Proposed Constitutional Changes II Full text (Document 11 April 2002)

IFSW General Meeting, Geneva, Switzerland, 10-12 July 2002

The IFSW now comprises member organisations in 79 countries representing 500,000 social workers worldwide.

The goals and priorities of the IFSW are determined by the membership through the Constitution. These are implemented by the elected Executive Committee and the appointed Secretary General and staff of IFSW.

The Constitution was subject to limited review and change at the 2000 General Meeting in Montreal. A paper outlining the recommended changes was presented to that meeting and adopted with some amendments. Two other papers were tabled identifying a range of strategic and major constitutional matters. The General Meeting agreed that further work should be carried out in regard to the issues identified and other issues which emerged through the course of the General Meting. Subsequent to the General Meeting the following has occurred;

A discussion paper was prepared and circulated to all member organisations, all main representatives and the Executive Committee. The paper was based on the original material presented in Montreal, the feedback from discussions and the continuing work of the Structure & Operations Committee in co-operation with the Membership Committee and the Elections Officers.

The paper was circulated in February 2001. The paper canvassed a series of key issues and sought feedback on specific questions. The questions were not mutually exclusive and members were invited to raise other issues, which they believed the Structure, and Operations Committee should consider in its deliberations.

At its meeting in August 2001 the Executive Committee considered the results of the feedback. The Executive Committee noted the comparatively small number of respondents, however determined that The level of representation was sufficient to proceed. The matters raised were of such importance that they must be addressed and put to the General Meeting in 2002. Based on discussion in Singapore a further paper was developed which was discussed at the Officers Meeting in January 2002. This paper was also provided to the Solicitors Bates Wells and Braithwaite for their advice.

The following represents the recommendations of the Executive Committee to the Membership, incorporating the advice of the IFSW Solicitors. Included in this paper are the motions which will be put to the General Meeting. These have been prepared by our solicitors to ensure that they are appropriate and in line with the general principles which govern NGO’s similar to the IFSW.

There are many ways in which this paper could be structured. The subject matter is important to the Federation but is also complex. In Montreal we presented the full text of the current articles and then followed this with proposed changes. However our experience was that this approach was too cumbersome. Therefore we are relying on the fact that member organisations and their delegates will read this paper and refer to the existing constitution where necessary.

We have approached this paper in the following way:

An explanation of the proposed changes – What is the problem, why are we doing this and what are the advantages? What are the proposed changes? The specific recommendation as it would read in an amended constitution and a resolution which will be put to the General Meeting. Cross reference to the existing constitution to the relevant section/s that will be altered.

In order to conduct the debate and to see any adopted changes into the new constitution, the solicitors have drafted a series of procedural motions. These have been designed to allow minimal disruption in the changeover from the old constitution to the new.

Why is this necessary? Because while the General Meeting instructed the Executive Committee to develop a series of proposed amendments there had to be a bridge between our current way of operating and the new constitution (if adopted). If such provisions were not available it would take at least until the 2004 General Meeting to see change in place. This viewed as undesirable and not in accord with the wishes of the Montreal General Meeting.

In order for the transition to occur the Secretary General, on instruction, issued a notice regarding elections on 10 January 2002 and a further notice will be issued on 11 April 2002. Both contain an explanation about each process and what is intended to occur at the General Meeting in 2002. It was necessary to provide notices under the existing and proposed clauses. The January notice provided for nominations under Article 15 of the current constitution. The April notice provides for nominations under the proposed changes to Article 15. One effect of the April notice is that it would render the current President and a number of members of the Executive Committee eligible for re-election to office should they so be nominated.

Endorsement of provision for appointments to the Executive Committee at the General Meeting in accordance with new constitutional provisions if adopted at the General Meeting

RESOLVED: that advance provision (in the April Notice) for appointments to the Executive Committee to take place at the General Meeting under new Article 15 (if adopted by Resolution 4) and the April Notice, immediately after new Article 15 is itself adopted (if it is by Resolution 4) and the consequent superseding of the Executive Committee appointment provisions provided for by unamended Article 15, the January Notice and the existing By Laws, and that if Resolution 4 is not passed and Resolution 7 is passed, that the Articles as amended by Resolution 7 shall be applicable in relation to the elections of Officers at the General Meeting be ratified.

GOALS & AIMS

The Goals & Aims of IFSW are set down in the Constitution. While there was general agreement that they were appropriate a closer review shows that they are a mix of goals and the strategies to achieve those goals. The Executive believes that in order to be clear about our purpose and the manner in which we work it is important to separate these. The actual wording has not been changed, however the structure has been altered.

