The Design of a Framework to Enable Goal Achievement in Corrosion Prevention
“What’s the organisational structure of the Institute of Corrosion?” is a question we are often asked.
The Institute of Corrosion is a not-for-profit organisation, dedicated to putting its members at the heart of the global corrosion prevention conversation and ensuring that all we do is aligned to our core values (the vision behind our brand):
- Trust and Respect
- Experts and Leaders in the Field
- Innovative and Forward-Thinking
- Supportive and Inclusive
As you can imagine, taking a leading role in broadening and deepening the corrosion conversation by sharing our collective expertise with the world takes more than a little organisation and management.
Our organisational structure is the framework that enables this, and in which so many tremendously talented and hard-working corrosion professionals help us to achieve our goals.
Here’s an overview of how ICorr functions.
The Council of the Institute of Corrosion
Our Council is like the Board of Directors of a large company. It is the Institute’s highest decision-making body, and every branch, division, and committee report to the Council. The Council is made up of the following members:
- The five trustees/directors
- Branch and Division Chairs
- Committee Chairs
- The Chair of Young ICorr
- The Technical Editor of Corrosion Management magazine
- Various co-opted members
The Trustees of the Institute of Corrosion
There are five trustees, and these form the ‘committee’ that oversees the routine running of the Institute between Council meetings. The trustees are the following Institute of Corrosion members:
- The President
- The Vice President
- The Immediate Past President
- The Honorary Secretary
- The Honorary Treasurer
Our Head Office
Our head office, Corrosion House, is where all the admin work is conducted. Located in Northampton, the staff of three here work tirelessly to ensure that every t is crossed and i dotted across every aspect of the running of ICorr.
Beneath the Council, our structure allows information and operations to flow freely in all directions as follows:
The Branches of the Institute of Corrosion
The six regional branches let us reach deep into the heart of the corrosion community in the UK:
- Aberdeen
- London
- Midlands
- Northeast
- Northwest
- Yorkshire
The work they do and the networking opportunities they present to our members is vital. They have a great deal of autonomy, and run various events that include:
- Seminars/webinars
- Technical workshops
- Social events
Every event and interaction within our branches is a networking opportunity, and a chance for members to learn and share ideas, experience, and best practices.
The Two Divisions of the Institute of Corrosion
Though depicted on the organisational structure chart as a single leg of our not-for-profit organisation, the two divisions really stretch across every part of ICorr. Their reach is in everything we do:
The Corrosion Engineering Division (CED)
Made up of five Working Groups, the CED also runs a Working Day and Symposium. The Working Groups are:
- Nuclear Corrosion
- Coatings
- Cathodic Protection
- All Energy
- Corrosion in Concrete
The Corrosion Science Division
This division consists of representatives from the corrosion research community – primarily academia and research – and runs the annual Corrosion Science Symposium.
Young ICorr
While the experience of senior corrosion professionals is crucial in our industry and to the Institute, equally vital are the younger engineers and scientists who are entering and progressing in their careers in corrosion prevention.
Young ICorr is a vibrant and forward-looking group, through which many initiatives and early-career networks are formed, and from which we believe corrosion industry leaders of tomorrow will develop.
The Committees of the Institute of Corrosion
Finally, to the committees ─ without which the Institute of Corrosion could not function effectively. This is where much of the day-to-day work is managed. These teams meet up when needed, collaborate with other teams, and ensure that actions agreed are carried out.
The Awards Committee
Responsible for overseeing the portfolio of ICorr awards, and for the nomination of ICorr members for external awards. The recognition of excellence both internally and externally helps us to demonstrate the authority with which the Institute operates and the professionalism, knowledge, and expertise of our members.
The Building Management Committee
This committee is responsible for the maintenance and upkeep of our Head Office, Corrosion House in Northampton. They may not get their hands dirty with building work, but without them we might not have a home!
The Course Approval Board
The education of the corrosion community, at whatever stage of their individual careers, is crucial to the future of our industry, and, indeed, the future of our world – when corrosion control is ignored it can be catastrophic.
The Course Approval Board is responsible for approving new courses proposed by the Professional Development & Training Committee.
The Digital Strategy Committee
In our digital world, it is easier to connect, build networks, and share expertise than ever before. However, to do this effectively, it is essential to develop and follow strategy that aligns with the goals of the Institute. This is the remit of the Digital Strategy Committee.
The Membership Development Committee
The real strength of the Institute lies in its membership. The broader and deeper our membership is, the more we can offer and provide to them and the global corrosion community.
The Membership Development Committee is responsible for initiatives to increase our membership and highlight the benefits of membership.
The Professional Assessment Committee (PAC)
While the Membership Development Committee is responsible for driving membership applications, it is the PAC that handles membership and upgrade applications.
The Professional Development & Training Committee (PDTC)
PDTC is responsible for one of our most important strategies – the development and upgrade of training courses offered by the Institute. To achieve this, PDTC has two sub-committees:
- The Cathodic Protection Governing Board (CPGB), responsible for cathodic protection courses
- The Surface Treatment Governing Board (STGB), responsible for surface treatment courses
Correx Limited
Though we are a not-for-profit organisation, our commercial activities are key to our present and future sustainability. However, it is also crucial that we keep the operation of these at arm’s length. To ensure this is the case, we registered Correx Limited in 2003.
It is Correx that organises all of our commercial activities, and especially the administration of ICATS (Industrial Coating Applicators Training Scheme). ICATS is mandated by the Highways Agency and Network Rail for all coating applicators – and it is also a requirement for many other major structure owners including Oil Companies, Power Generators, and Infrastructure Owners.
In future articles, we plan to explore each element of the organisational structure of the Institute of Corrosion, to help all our members and the wider corrosion community to have a greater understanding of all the moving parts of the Institute and the tremendous amount of work that goes on behind the scenes. If you’re interested in getting involved in any of these activities, please get in touch with us!
In the meantime, to learn more about membership of the Institute of Corrosion, please check out our membership page to learn how to become a member and immediately begin to enjoy the many benefits of membership of the Institute of Corrosion.