28 June 2023
By Ivan Beaumont, EMCC UK Director of Digital.
This month I am sharing an update on three projects that we have underway. These are:
1. Association management software (AMS) and website upgrade
2. Cyber security
3. Member experience platform
Association management software – as mentioned in the March newsletter, we have a project underway to update our AMS and integrate it with a reliable, flexible and secure digital content management system (CMS). We presented our chosen solution to the Board in March, and this was approved. Since then, contracts have been signed and work commenced.
There have been many workshops with both the AMS and website providers. These have gone really well and the system build phase is on track. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Michelle Kenyon and Michael Jones from our Operations team for their fantastic work to date. I have been impressed with the progress made.
We will see significant changes toward the end of 2023 as we begin to go live. In due course, you will receive notification via email of anything that may impact you. I am excited by the improvements this project will bring to all members of EMCC UK.
Cyber security – our focus on cyber security is multi-layered. As a member organisation, it is extremely important that we do all we can to protect ourselves from bad actors and attacks. This is why we have completed a self-assessment of our infrastructure and data security to identify areas of weakness against the IASME cyber standards. I recommend to all our members that they do similar. I have noted that when bidding for work, it is often a requirement to be certified. I would be surprised if this does not become standard practice.
In March, I recommended the book Cybersecurity for Coaches and Therapists, written by Alexandra Fouracres, an EMCC accredited coach and cyber security expert. It is a great companion book to the self-assessment process. I have been speaking with Alexandra since March and I am hopeful that she will be able to help us create some great resources for you later this year and into 2024. Watch this space.
Member experience platform – this very morning (I am typing this on 23 June) I was chatting with one of our fantastic volunteers, Dave Paice, about the creation of a member experience platform that will enable us all to connect, interact and collaborate with each other, bringing a real sense of community – indeed, communities. This project is now underway. Dave will be helping us create a business case, and if that case is strong and approved by the Board, Dave will help us take the project through a thorough procurement and selection process.
In the March newsletter, I spoke about AI and digital coaching in some detail. I continue to keep my eye on what is a rapidly changing landscape. Strategically, we continue to be ‘explorers’, curious about digital services that may augment coaching, mentoring and supervision practices. I am planning to provide a detailed end of year update.
If you have any questions, wish to chat about any of these topics or get involved, then do get in touch with me: [email protected]
Photo by Getty Images on Unsplash