Amendment to the definition to of the Federation's Aims as set out in Article 4 of the Federation Constitution ("the Constitution")

RESOLVED: that Article 4 of the Constitution be amended to read as follows:

"Art.4 AIMS

a. The aims of the Federation are:

i. to promote social work as a profession through international co-operation, especially regarding professional values, standards, ethics, human rights, recognition, training and working conditions;

ii. to promote the establishment of national organisations of social workers or professional unions for social workers and when needed national co-ordinating bodies (collectively "Social Work Organisations") where they do not exist;

iii. to support Social Work Organisations in promoting the participation of social workers in social planning and the formulation of social policies, nationally and internationally, the recognition of social work, the enhancement of social work training and the values and professional standards of social work.

b. In order to achieve these Aims the Federation shall:

i. encourage co-operation between social workers of all countries;

ii. provide means for discussion and the exchange of ideas and experience through meetings, study visits, research projects, exchanges, publications and other methods of communication;

iii. establish and maintain relationships with, and present and promote the views of Social Work Organisations and their members to international organisations relevant to social development and welfare.
"

Existing Constitution: See Article 4

MEMBERSHIP

The main problem has been a lack of clarity regarding the various stages from the time and organisation expresses an interest in joining IFSW to the point that they achieve full membership.

This section contains a series of amendments which have been grouped under Resolution 3. Many parts are inter-related. The following is a description of the problems which have arisen with;

Categories and criteria for membership Co-ordinating Bodies Rights and Obligations Processing Membership matters

This description is then followed by the proposed changes.

Criteria for and Categories of Membership

Criteria

There has, in the past been some confusion about the minimum criteria for an application. The most common problem has been an agreed understanding of the minimum educational requirements of the applicant organisation. While this was contained elsewhere in IFSW policy it was not clearly stated in either the Constitution or by-laws. This can be very confusing for a number of organisations who may go to our Website, read the constitution and seek application, only to be informed that they do not meet the minimum requirements. The lack of understanding about the minimum educational requirements has been one of the issues which lead to provisional membership in the first instance and a failure to attain full membership in the second instance.

These have been addressed by stipulating that members of an organisation must have a post secondary education and must be engaged in practice consistent with the social work definition approved by IFSW. It is intended that this will provide greater clarity during the application phase.

Categories of Membership

Under the current constitution the category "provisional member" exists and represents the status of an organisation before eligibility for full membership has been established. It is usually associated with a period of further enquiry into the proposed member organisation in order to satisfy ourselves that they do meet the eligibility criteria. The maximum period of "further inquiry" is four years.

This category has caused some confusion and also involves quite a lot of the Federations resources. An organisation that has been admitted under provisional status and later has that status withdrawn due to a failure to meet criteria may be understandably confused. Four years is a very long period of time during which the organisations come to feel that they are in effect a member and that ratification should be a formality. On the occasions where this has not occurred organisations feel naturally aggrieved.

In order to ensure that organisations do meet the eligibility criteria it is often necessary to visit the member organisation and country. This is costly and not always possible.

It is proposed that membership will not be granted in any form until it is demonstrated that an organisation seeking membership (to be known as a "candidate") meets the criteria. The term provisional will have a new meaning under the proposals. The proposed changes are also linked to changes in the management of the process (see the section on Regions below).

The proposed changes bring into existence two clear categories of membership;

1. Full Membership – this applies to existing member organisations who are able to fulfill all of the requirements of membership.
2. Provisional Membership – this term will now apply to existing member organisation who, for one reason or another, are unable to meet one or more of the specific obligations of membership under Article 7 and by-law 7.

Co-Ordinating Bodies

At the present time IFSW requires that in countries where more than one organisation representing social work exists and applies for membership that they must form a co-ordinating body. This has been a point of significant debate and has not always been easy to implement resulting in difficulties in a number of countries. Problems may arise due to historical, cultural or political reasons.

There is also a particular need to clarify the process of dealing with applications from an organisation(s) in a country where a member already exists. How does the IFSW manage the application? What role does the existing member play in this process? How are any disagreements resolved?
The issues of voting rights and nominations for office also required clarification.
Based on feedback received, the opinion of the Executive Committee and the advice of the Solicitors, a new and comprehensive section on Co-ordinating bodies has been included. In parts it repeats earlier clauses relating to criteria for membership, however this is believed to be desirable as it clearly places coordinating bodies on the same footing as all other member organisations.

Regions

The results of the consultation process reveal a belief that while regions should be encouraged and supported to develop greater structure, the IFSW should remain one body with five regions and not a federation of five separate bodies. However the Constitution has only fleeting reference to regions. In consultation with the Solicitors we were advised that a separate Article should be developed which would bring together all the existing provisions which relate to regions and address new responsibilities.

