FAQs: Evolving our Governance

Since the IET's last governance review in 2016, engineering, technology and the way members engage with professional institutions have changed significantly. The IET has evolved too, becoming more agile, digitally enabled and globally connected. The Board believes the way the IET is governed should evolve alongside these changes to ensure it continues to support members and the profession effectively.

The review identified that the current governance structure has become increasingly complex, with multiple layers involved in oversight and decision-making. This can make accountability less clear, slow decision-making and increase the time and effort required to support governance activities. The recommended model is designed to simplify governance, clarify accountability and support more effective decision-making.

The recommendations are designed to create a governance framework that is simpler, clearer and more future-ready. They aim to ensure the IET can continue evolving alongside engineering, technology and member expectations while remaining effective, accountable and member-led.

The Board is recommending a new governance model that includes:

• A Board of Trustees with overall accountability.
• The introduction of a new Members' Assembly.
• A clearer distinction between governance and operational delivery.
• The retirement of Council and Main Boards.

Modernisation of governance processes and supporting changes to the Royal Charter and Bye-laws.

The recommendations are the result of more than two years of review, research, engagement and consultation. The review involved Trustees, Council members, volunteers, staff, governance specialists and external advisers. Feedback from members and volunteers helped shape and refine the final recommendations.

The review was commissioned by the Board of Trustees and led by the Governance Structure Review Working Party. It involved current and former Trustees, Council members, volunteers, staff and external governance specialists. Members and volunteers also contributed through engagement activity and consultation.

Feedback gathered through volunteer engagement, community discussions and member consultation helped refine the recommendations throughout the review. A number of elements were developed further in response to comments and questions raised by members and volunteers.

Member consultation indicated strong support for the Board's recommendations. Overall:

• 76% supported the Board's recommendations, with only 6% expressing opposition.
• 63% identified simpler governance and clearer accountability as the most significant aspects of the recommended model.
• 75% supported modernising governance processes

The Board believes the recommendations create a governance model that is simpler, clearer and better equipped for the future, while preserving the values that define the IET as a member-led institution. They aim to strengthen accountability, make better use of volunteer expertise and ensure member perspectives continue to inform governance and decision-making.

The recommendations include:

• Introducing a new Members' Assembly.
• Retiring Council and Main Boards.
• Continuing the Board of Trustees with overall accountability.
• Clarifying the roles of Standing and Operational Committees.
• Modernising governance processes.
• Updating the Royal Charter and Bye-laws to support the new model.

A full list of recommended changes can be viewed in the Table of Changes document in the Governance review hub.

The IET will remain a member-led institution. Volunteers will continue to play a vital role in delivering value for members and supporting the profession. Member voice will remain central to decision-making, and serving members and advancing the engineering profession will remain at the heart of what we do.

The Board of Trustees will continue to have overall accountability for governance, strategy and oversight. The recommendations create clearer responsibilities across the governance framework, making it easier to understand how decisions are made and who is responsible for them.

The new Members' Assembly will consist of elected members representing the breadth and diversity of the IET community. Its role will be to provide a forum which brings forward member perspectives, experiences and priorities into governance.

Members of the Assembly will contribute across the governance framework, sharing their expertise through committee roles and helping ensure decisions and discussions remain informed by member experience and insight.

By embedding elected member representatives more closely across committees and governance activities, the Assembly will help strengthen the flow of member perspectives throughout the organisation and support effective communication between members, committees and the Board.

The Members' Assembly is designed to make better use of member expertise while ensuring representative member views continue to inform governance and decision-making at every level of the Institution.

The Board believes the current governance structure has become increasingly complex, with multiple layers involved in oversight and decision-making. The recommended model simplifies governance, creates clearer accountability and supports more effective decision-making. Council and the Main Boards would be retired, with member representation continuing through the new Members' Assembly and expertise continuing to flow through committees and governance activities.

All our governance positions are filled with volunteer members – our Trustees, the Members’ Assembly (when formed), and all our committee members are drawn from the membership. 

Roles have different areas of focus and so those on the Members’ Assembly will have a dual role of representing members in that forum, whilst also bringing their expertise into one of the operational or standing committees.

Many of the operational committees are also conduits for the voices of wider volunteer pools, such as Registration and Standards, Volunteer Engagement, etc.

Member voice remains central to the future governance model. The Members' Assembly will bring together elected representatives from across the membership and contribute across governance activities and committees. It will sit alongside the many other ways members already influence the IET through volunteering, communities, consultation and representation.

Our current model has a complex and layered structure which can delay decision-making and sometime make it unclear who is responsible.  Delayering the model and clarifying accountability will reduce that confusion and speed up decisions.

We will continue to reserve positions on both the Board of Trustees and Members’ Assembly for younger members and those resident outside the UK.  Aside from this, our Nominations and Succession Committee will continue to monitor diversity across governance and take steps to encourage and ensure a wide representation of members and the profession.

Most members will see little change in their day-to-day experience of the IET. However, the recommendations are intended to help create governance that is easier to understand, more accountable, more responsive and better equipped for the future.

No. The recommendations do not change IET membership categories, member benefits or the purpose of membership.

The Governance review and implementation of the new model, if voted in, will have no impact on membership fees.

No. The recommendations do not change professional registration standards or requirements.

Volunteers will continue to play a vital role in the IET. One of the aims of the recommendations is to make better use of volunteer expertise and create clearer routes for participation and governance involvement.

