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transoolt cnc finds e Chartered Insti - ute of Trcnspc
Page 20
Page 21
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aiminc oeyonc pure accdemic excellence.
The CIT changes gem
ORGANISATIONS need to subject themselves to a stringent self-examination
periodically. A timehonoured method of working, or approach to the public, may not be in keeping with the needs of the times. All this is particularly true of a fast-moving activity such as transport and — in Britain at least — its pre-eminent professional body, the Chartered Institute of Transport.
The Institute, founded in 1919, was in 1926 granted a Royal Charter "to promote, encourage and co-ordinate the study and advancement of the science and art of transport in all its branches".
The word "Chartered" in its title dates from 1971, following the grant of a Supplemental Charter, adding perhaps a little gloss and enhanced status to what many people in transport felt to be a rather fuddy-duddy body.
Professional bodies like the CIT need an expanding membership if they are to exercise public influence, generate the funds to maintain the headquarters staff and premises, and expand professional activities. The activities of the membership, in this country, and overseas, greatly depends upon the vitality at the centre. Few people want to devote precious spare time to a moribund institution whose prestige is suspect and whose membership is approaching the age of retirement.
Let me hasten to say that the CIT is very far from being moribund. The average age on election of the corporate members (MCITs) is currently 32.8 years and the Student average age on election is 28 years. Strenuous efforts are being made to lower these average ages down to 22 for Students and 27 for MCIT.
When the bulk of the C1T's membership is under 40, with 15 or 20 years of responsi bility in transport ahead of them, and the membership has grown from its present 17,000 to — I hope — several times that figure, the CIT will be much better known, better regarded, and able to exercise the influence on transport policy, here and overseas, that it deserves.
The CIT's Golden Jubilee Report on the Future of the Institute, published in 1969, began the process of selfexamination. In may 1977 the Institute issued a report: "Towards Better Transport — People and Qualifications" following a major inquiry by a committee chaired by Sir Peter Masefield, a past-president and one of transport's best known top managers.
The Masefield Report has since been fully discussed and some of its recommendations have been revised; for example, the subject structure of the new qualifying exam was changed so as to keep some emphasis on management practices in the various transport modes.
The combination of theoretical knowledge with practical management know-how is quite crucial to the authority of the Institute.
No matter how large, or diverse, the membership, employers, in the first i stance, and politicians ar others, will not be impressi by purely academic exc( lence. The skills that keep ti wheels turning, and gooi traffic flowing smoothly, wi acceptable standards f ,'people movement" in tt passenger sector, are rai skills to be greatly prized.
In so far as the CIT mull plies the number of profe: sional transport manage' with these abilities, so high necessary in an increasing mobile world, its prestige ar influence will grow.
It has made a good start t a re-vamped membersh structure which will tal■ effect on October 1, 1971 A points system has been ii corporated taking account I management experience. Th will enable everyone in tram port who has gained apprr priate supervisory/managi ment experience and who hE successfully passed any exis ing course of studies or pr( ficiency test, to climb som rungs of the professionE ladder. The Certificate of Prc fessional Competence is, c course, only one of man similar tests which will yieli some points — for thosi anxious to further their trans port careers.
There are various estimate: of the catchment area fron which the CIT can hope t( expand its relatively smal membership. Dependinc. upon how transport and dis. tribution is defined there ma) be approaching three millior people employed, of whorr the supervisory, managerial, planning and technical grades ought to be interested in joining.
The Student entry will havE to be of university entrancE standard, that is five GCE passes and two A-level passes. Currently, just over
per cent of CIT Students of this standard.
'rofessiona I Institutions not, of course, free to ver standards to make the nt for members easier. The • has to go along with the wailing standards set by ter similar bodies and Droved by the committee of Privy Council which granI Chartered status 3ut the new avenue opened transport people to become sociates of the CIT, subject one year's experience in insport, and the passing of vocational exam such as BSS, a popular qualifiion for foremen, does highht the Masefield principle et 'em on the ladder".
Some keen people will be e to jump to Associate ember grade by dint of the nts system for experience the passing of approved ts of competence. Having provided a number of relatively gentle slopes for aspiring professionals, what can be said of the CIT's objective, published in the annual Handbook: ". . . to provide a source of authoritative views on Transport for communication to government and the community."
In a long talk with Brigadier Donald Locke, the CIT director-general, and Arthur Beckenham, the director of education, I learned that the Institute's influence may be exercised in a covert and persuasive way, rather than in the abrasive fashion of public relations used by some other organisations. CIT delegations to the Department of the Transport ,in Marsham Street, Westminster, would seldom be appropriate action for a professional body.
That is not to say that there is not some "ear-bending" of politicians and civil servants on occasion. Many of the decision-makers in the transport corridors of Whitehall are, of course, CIT members. When there is a strong consensus on particular matters of urgent policy politicians can be left in no doubt of the professional view.
We discussed the merits, or otherwise, of the CIT corporate membership responding more quickly to the sort of problems which concern the public, and hence the media. There is no lack of examples of grave public disquiet over "people movement" problems, for example through airports.
What is the role of professionalism, vis-à-vis the Government, in providing an adequate transport infrastructure to cater for the expanded vehicle population of AD 2000 and beyond? Are there limits to the growth of mobility in the context of possible energy famines in future?
Such questions are easily posed, much less easily answered, but the public at large surely expect clear views from any professional institute claiming expertise. I feel that in comparison with the regular clarion calls from bodies like the CBI and the BIM, both with diverse memberships, the voice of transport too often tends to be muffled. The Joint Standing Council formed by CIT and IRTE for research and publicity is excellent news.
The road transport operators' associations have effective PR voices, but they would be the first to admit that they speak for particular sectors. Is there such a thing as a "transport" view of things or a professional transport view?
Although professional institutions have some affinity with the academic world in that they insist on good general educational standards in addition to particular specialist knowledge, knowledge for its own sake is not enough for the transport professional. He, or she, must command essentially practical skills, not only of people-management but also of basic transport arithmetic.
The body of knowledge considered by CIT to be crucial to professionalism comprises: Planning; Operation and Management; Policy and Financial Control; Physical Distribution Management; Technology; Society and the Environment; and Research and Education.
Those who have studied such subjects at the necessary depth can clearly hope to be useful in any transport mode. Any one of these subjects, quite clearly, could be and often is a life-study in itself. So the transport man with some knowledge of each need not fear the criticism that his learning is a bit superficial.
Transport as an activity is hugely diverse, and everchanging. No one "knows it all"; we are all learning every day, and it is very hard work to keep up with the technology of a single transport mode, let alone all modes.
The great merit of the CIT's seven divisions of the necessary "body of knowledge" is that the men and women who have mastered these disciplines have open to them careers in any transport mode. It may be that what transport needs above all else is more inter-changeability of managers, technicians, and planners between modes.
That way, the experience of more advanced, more technological modes of transport can be spread more rapidly across the whole field. Messrs Locke and Beckenham think that the initiative to move between modes must come from the individual, though they would wish, I fancy, that transport management generally looked more encouragingly on inter-modal transfers.
I have known and respected the CIT for many years and can vouch for the quality of research and experience that animates the learned papers given to members, in London and the many branches in the provinces. The headquarters building in Portland Place makes a splendid venue and its library, under Mrs J. Southgate, is visited by transport people from all over the world.
The leadership of CIT is in capable, energetic, hands. It is for the membership, especially the MCITs, to reflect on the meaning of professionalism in terms of public advantage, not only in terms of profitable operations but ir terms of easier, more economical, movement of peopl€ and goods. They should no hide their light under a professional bushel!