At the present time all membership matters are handled by the Secretary General in liaison with the regional Vice President and Membership Committee. This can consume a great deal of time on the part of the Secretary General. It can be argued that this is a matter which is of great significance to the regions and the Vice President and could be managed at that level. The region is often better placed to make necessary inquiries and conduct follow up discussion to ensure that candidates meet the necessary criteria for membership.

The Executive Committee considered the proposed changes and recommends the adoption of the following material based on advice from the Eligibility Committee, feedback received during the consultation and advice from the IFSW’s Solicitors. In essence we are also recommending that the regions assume greater responsibility for the management of the application and eligibility process.

Adoption of new membership provisions in new Articles 5-7 of the Constitution Introduction of a constitutional definition of the Federation's Regions and their functions through adoption of a new Article 20 of the Constitution Consequential amendments to By Laws 3 and 4

RESOLVED: that existing Articles 5-7 and 20 of the Constitution shall be replaced respectively by the following new Articles 5-7 and 20:

" MEMBERSHIP

Art 5. ELIGIBILITY FOR MEMBERSHIP

National Social Work Organisations

a) Membership is open to national Social Work Organisations of any country, whose members must have completed post secondary education in social work and must practice (or intend to practice or have practiced) social work. (For the purpose of such membership criteria the Executive Committee shall in its discretion determine the applicable definition of "social work", in accordance with any applicable resolution on the subject passed at any General Meeting of the Federation).

b) Membership is limited to one such national Social Work Organisation in any country.

c) If there are more than one national Social Work Organisations in a country which may qualify for membership, one such organisation may be admitted as a Member only if the other such organisation(s) have confirmed or otherwise made clear that they are not interested in membership of the Federation, or participation in a national Co-ordinating Body which may seek membership.

Co-ordinating Bodies

d) If more than one Social Work Organisation in a country is interested in membership of the Federation only a national Co-ordinating Body representing every such organisation may be admitted as a member of the Federation

e) If there is an existing Member from any country and another national Social Work Organisation from that country, otherwise fulfilling the eligibility criteria, confirms a wish to become involved with the Federation, the existing member is obliged to endeavour to facilitate the development of a Co-ordinating Body to succeed it as the member from that country, in accordance with the By Laws and any General Meeting resolution giving such direction.

f) All the Social Work Organisations wishing to be involved in a Co-ordinating Body must individually meet the criteria for full membership. If one or more organisation does not meet the membership criteria, the other interested organisation(s) may still pursue an application through a Co-ordinating Body.

g) A Co-ordinating Body will be comprised of representatives from each of the national Social Work Organisations that meet the membership criteria and wish to become involved with the Federation.

h) The Co-ordinating Body will establish procedures with respect to Federation elections; voting at meetings; organisation of international conferences; co-ordinating of mailing lists; and, identification of social workers to serve on Federation committees.

i) In the event that one member of the Co-ordinating Body ceases to operate or otherwise to be involved with the Co-ordinating Body this need not effect the status of the body.

j) Co-ordinating Bodies shall have the same right and obligations as any other Member of equivalent status.

k) Organisations or bodies, other than national Social Work Organisations wanting to be associated with the Federation may join the Federation's Friends’ Program.

Art. 6 CATEGORIES OF MEMBERSHIP

a) There shall be the following categories of membership:

Full Member Provisional Member

b) A Full Member shall be an existing Member as at the 2002 General Meeting which fulfils the eligibility criteria adopted at that meeting and every Candidate or Provisional Member which is admitted to full membership by resolution of the General Meeting (provided they continue to fulfil applicable eligibility criteria).

c) A Provisional Member shall be a Member which has previously fulfilled the criteria for full membership, but has ceased to do so as a result of the adoption of new criteria at the 2002 General Meeting or otherwise and which is engaged in the process of fulfilling such criteria and regaining its Full Member status. A Provisional Member which has not been admitted as a Full Member within six years of the date it ceased to be a Full Member shall cease to be a Member of the Federation.

d) A prospective Full Member which has applied for membership and has been assessed as being eligible for full membership, but which has not yet been admitted to Full Membership at a General Meeting shall be known as a Candidate.

e) All applications for membership shall be subject to the applicable procedures set out in the By-Laws.

