This is a significant time in the IFoA membership calendar; it is when the 400 Club, your representative group of volunteers, gives its verdict on the progress the Member Support directorate has made over the past year.
This is a significant time in the IFoA membership calendar; it is when the 400 Club, your representative group of volunteers, gives its verdict on the progress the Member Support directorate has made over the past year. This is just one of the ways we ask you for feedback on our services.
It was pleasing that the overall satisfaction rate of 83% was on par with last year. One comment proved insightful. The member noted to improve their rating to a 'very satisfied', they'd like to receive more targeted /impactful information, alerting them to things in their area of interest.
This is the same conclusion that the IFoA Council taskforce reached, when considering the member support strategy for the next five to 10 years. We will look at technology enhancements that allow us to select materials for members that are more specific to their requirements.
This also coincides with the endorsement of the practice-specific newsletters, as 75% felt that they were effective or very effective in supporting individual constituencies. In fact, open rates for these newsletters has increased to 45%, something that has never been achieved before.
At the top of the communication league table is, unsurprisingly, The Actuary. The magazine is now under IFoA ownership, and, with support from volunteers, will continue to evolve and improve to meet the ever-changing needs of our members.
The majority of our 400 Club members participated in our 120 events over the year.
Of course, as learning is now delivered globally, and many sessions are recorded, participation has increased further. Online viewing has increased from 3,000 to 8,500 views over the past year alone.
There is also a desire for the IFoA to produce live webinars. With the new website and virtual learning environment (VLE) in place, we are in a better position to deliver this for members.
This would also support the 400 Club's desire to make our events 'greener' - 79% were keen for us to leverage our conference apps, using hyperlinks for programme information, presentations, joining instructions and research material.
Looking at the new website, 69% thought that it was an improvement, but many said they needed time to get used to the new format. Of those that had used the responsive site on their phones or tablets, 89% deemed this development a great step forward. We will conduct regular research to test functionality as it evolves, including navigation.
We asked if members of the 400 Club would like to see a trial of a 'Volunteering for the IFoA' newsletter during 2016. It was encouraging to see that 86% thought this was a good idea. We will deliver a newsletter this year to showcase the work of our volunteers and the benefits it brings them and the profession.
Lastly, 92% said that they were satisfied, more satisfied or much more satisfied than they had been a year before. While we still have much more to do, I am very pleased with this result.
Memoria Lewis, membership director
