The IED is broadly organised as a series of committees, interest groups and task groups reporting to a central governing Council made up of Trustees. Specific groups and their general functions are described below.
Our organisation's puzzle pieces...
Executive Board
Consisting of the Chair, Vice Chairs and immediate past Chair of Council, as well as the Treasurer and up to three members of Council as considered appropriate, the Executive Board acts a sub-committee with delegated authority from Council to undertake those duties which require more regular liaison and discussion.
Council
The Council is the lead governing body of the Institution and consists of a broad cross section of the membership. It debates issues of relevance to design, the Institution and society, to understand and recognise the implications of an evolving modern world and to support the Institution in realising its stated Mission.
Staff
The Chief Executive is appointed by Council to oversee the day to day business of the Institution. The CEO is supported by and responsible for the staff of the IED and has responsibility over the correspondence of the Institution; preparation for and recording of all meetings of the Council; stewardship of the library; the publication of the journal; collection of subscriptions; and the preparation of the financial accounts.
Education and Training Committee (ETC)
The ETC is made up of a group of volunteer members who have an interest and expertise in education and/or training. The committee conducts a wide range of tasks, including the assessment of the academic portfolios of potential members and registrants and the accreditation of academic courses at universities and colleges. The committee also oversees the annual Engineering and Product Design Education conference (E&PDE) and works with training providers to assess standards of their provision.
Editorial Committee
The Editorial Committee oversees the production of the IED's journal 'Engineering Designer'. Working with an editor and publishing house, the volunteers work to source content, suggest themes and edits and influence the overall look and feel of the publication.
Membership Committee (MemCo)
MemCo is at the heart of the Institution. This is where all applications for membership and/or professional registration are assessed. The committee looks at all application forms, reports, portfolios and submissions and determines whether or not a designer is suited for further assessment.
Special Interest Groups (SIGs)
There are a few embryonic SIGs within the IED, which are run from the Institution's LinkedIn page.
Regional Coordinators
Regional Coordinators are volunteer members who work with others in their geographical location to support existing and potential members. They run events, promote the IED and carry out presentations and talks in schools and industry.
Membership Accreditation Board (MAB)
MAB is a group of volunteers which oversees the work of the two committees (membership and education and training). The main purpose of MAB is quality control - the Board carries out regular auditing of the work of the committees to ensure that they are working to the processes, procedures and standards of our various licences and our own Charter. The Board is also a sounding ground for proposals regarding changes to those procedures and processes.