Art. 7 RIGHTS AND OBLIGATIONS OF MEMBERSHIP

a) All Members shall:

submit such documents to the Secretary General, at such times and in such forms as is prescribed in the By Laws observe these Articles and the By-Laws endorse and promote among its membership the document "The Ethics of Social Work, Principles and Standards" and the policies currently approved by the Federation pay membership dues as prescribed by resolution of the General Meeting, in accordance with applicable procedures set out in the By-laws promote the profession within their country and at the international level apply the ethical principles of the Federation contribute to and promote Federation activities in their respective countries. support international conferences promoted by the Federation through promotion to their members and endeavouring to send official representation support and endeavour to express international solidarity in relation to international standards of human rights shall participate in the work of Committees shall support IFSW international conferences by ongoing promotion among its members and by making efforts to send official representation

b) Full Members shall:

be entitled to receive direct communication and all member publications and materials from the Federation be entitled to full participation in Federation elections in accordance with these Articles and the By-laws be eligible to participate in the work of Federation committees

c) Provisional Members shall be entitled to all rights of Full Members, except the right to present nominations for Federation offices and to vote

d) Candidates shall:

be entitled to observer status in General Meetings correspond with their Region, rather than directly with the Secretariat

Art. 20 REGIONS

a) The membership shall be divided into 5 geographical Regions: Africa, Asia & Pacific, Europe, Latin America & Caribbean and North America.

b) Each member as at the 2002 General Meeting shall continue to be a member of the Region it was associated with as at that date.

c) Every applicant for membership after the 2002 General Meeting shall (following consultation with the applicant if necessary) be referred by the Secretary General to the Region (via its representative Vice President) with which it is most closely associated geographically, unless special circumstances apply and the Executive Committee, in its discretion, decides that the referral should be to another Region. The application shall be assessed by the Region, under the guidance of its Vice President, (subject to the Constitution) in accordance with such procedures as the Regional Committee, or in the absence of a Regional Committee as the representative Vice President, in consultation with the Secretariat, shall determine.

d) Any member wishing to change its assignment from one Region to another shall submit a request in accordance with the prescribed procedures set out in the By Laws.

e) The members of each Region shall, as soon as circumstances allow, appoint a Regional Committee and a Regional Secretariat. For as long as a Region is without a Regional Committee and/or a Regional Secretariat, the Secretariat shall support the Region in fulfilling its functions (in accordance with any directions issued by the Executive Committee).

f) The members of each Region may determine the frequency, content and conduct of meetings within the Region, provided they are consistent with these Articles and the By-Laws and on the establishment of a Regional Committee and/or a Regional Secretariat, such functions shall be exercised by those bodies.

g) A Region shall be responsible for assessing the eligibility for membership of any applicant for membership referred to it. Provided the Region considers the applicant to meet the criteria for full membership it shall confirm to the applicant and the Executive Committee that the applicant has Candidate status and shall recommend to the next General Meeting that the applicant should be admitted as a Full Member of the Federation and that it should be assigned to that Region.

h)

i) A Region shall be responsible for monitoring its Members to ensure that they fulfill the criteria for full membership. If a full member appears to be in breach of the provisions under Article 7 of the Constitution the Region shall advise the full member and seek an explanation of the full member’s position. If no satisfactory explanation is provided or the breach is not remedied in a timely fashion the Region shall recommend to the Executive Committee and the next General Meeting that the Full Member shall be transferred to the status of Provisional Member. "

ii) A Region shall be responsible for supporting and monitoring the transitional process for the attainment of Full Member status by each Provisional Member which is a member of that Region. The Region shall confirm to the Provisional Member and the Executive Committee when the Provisional Member has fulfilled the Full Member eligibility criteria. The Region shall recommend to the next General Meeting following confirmation that the Provisional Member meets Full Member eligibility criteria that the Provisional Member should be admitted as a Full Member. "

AND RESOLVED that By Laws to 3 b) and c) be deleted as having been superseded by the new provisions of Article 20.

AND RESOLVED that existing By Law 4 shall be replaced by the following new By Law 4 (existing By Law 4 having been superseded by new provisions in the Articles concerning Provisional membership):

"By Law 4 MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION FROM COUNTRY ALREADY REPRESENTED BY A MEMBER

Where an application for membership is received from a Social Work Organisation other than the member in any country, the Secretary General shall forward the application to the Vice President of the relevant Region. The Vice President shall in liaison with the Regional Committee and/or Regional Secretariat (if applicable) prepare a report for the Executive Committee setting out the position in the member country having consulted with the Member. If the matter requires further investigation the Executive Committee may, by a majority vote, appoint a Committee of Enquiry to report to the next General Meeting with a recommendation on membership. The Committee of Enquiry will consider the applicant’s Constitution, Code of Ethics, and latest Annual Report, applicable membership criteria, the number of members of the applicant with professional qualifications, involvement of the applicant in professional and social justice and social policy issues, involvement of the applicant in professional development and other relevant factors affecting the Member organisation and the applicant organisation. In its report the Committee of Enquiry will address the feasibility of a Co-ordinating Body representing the Member and the applicant organisation being established. Following the receipt of the report of the Committee of Enquiry, the Executive Committee shall recommend to the General Meeting the appropriate membership arrangement for that country and the General Meeting may endorse, modify or reject the recommendation."

