The purpose of the IRMS Skills Matrix Working Group is to help with the development and oversight of the IRMS Skills Matrix on behalf of the IRMS Executive Committee. It is made up of volunteer members of the Society and wider profession who themselves have a vested interest in developing the Matrix further. This includes representatives from IRMS training partners and key professional partners. The working group meets around 6 times a year to progress the agreed development plan for the Skills Matrix.

You can find our Terms of Reference here and read about our work in the Society’s annual reports.

Volunteering for the Working Group

If you want to be a volunteer for the group, please contact skillsmatrix@irms.org.uk to express your interest. We are keen to ensure we have a wide range of volunteers to expand the matrix, so anyone with any level of experience is welcome.

Commitment: As a member of the working group, you will be collectively responsible for the ongoing and timely development of the matrix in accordance with the development plan. Therefore, the working group will divide and agree actions in order to achieve that plan. Where you take on a task in the group you are responsible for completion of that task, including liaising with the Working Group Chair on any issues or resourcing needs you may have.

Time expectation: The working group will get together at least 6 times a year for at least an hour at a time. This is the formal ‘minimum requirement’ of the working group. In terms of a weekly time commitment, this will vary from week to week. On average, we would estimate approximately 1-2 hours a week depending on what task you have been given by the group.

Benefits: As well as the usual benefits of volunteering with the IRMS, you will also have access to a wider team of professionals from a range of backgrounds. You will be contributing to a nationwide professional development framework that, if successfully nurtured and developed, could be *the* IG Skills Matrix for the United Kingdom. For anyone looking to expand their professional skills and experience, go for Accreditation or show other contributions to the profession, this would be a golden opportunity to do so.

Membership of the Working Group

Once the group is up and running the full list of working group members will be posted here.

Leanne Robertson (Working Group Chair)
Scott Sammons (Accreditation Representative)

Updates from the Working Group

As the Skills Matrix is a key operational document (or will be), we will ask the working group to give quarterly updates to the Membership on their progress and what they are working towards. That way, you know what changes are coming and can see the direction the matrix is heading, especially if you choose to adopt the matrix in your own organisations. The updates will come to all members directly via our various newsletters, bulletins and emails.

Contacting the Working Group

If you want to get in touch with the Working Group, email skillsmatrix@irms.org.uk and a representative will be in touch within 3 working days.

Skills Matrix Working Group Terms of Reference

Purpose

The purpose of the Skills Matrix Working Group is to act as a ‘Sub-Committee’ of the IRMS with the specific remit to deliver and develop the Society’s Professional Skills Matrix. It shall do this in several ways:

1. Research and Development of the content and structure of the matrix.

2. Development and oversight of processes that support the matrix, for example how queries are handled or how change is communicated to members.

3. Liaison with key partners and third parties on the development and use of the matrix, for example seeking feedback on any proposed changes and/or getting input into future development ideas.

4. Ownership and further development of the skills matrix development roadmap.

The Sub-Committee shall not be responsible for the Society’s strategy on professional skills or standards where one exists. Therefore, it will need to liaise with and make recommendations to the IRMS Executive if it believes the Society’s strategy needs to change to complement the skills matrix.

Composition & Governance

The membership of the Subcommittee shall be:

• The IRMS Training Director

• Chair of the IRMS Accreditation & Fellowship Subcommittee (or representative)

• An IRMS Non-Executive Director (NED)

• Plus, up to 16 IRMS members not part of the IRMS Executive

All members of the Sub-Committee shall be IRMS members.

The IRMS Executive will appoint, by its usual methods, a Chair from among the Sub-Committee members, excluding the NED, for a term not exceeding 12 months (1 year) from the date of appointment. The Chair may be taken up by two or more co-chairs.

The Sub-Committee may elect a Deputy Chair if it so chooses.

Membership of the Sub-Committee will be for terms not exceeding 12 months. Members may resign from the Sub-Committee at any time by means of written notification to the Chair of the Subcommittee.

Where a Sub-Committee member has breached this ToR or any relevant Society codes of conduct or standards, that member may be removed from the Sub-Committee by a means of a majority vote by the other members of the Sub-Committee.

All content created by the Sub-Committee members in connection with the activity of the subcommittee is the intellectual property of the IRMS and shall not be sold, duplicated or otherwise removed without the explicit consent of the IRMS Chair.

The Sub-Committee will work to an agreed development plan to be submitted to the IRMS Executive for approval each year. Each ‘meeting’ of the working group therefore will be functional in nature to ensure work is done on the matrix throughout the year and development is efficient.

On an annual basis the Sub-Committee will produce a written report on its activities over the previous year and proposals for the forthcoming year.

Operation & Budget

The Society will provide reasonable funds requested by the Sub-Committee to support it in undertaking its work. Before any expenses are incurred, the Sub-Committee must seek the support of the Society’s Treasurer and go through the usual expense approval process.

The Sub-Committee will meet as required via email, web/teleconference, or face to face. The Sub-Committee should meet at least 4 times a year.

Minutes of all meetings shall be made and shared with all members where decisions are made. The minutes shall be available to the IRMS Executive.

All communications to the wider IRMS membership messages shall go through the usual approvals process before they are sent to ensure consistency.

A dedicated email address skillsmatrix@irms.org.uk will be used to provide members with a point of contact with the Sub-Committee.

A dedicated area on the IRMS website and 365 environments will be used for management of all content related to the activity of the Sub-Committee.

Decision Making

Decisions of the Sub-Committee will be agreed by a majority of the Sub-Committee available to vote at time of approval being sought.

The Sub-Committee will be deemed quorate when at least half of its membership plus one, including the Sub-Committee Chair (or deputy) are present.

If there is no majority view, the Sub-Committee Chair will have the casting vote.

The Sub-Committee shall have no power to override a decision of the IRMS Executive or Trustees. Consequently, if it wishes to make a change to something outside of its scope a proposal will need to be submitted to the IRMS Executive for review.

Title: Skills Matrix Subcommittee Terms of Reference
Owner: Chair, Skills Matrix Subcommittee
Status: APPROVED
Version: 1.0
Date: September 2023
Security Classification: Public
Approved date: September 2023