaign Campaign Campaign Campaign Campaign Campaign Campaign
Research Framework Develop the Research & Evidence Base
Advocacy & events to raise public profile & secure political engagement Political advocacy
Targeted employer engagement (aligned to campaigning) Develop PKSB, skills & CPD offer (incl. VLE & Training)
National Library & Information Skills Strategy Scoping & development
Events Programme Events Programme Events Programme Events Programme
Knowledge sharing, content & publishing
Structured investment in & development of SIG’s & Regional Member Networks Joint planning
Develop Policy Unit Proactive policy engagement Policy development
New Membership Model Recruitment campaign Recruitment campaign Recruitment campaign
Review of Sector Standards Development of quality standards, accreditation & certification
Workforce Mapping #2
Investment in development of Ridgmount Street as a member-owned asset Master Plan
Investment in a digital-first CILIP ICT/Digital Review
Governance & finance Governance & finance Governance & finance Governance & finance