Existing Constitution: See Articles 5 – 7 & 20.

Responsibilities of Membership

The obligations of membership remain unchanged in the Articles, however further articulation of the rights and responsibilities of membership have been incorporated into By Law 7. This is based on feedback that suggests that greater emphasis should be placed upon the mutual relationship between members and the organisation. This is particularly important when considering the demands upon the IFSW to undertake tasks and the very limited resources of the organisation. This matter aside it is good policy to engage members with any organisation that they seek to join.

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

Size of the Executive Committee

The question of reducing the size of the Executive Committee from 17 to 12 based on the regional election of the Vice President and 1 Member at Large and total membership election of the President and the Treasurer raised considerable debate throughout the consultation and at the Executive Committee Meeting.

There are two main considerations underpinning this proposal. The first is organisational. There is a trend towards smaller, tighter management groups or Boards. Eight to ten is commonly seen as an ideal. It is considered that these can be more effective, particularly if well supported by functional working groups at a local (regional) level. This is a view which is not universally shared. Indeed some argue in the opposite direction. Larger Boards mean a greater pool of resources etc.

The second consideration is financial and the cost of maintaining an Executive Committee of 17 members. A smaller Executive Committee may release funds for a number of purposes. Certainly the budget associated with bringing the Executive Committee together to meet are substantial and this does not cover all the costs incurred. Not all Executive Members costs can be met. Most are subsidized under the Executive Travel Policy.

For example, the average cost per person for an Executive Meeting is CHF 4,000 (USD$2,400). At the present time this cost is fully met for those members coming from countries with a GDP under the world average. Other members receive a partial reimbursement of CHF1,000 (USD$600). The costs for meetings will vary according to the geographical composition of the Executive. Based on the composition of the current Executive a reduction from 17 to 12 members would result in a reduction of costs by CHF8,000 (USD$4,800).

The Executive Committee does not have a unanimous view and this is likely to reflect the diversity of opinion across membership. Nevertheless the Executive Committee voted to recommend that the membership consider the reduction of the size of the Executive Committee to 12 – President, Treasurer, 5 Vice Presidents and 1 Member at Large from each region.

The following Resolution contains a proposed way of managing split terms, should they be adopted. It provides reference to which positions should be elected for a four-year term in Geneva 2002 and which should be elected for an interim 2-year term. It also makes provisions to ensure that no individual is disadvantaged in this process. The actual selection of positions was conducted by the Solicitors and based on the alphabetical formulae.

Should this vote not be adopted an alternative would be to elect 2 Members at Large from each region and for this process to be conducted at the regional level.

Elections & Terms of Office
It should be noted that two members of the Structure and Operations Committee, the President, Imelda Dodds & Ambassador, Suzanne Dworak Peck, have been or could be effected by the current constitutional provisions. As such this gives rise to a conflict of interest. They have limited their involvement as appropriate.

In the light of procedural and constitutional issues emerging from the General Meeting in Montreal 2000 the Elections Committee were asked to review the Constitution. The procedural issue relates to the length of time taken to conclude the voting process in Montreal. This was coupled with the need for specific guidelines in the event of a tied ballot. Management of tied ballots can be seen as a procedural issue which is better dealt with after the vote on changes to the constitution has been concluded. As a result it has not been dealt with in this paper but will be addressed after the General Meeting. The constitutional matters raised in Montreal related to the length of terms of office bearers. The Elections committee developed a series of proposals that were considered by the Executive.

The election process currently consumes a significant proportion of time at the General Meeting. Under the present system only regional members can vote for their Vice President and at least one Member at Large must come from each region. It is proposed that much of the election process be devolved to the regional meeting level where a more appropriate debate and use of time can ensue. This is particularly relevant if the proposal to reduce the size of the Executive is supported. Only regional members could and should be involved in the election of their representatives. There is no reason nor need for this process to occur at the General Meeting level. This leaves the election of the President and Treasurer to the full membership represented at the General Meeting.

It is often the case that members of the Executive Committee, in whatever capacity, will take some time to adjust to the work of IFSW and come to develop experience in the role. Under the current provisions Members at Large may spend up to or three terms in that role. If they progress to an Officer level this may leave them at worst with one term (2 years) to serve. This may limit their effectiveness and may also result in an experience drain which the IFSW cannot afford.

The Executive Committee has considered a number of ways of addressing this problem. Two models emerge and both are presented here. The first is proposed as an outcome of discussions with the Solicitors providing advice on transitional arrangements. In short the suggestion is that we introduce a staggered process as a way of dealing with our proposed changes. In effect that would mean that we would need to introduce 4-year terms with half of the Executive elected at each General Meeting.

