20 May 2010
First internal communication institution created
After significant changes over its 60-year history, the CiB reinvents itself once again as the Institute of Internal Communication. But the burning questions are: will this be the final rename and how significant a change will it really be for the profession?
The British Association of Communicators in Business, that has changed its name three times during its 61-year history, has officially become the Institute of Internal Communication (IoIC), but this time its chairman is certain its status will remain in place forever.
“I hope we don’t change names in the next 20 years,” Dominic Walters, IoIC national chairman since late 2009 said. "For the last five years our strategy has been geared towards focusing on internal communications and to become the profession’s first institute. Over the last decade our area of expertise has increasingly shifted towards internal communications. The profession needed an institute to match that development and recognition."
A challenging move
The IoIC, along with its new “The Power Within” strapline, was officially formed on May 13 at the CiB’s annual conference in Chester. However, the institute began life back in 1949 as the British Association of Industrial Editors and is the oldest communications body in Britain.
It changed its name to the British Association of Communicators in Business in 1995 but, rather like many of its members, has once again gone through a period of change.
Walters said it has taken the organization a considerable amount of time to become a professional institute that aims to, according to its newly designed website, “champion better communication between employers and employees”.
The right governance for a professional institute is key and something our members need to see changing.
“We spent a long time proving our credentials in this area [internal communication] to Companies House. We had to show them that we had the correct professional accreditation, regional infrastructure, member benefits and the right structure for leadership,” explained Walters. “For example, we previously had a council and now have a board of governors. The right governance for a professional institute is key and something our members need to see changing.”
Going beyond a name change
The news has been well received by the profession. However, rather like the news of a coalition government, many other communicators are looking for more than simply a change of name. One commentator suggested the new body should seek “new dynamism, new focus and a new level of professionalism”.
The IoIC, despite a new name and board structure, will retain its not-for-profit status, says Walters, with all the proceeds from its activities re-invested into the organization. Unlike many independent private organizations the body will still be run by volunteers who, alongside their day jobs as practitioners and consultants, will mentor the IoIC’s students as part of its expanding training and development scheme.
How IoIC courses compare to existing training programs
The new institute’s courses, although currently self-accredited and similar in structure to other competitive qualifications, says Walters, will be its flagship product.
“The growth of the profession has only been recognized in the last few years and it’s also only recently that people have begun to stay in the field and develop into recognized senior communicators.”
The new institute’s chairman said that although its diploma of proficiency in internal communications covers “some of the same skills as other courses”, it differs by being more “evidence-based”.
A four-tier model
In the last 18 months 100 communicators have taken the CiB’s self-accredited foundation level diploma. The institute has four levels in place, however only two are currently available with a third, a higher-level qualification in internal communication management, and fourth tier masters degree equivalent, still in the development and planning phase respectively.
Have your say
What are your thoughts on the Institute of Internal Communication and what steps, in your opinion, does it need to take to ensure that they respond to the needs of the profession? Do you think the IoIC will make communicators more conscious of their professional development?
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