The recommendations focus on governance arrangements. Technical communities, Local Networks and volunteer activities continue to play an important role in the IET. Operational delivery arrangements may evolve over time, but the governance review is not about reducing those activities.

Yes, there will continue to be elected positions on the Board of Trustees and Members’ Assembly.  Some other committees, such as our Communities Committees also hold elections locally.

Yes. The recommendations are designed to strengthen how member perspectives are represented within governance through the introduction of the Members' Assembly, while retaining the many other ways members already contribute to and influence the Institution.

The recommendations are intended to create governance that is simpler, clearer and more effective. This should support better decision-making, stronger accountability and a governance framework that is more responsive to changing member and professional needs.

The Board believes the recommendations will deliver:

• Simpler governance.
• Clearer accountability.
• Stronger member representation.
• Better use of volunteer expertise.
• A governance framework that can evolve alongside engineering and technology.

The Charter and Bye-laws specify some elements of our governance structure, such as the Board of Trustees, Council and Main Boards.  We therefore need to update some of these elements to allow for the proposed changes to be made.  At the same time, we are taking the opportunity to modernise other aspects of these documents, ensuring we keep them as up-to-date and in line with current good practice as possible.

Our Bye-laws contain a level of detail that is unusual in modern times – reflecting our long history as a Chartered body.  Making changes to Bye-laws requires both member and Privy Council approval, making it a lengthy process, meaning changes can’t be made regularly or quickly.  It is therefore now more usual for organisations to maintain elements of their rules that may require more regular updates to be contained in Regulations, with just the high-level principles maintained in the Bye-laws.

Regulations are part of any Institution’s governing documents, second only to the Charter and Bye-laws.  They set out the rules governing aspects such as the detail of member admissions, qualification requirements, fees and disciplinary processes, how meetings and ballots will be conducted, election processes and eligibility, preparation of accounts, and many other things.  All processes and procedures relating to the running of the Institution are required to remain compliant with the Regulations.

Regulations can be changed by the Board of Trustees at any time.  The Board is responsible for ensuring that Regulations remain in line with the intent set out in the Charter and Bye-laws, and is accountable to the Charity Commission, Privy Council and the membership for safeguarding and running the Institution. 

It is therefore in the Board’s interest to ensure Regulations support delivery of the IET’s objects and strategy and are regularly reviewed in line with current good practice and member and stakeholder needs.

The most important features of the Institution remain in the Charter and Bye-laws, such as the powers of the Board and the primary membership categories.  Therefore, these cannot be amended without the consent of the membership and Privy Council. 

Members retain their influence through the Board’s regular engagement with members – through surveys, events, member engagement in volunteering and governance bodies.  The expertise of member volunteers in our committees has always been a significant influence on Board decisions, and this remains.

Ultimately, the membership has the right to hold the Board to account through calling a general meeting if necessary.

The Charter and Bye-laws will continue to contain the most significant aspects of the Institution’s governance, such as:

• The charitable objects
• Member categories (voting categories are those set out here)
• Powers of the Board
• Professional conduct and disciplinary
• The conduct of general meetings and
• The management of conflicts of interest.

The Board is committed to ensuring member voice remains at the heart of the IET’s governance.  All trustees are, after all, members themselves, and recognise the importance of ensuring members are effectively represented at every level.

The vote is for the changes needed to the Charter and Bye-laws to implement the Board’s recommendations for a new governance model and supporting framework. The Board already has the power to make many of the structural changes, but member approval is required for those elements that are currently set out in the Charter and Bye-laws.

Charter and Bye-law amendments can only be made with the approval of 66% of votes at a Special General Meeting.  This doesn’t mean members need to attend the meeting, but they will be given a proxy form to allow them to specify their vote in advance.

Following member approval, final agreement is still required from the Privy Council – with the outcome being that the King gives Royal assent to the amendments.  Once this has been achieved, we will be able to implement the new model.

The Board will need to reconsider the proposals.  This is why the Board sought feedback from members during the consultation phase, to be sure that they had considered all views and could be confident of member support.

Voting is scheduled to open in mid-October 2026. Members will receive voting information directly from Civica, the independent provider managing the voting process.

Eligible members will receive voting instructions from Civica. These instructions will explain how to cast a vote and the options available.

Yes. Members will be provided with full instructions from Civica when voting opens.

Only Members, Fellows and Honorary Fellows are eligible to vote.

The meeting is scheduled for 27 November 2026, at 1pm (GMT).

Yes, you can contact us via governance@theiet.org in advance of the meeting, or you can ask a question at the meeting before voting.  However, this option will only be available if you attend the SGM in person.  If you are unable to attend in person, you will need to use your proxy voting slip to instruct a proxy (another member eligible to vote) on how to place your vote.  If you know an eligible member who is attending, they may agree to ask your question for you, but you will not then be able to change your instruction (but you can allow them to use your vote as they think fit on the day).

Full instructions on using your proxy will be on the forms sent to you.

Members can visit the Governance review hub to:

• Explore the Board's recommendations.
• Learn more about the Members' Assembly.
• Access the Member Information Pack and Table of Changes

The Governance review hub contains the Member Information Pack, FAQs and supporting information explaining the Board's recommendations and the proposed changes to the Royal Charter and Bye-laws. You can also contact governance@theiet.org should you have any specific questions or, if local to London, join us at the Explore you Membership event on Thursday, 8 October where we will have Trustee representatives present to chat with you about the recommendations.