The second option is based on the current system of two-year terms and elections for all positions occurring at each General Meeting. This option would allow for the Officers to be elected for set periods irrespective of the time previously served.

Both options are designed to overcome the problem of the loss of experienced members from the Executive simply because of the existing time limits. Both options are also intended to provide for an upper limit of total consecutive service that does not exceed 12 years.

The Executive Committee recommends the adoption of Resolution 4 which contains its comprehensive recommended proposals. If Resolution 4 is not passed, the Executive Committee recommends the adoption of Resolution 7 to provide, nevertheless, for the possibility of three consecutive two-year terms in one Executive Committee position and to extend the maximum permitted continuous service on the Executive Committee to twelve years.

Adoption of new provisions in Article 15 of the Constitution for the composition of and appointments to the Executive Committee Consequential amendment of quorum for Executive Committee meetings as set out in Article 17 d) Addition of consequential reference in Article 20 to functions of Regions in relation to appointments to the Executive Committee Further consequential amendments to the Articles

RESOLVED: that existing Article 15 of the Constitution shall be replaced by the following new Article 15:

"Art. 15 EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE CONSTITUTION

a) The Executive Committee shall consist of the 7 Officers and 1 additional Member nominated by each Region.

b) The eligibility criteria for the office of President are membership of a Member in good standing and previous personal service in some capacity with the Federation of no less than two years.

c) The eligibility criterion for the office of Treasurer is membership of a Member in good standing.

d) The eligibility criterion for the office of Vice President and for nomination as an Additional Regional Nominee is membership of a Member within the relevant Region in good standing.

e) The Executive Committee shall elect one of the Vice Presidents to be the First Vice President.

f) The term of office of each Executive Committee member shall be four years (subject to the transitional provisions in o), p) and r) below).

g) An Executive Committee member may be re-elected or re-appointed to the same executive position for a second continuous term, but may not be elected to the same executive position for a third continuous term (subject to the transitional provisions in t below).

h) The maximum continuous period during which an individual may be an Executive Committee member in any capacity is three terms (subject to the transitional provision t) below).

i) A vacancy in the following executive positions arising between General Meetings, which the Executive Committee considers should be filled before the next General Meeting shall be filled as follows:

First Vice President - Executive Committee election of one of the remaining Vice-Presidents Treasurer Executive Committee election of an existing member of the Committee or by appropriate Executive Committee co-option Regional Nominee - by interim nomination by the relevant Region

j) A vacancy in the office of President shall be filled by the First Vice President.

k) A vacancy in the office of any Vice-President shall be filled by the Regional Nominee from the same Region.

l) An interim appointment under i) j) or k) shall not be counted for the purpose of calculating any term in any particular executive position.

m) An interim appointment under i) j) or k) shall be counted for the purpose of calculating the maximum continuous period as an Executive Committee member, except in the case of a co-opted Treasurer, or an interim Regional Nominee.

n) Elections for the office of President shall take place at the 2002 General Meeting and subsequently at General Meetings at four yearly intervals.

o) Elections for the office of Treasurer shall take place at the 2002, the 2004 General Meeting and subsequently at General Meetings at four yearly intervals.

p) Vice-Presidents shall be nominated by the Africa, Asia & Pacific, and Europe Regions at the 2002 General Meeting, the 2004 General Meeting and subsequently at General Meetings at four yearly intervals.

q) Vice-Presidents shall be nominated by the Latin America & Caribbean and North America Regions at the 2002 General Meeting and subsequently at General Meetings at four yearly intervals.

r) Additional Regional Nominees shall be nominated by the Latin America & Caribbean and North America Regions at the 2002 General Meeting, the 2004 General Meeting and subsequently at General Meetings at four yearly intervals.

s) Additional Regional Nominees shall be nominated by the Africa, Asia & Pacific, and Europe Regions at the 2002 General Meeting and subsequently at General Meetings at four yearly intervals.

t) A transitional term of two years served by any individual under p), or r),or, by a new Treasurer, under o), shall not be counted in calculating any maximum term applicable to any such individual, under g) or h).
Accordingly, any such individual shall, after the transitional two year term, be eligible for re-election to two further continuous full four year terms in the particular position and shall, after the transitional two year term, be eligible for a total of three continuous further terms in office as an Executive Committee member.

u) In calculating terms in executive positions and periods as Executive Committee members under this Article "two years" shall be interpreted as the period between successive Biennial General Meetings and multiples of "two years" shall be interpreted accordingly."

