United Membership Initiative
On behalf of the Executive Council and staff, I would like to welcome you to membership in the International Public Management Association for Human Resources (IPMA-HR).
As you may know, on October 26, 2006, the IPMA-HR Executive Council adopted new chapter/section affiliation benefits in an effort to better align and strengthen all levels of the Association. Effective July 1, 2007, members of IPMA-HR affiliated chapters and sections that are neither IPMA-HR individual members nor agency covered staff members will become IPMA-HR chapter/section affiliated members.
Background
In March 2004, the Executive Council voted to establish a united membership structure that would require chapter and section members to become national members. The Executive Council believed that growing the membership was key to the continued and future viability of the Association. A Membership Advisory Council (MAC), composed primarily of chapter, region and section leaders, was established to develop an implementation plan. Over the past 2 ½ years, this issue has been given careful and deliberative thought and consideration by the Executive Council, the MAC, and the staff.
New Benefits
As a new IPMA-HR chapter/section affiliated member, you will receive the following benefits: the weekly HR Bulletin, which was rated as one of the most valued IPMA-HR benefits in a recent membership survey, and the IPMA-HR member rate for all professional development activities. We will begin sending the HR Bulletin to you in the next few days.
Those covered as an affiliated chapter/section member will not be allowed to hold IPMA-HR national office nor will they have voting rights. (Full national membership is required either to hold national office or have the right to vote.)
How It Will Work
Membership dues for this new membership category will be phased in over the next two years. By June 30, 2007, IPMA-HR affiliated chapter leaders will submit a listing of all chapter members along with the annual chapter reporting form. The chapter rosters will be compared against the IPMA-HR membership database and chapters will be billed $12.50 for each person not a member of IPMA-HR for the membership year beginning July 1, 2007. The chapters will have the option of paying the $12.50 per person fee in two installments.
Beginning July 1, 2008 and thereafter, the chapters will be billed $25 per chapter affiliated member who is neither an IPMA-HR individual member nor an agency covered staff member. As chapters recruit new members, they will submit them to IPMA-HR and a national membership in this new category would be started. Dues will not be prorated. Chapters that provide honorary life memberships would have that category exempt from this requirement. Chapters that do not pay the amount due within 60 days would automatically lose their IPMA-HR charter.
The same requirement will apply to the sections. Since the membership records of the sections are maintained by the Association, there is not a reporting form requirement. This means that between now and June 30, 2008, the maximum amount that will be due is $12.50 per chapter or section affiliated member who is neither an IPMA-HR national member nor an agency covered staff member. We are transitioning this new dues structure and providing a two-installment payment option in 2007 to minimize the financial impact felt by either our chapters or its members.
IPMA-HR chapter and regional leaders will best determine how to fund this new requirement. Suggestions have included passing the fee onto each member as part of their chapter or section dues, covering the cost through an increase in current/new programming fees, tiered membership dues, or some combination.
The current requirement that chapter and section presidents and presidents-elect be national members or covered staff members of IPMA-HR agency members will continue. All of these individuals are IPMA-HR leaders and it is important that they maintain full memberships.
Conclusion
The Executive Council and the staff recognize that this represents a change for the chapters and sections. However, we believe that the minimal cost is more than offset by the benefits that will be provided and that the better alignment of the Association will make IPMA-HR and its component parts stronger and better positioned to grow.
If you would like additional information about this new category of membership, please visit our web site or contact the Director of Membership and Communications
We look forward to your active participation in IPMA-HR and are glad to have you as a member of the only association that represents you, the public sector HR professional.