Notes from RSB Breakout session 4: D&G/Regions workshop
Run by Stephanie Love (Engineering Programmes Manager) and Paul Lloyd
representing the Aerospace division.
- Obvious point, but with 18 D&Gs and 16 Regions, issues with integration varies
significantly across country/industries
o Regions with D&G centre generally had excellent integrations of events/liaison.
(Railways, Power and Automobile probably most integrated due to number of
regional centres)
o However, clear that many Regions had poor/no integration with D&Gs; hence,
clear there is need for better integration/communication.
 Still the case that some (unnamed!) D&Gs had organised their events
throughout UK without letting local Regional committees know.
- Differing objectives between D&G (focus on creating revenue generating events)
and Regions (focus on local engagement/delivering mainly free events) may be one
reason for poor integration.
o Need for coherence on differing objectives – could some ‘shared’ D&G/Regional
objectives be generated?
-
-
Difference between Regions/D&Gs. Includes:
o
Regions – very much the ‘delivery’ arm of IMechE via RSB.
 ‘Face’ of Institution to majority of members
 Work often delivered at Area level (Regions then providing coordinating
function)
 Have good understanding of local engineering/political issues. Ie
Geographical not industrial sector focussed
 Aim to serve local membership, cross industry – no requirement for
revenue generation/balancing budget.
 Can feel remote from IMechE central issues/politics
o
D&Gs - Learned Society/technology Strategy role via TSB
 May have no geographical focus (depends on industrial concentration)
 Outside regional centres often has limited engagement with local
membership
 Ability to provide specialist knowledge/information in
industrial/technological area
Focus should be on Regions where there is no D&G centre.
o Impossible for Regions to focus on all 18 D&Gs (and visa-versa for all D&Gs to
accommodate all 16 Regions!)
o Suggestion that Regions should look at their 3-4 largest industrial groups
(D&Gs) and aim to focus on these. D&Gs should do the same for their ‘largest’
Regions.
-
But how to engage?
o
Clearly having a D&G centre the ‘best’ solution; however:
 Setting up D&G Centre takes lots of work
 Does a D&G Centre detract from Region work (ie movement of active
members to D&G Centre or Regional committee – who can realistically do
both?)
o
D&G ‘representative’ on Regional committee next best solution
 Only realistically feasible for top 3-4 D&Gs in Region
 Also, D&Gs then need to look how to work with these Regional reps.
o
For remaining Regions (ie those not having a significant D&G industrial
presence) – still a need/desire to make contact to D&Gs. How best to
communicate here?
- How to improve communication between D&Gs and Regions? For those Regions
not having either a centre or D&G rep on their committee:
o The ‘Push’ – As the industry/technology specialists, D&Gs could provide
Regions with lists of available/useful topics for evening lectures/events, and
highlight future events they wish to organise.
 Email or via on web?
o The ‘Pull’ - Regions could contact D&Gs if they would like an event/lecture in
a specific area, or if they believed at a particular conference would work/be
repeated in their area.
 Initially Stephanie will send out list of D&G contacts to Regional chairmen
 But how improve this communication in longer term – this probably
revolves around better linkages between RSB and TSB.
-
Improving awareness of regional events to members
o
Currently poor communication of Regional industry/technology specific
lectures/events to D&Gs and visa versa.
o Need for easy way to link specific industrial related events organised by
Regions
 Could be done easily if, as areas/regions load lectures/events onto IMechE
‘near you’ site, also tick box as state what industry event related to.
 This data could then pull through to appropriate D&G’s web site
o IT could then also automatically provide this detail in monthly industry update
email to members. Thus highlights all related lecture/events occurring throughout
country (probably only 3-4 a month)
 Currently, IMechE IT won’t enable this auto linkage.
o Monthly Regional update email should then also highlight all D&G events
occurring in local area.
o This means that members would receive a monthly update on all IMechE
events in their local Region (irrespective of industry) and all events/lectures
throughout country in their area of industry specialisation.
Paul Lloyd