AND RESOLVED that existing Article 17 d) be replaced with the following new Article 17 d):

"
d) The quorum for meetings of the Executive Committee shall be one half plus one of the Executive Committee members.
"

AND RESOLVED that the following Article shall be added as the next lettered Article at the end of Article 20:

"
[]) Each Region shall make arrangements for the nominations of Vice Presidents and Additional Regional Nominees to the Executive Committee for the purposes of Article 15, through such procedures involving nomination and elections of members within such Region, in accordance with the procedure set down by the Elections Committee.
.
"
AND RESOLVED that the following consequential amendments to the Articles shall be made:

" Article 11c) shall read: "The General Meeting elects the Officers and receives nominations of the Vice Presidents and Additional Regional Nominees made by the Regions".

Article 13 g) shall read: "Minutes of General Meetings shall be reviewed and adopted by the Executive Committee. A full set of draft minutes will be circulated to Members prior to adoption".

Article 16 d) shall read: "The First Vice President shall substitute for the President in case of the President’s absence".

Article 16 e) shall be deleted and subsequent Articles 16 f) to i) shall be consequentially re-lettered.

Article 17 c) shall read: "Additional Regional Nominees not able to attend a particular meeting may appoint alternates to attend in their place and exercise their rights and duties. The nomination of such an alternate must be made with the written consent of the Region and conveyed in writing to the Secretary General before the start of business at the Executive Committee."

Article 18 a) shall read: "The Executive Committee shall make its decisions by simple majority of the Executive Committee members attending the meeting, except where otherwise required by this Constitution."

Existing Constitution: See Articles 11,13,15-18 & 20

Amendment of quorum for General Meetings

"IT BEING NOTED that the number of members has increased significantly since the current quorum for General Meetings - representatives of one-third of the member organisations with voting rights (as set out in Article 12d) - was set:

RESOLVED: that the words "one-third" in Article 12d) be replaced by the words "one quarter"."

Existing Constitution: See Article 12

MISCELLANEOUS AND CONSEQUENTIAL AMENDMENTS

Miscellaneous further minor amendments to the Articles and By Laws

RESOLVED: that the following further minor consolidating, clarifying and drafting amendments to the Articles and By Laws be made (as far as necessary as separate resolutions, as determined by the President):

"
1. All references to "IFSW" shall be amended to references to "the Federation".

2. All references to "member organisations" and "organisations in membership" shall be amended to references to "Members".

3. All references to "Constitution and By Laws" shall be amended to references to "Articles and By Laws".

4. All references to "Federation By Laws" shall be amended to references to "the By Laws".

5. All references to "Officers of the Federation" shall be amended to references to "Officers".

6. All references to "Officers" and "Members at Large" shall collectively shall be amended to refer to "Executive Committee members"

7. All references to "Articles", "By Laws", "Co-ordinating Body", "General Meetings", "Members", "Regions" "Social Work Organisation" when used as defined terms specific to these Articles shall be written with initial capital letters.

8. A new Article 8 c) shall be included as follows: "Further procedures set out in the By Laws relating to suspension, expulsion and reinstatement shall apply".

9. In Article 9 d) the words "as specified in the By Laws" shall be deleted.

10. In Article 11 i) the words "as stipulated in Article 17" shall be deleted.

11. In Article 11 d) shall be amended to read: " The General Meeting elects an Elections Officer, Parliamentarian and other necessary persons to carry out duties as it may decide, subject to the Constitution"

12. Article 13 f) shall be amended to read: "No Executive Committee member shall have any vote in a General Meeting in such capacity (subject to any casting vote of the President provided by the Constitution).

13. Article 16 shall be amended to include clause j) " The Executive Committee elects a Parliamentarian for each of its meetings.

14. In Article 17 c) the words "and Officers" shall be deleted.

15. Article 21 and By Law 22 shall be deleted and replaced with a new Article 16 c) to read : "The Executive Committee shall have delegated authority to decide of the signing authority on behalf of the Federation.
16. The date in Article 28 a) and By Law 25 shall be amended to the date of the constitutional resolutions passed at the 2002 General Meeting.
17. Article 22-28 shall be consequentially renumbered following the deletion of Article 21.

18. In By Law 11 b) the reference to "180 days" shall be amended to a reference to "120 days" and (provided Resolution 4 has been passed) the words "for office in the Federation", shall be replaced by the words "for (as applicable) the Offices of President and/or Treasurer".

19. The time limits in By Laws 11 d), f), g) and h) shall be amended respectively to read: "50", "40", "30", and "50" days.

20. By-Law 12 a) shall be amended to read: "At the beginning of a meeting, the President shall indicate guidance as to the mode of procedure. The President shall direct the discussion, accord the right to speak, put questions to the vote, and announce decisions. The President shall rule on points of order, and shall have the power to propose adjournment or closure of the debate, or adjournment or suspension of the meeting. The President will be assisted in this role by the appointed Parliamentarian.

21. (Provided Resolution 4 has been passed) By Law 11 i) shall be amended to read "The elections shall be divided into three sections: the elections of the President, the Treasurer, and the elections of the elections committee".

22. (Provided Resolution 4 has been passed) By Laws 11 j) and m)-q) inclusive shall be deleted and By Laws 11 k) and l) shall be consequentially re-lettered.

23. By Laws 15 a) and 15 b) shall be amended so that all references to "Officers" are deleted and are otherwise included in or replaced by references to "Executive Committee members".

24. (Provided Resolution 4 has been passed) By Law 17 shall be deleted.

25. (Provided Resolution 3 has been passed) By Law 18 shall be deleted.

26. In By Law 20 the reference to Article 16 f) shall be amended to a reference to Article 16 and the reference to "Vice Presidents of the Regions" shall be amended to a reference to "Vice Presidents".

27. By laws 19,20,21,23,24 and 25 shall be consequentially renumbered following the deletions of By- Laws 17, 18 and 22.

{IF RESOLUTION 4 WAS NOT PASSED}

RESOLUTION 7:
ELIGIBILITY OF CURRENT OFFICERS FOR FURTHER ELECTION

RESOLVED: that the numbers "2" and "8" in Article 15 b) in the existing constitution shall be replaced by the numbers "3" and "10"."

ITEM 8
{PROVIDED RESOLUTION 4 WAS PASSED}:
ELECTIONS AND NOTIFICATIONS OF APPOINTMENTS OF EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEMBERS UNDER NEW ARTICLE 15

1. Election of President (for a four year term to the Biennial General Meeting 2006 from nominations received in response to the March Notice - current President eligible).

2. Election of Treasurer (for a two year term to the Biennial General Meeting 2004 from nominations received in response to the March Notice - current Treasurer eligible).

3. Nominations of one Vice-President each by the Africa, Asia & Pacific and Europe Regions (for two year terms to the Biennial General Meeting 2004- current Vice Presidents eligible).

4. Nominations of one Vice-President each by the Latin America & Caribbean and North America Regions (for four year terms to the Biennial General Meeting 2006 - current Vice Presidents eligible).

5. Nominations of one Additional Regional Nominee each by the Africa, Asia & Pacific and Europe Regions (for four year terms to the Biennial General Meeting 2006 – five current Members at Large eligible).

6. Nominations of one Additional Regional Nominee each by the Latin America & Caribbean and North America Regions (for two year terms to the Biennial General Meeting 2004– - current Members at Large eligible).

ITEM 9
IF RESOLUTION 4 WAS NOT PASSED}:
ELECTIONS AND NOTIFICATIONS OF APPOINTMENTS OF EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEMBERS UNDER AMENDED ARTICLE 15

1. Election of President (for a two year term to the Biennial General Meeting 2004 from nominations received in response to the January Notice - current President eligible).

2. Election of Treasurer (for a two year term to the Biennial General Meeting 2004 from nominations received in response to the January Notice - current Treasurer eligible).

3. Elections of 5 Vice-Presidents respectively by the members of each of the Regions (for two year terms to the Biennial General Meeting 2004- current Vice Presidents eligible)).

4. Elections of 10 Members at Large from Member nominations, subject to Article 15 a). (for two year terms to the Biennial General Meeting 2004- - seven of the current Members at Large eligible).

Non Constitutional Issues

The following matters were also the subject of the February 2001 discussion paper. The feedback received and subsequent discussion at the Executive Committee does not give rise to changes in the constitution. However the recommendations of the Executive Committee are reported here.

That IFSW increase levels of delegation within its structure and ask the Structure and Operations Committee to further develop a framework for delegation.

That the IFSW introduce performance appraisals for all members of the Executive Committee, main representative and committee members. Further it ask the Structures & Operations Committee to develop a framework for further consideration That a review of the dues policy with particular reference to debt relief and default be referred to the Finance Committee for further and separate consideration. In doing so the Finance Committee should be guided by the comments received through the survey conducted in February 2001. That IFSW continue to develop a centralised structure however investigate all possible options to further strengthen regional structures within that framework. That regions be encouraged to engage in regional fundraising to the extent that is reasonable in the economic environment of the time and place. That the General Meeting remains at its current frequency – to be held every two years.

Conclusion

That the General Meeting endorse the changes recommended in this document and vote to change the Constitution in the Resolutions 1- 7.

Imelda Dodds
Convenor
On behalf of Structure & Operations Committee
April 2002