What happened to the LI Independent Review?

[Robert Holden]

 

The Outcome of the Independent Review of the Landscape Institute by Catherine Brown was published on 19 January 2021. The last update from the LI was in December 2021 (i) and it advised that in 2022-23 a "change programme paves the way to better ways of working". So what has happened? Catherine Brown make 37 recommendations. For instance, recommendation 14 “increased transparency”. In December 2021 the update stated: “Members can now access formal records of Board and Council meetings, with minutes published in the LI members’ area as a matter of course within three weeks of each meeting”. In fact as this post is written, in August 2023, the latest minutes for Advisory Council to LI members are from 8 July 2021 and for the Board of Trustees from 13 December 2022. (ii). So much for transparency. But one could go on: recommendation 8, a suitably qualified Board Secretary: is there one? one is not listed on 4 August 2023 (iii) indeed we have lost our CEO, Sue Morgan. One could go on. Overall we have gone backwards.

Searching further on the LI website one finds few recent references to the governance review and subsequent action. On the 8 July 2021 Jane Swift, the interim CEO, stated to Advisory Council “Independent Review, etc. has impacted on service delivery and we are slightly behind our normal cycle” and there was a Workshop with a report by Andrew Morris under headings listed as successful , implementation, and communications priorities, (iv). At the Board Meeting on 14 September 2022 it was noted there would be an update on the Independent Review at the joint session with Advisory Council (v) And at the 13 December 2022 Board the then CEO, Sue Morgan, gave a presentation on “R Metrics summary Independent Review recommendations implementation” (vi). But there are no further details.

What is happening to the Landscape Institute?

Refs. 

(i)      https://www.landscapeinstitute.org/independent-review-progress-update-december-     2021/

(ii)   https://www.landscapeinstitute.org/member-content/member-lounge/

(iii)   https://www.landscapeinstitute.org/about/team/

(iv)  https://landscapewpstorage01.blob.core.windows.net/www-landscapeinstitute-org/2022/01/LI-Advisory-Council-08-July-2021-Minutes-WEB.pdf (3ii of 8 July Advisory Council minutes). 

(v)    https://landscapewpstorage01.blob.core.windows.net/www-landscapeinstitute-org/2023/02/LI-Board-of-Trustees-14sept2022-Minutes-WEB.pdf

(vi)  https://landscapewpstorage01.blob.core.windows.net/www-landscapeinstitute-org/2023/04/Board-of-Trustees-13dec2022-MinutesWEB.pdf

[Robert Holden]

One could continue, the LI Northern Irish branch is defunct and now Technical Committee has been dismissed. 

 

[Andrew Cox]

LI connect has been hacked or maybe it wasn’t secure in the first place. See P2C screengrab attached. 

P2C system clunky and parts of it not updated for 11 years.

I want to coach landscape architects and continue as CMLI but have been told this goes against code by LI. I have been threatened and accused of wanting to make money out of members whereas the P2C paid courses have been running for years. 
 

I was about to launch an online course for landscape architects in June last year after 6 months of engaging an audience and providing free services to assist those on pathway. LI told me not to at this point. strangely I was not advised of the professional misconduct risks when I notified LI of my intentions some 18 months back. 

I guess non members can be coaches at no risk. who would you rather have as your coach? 

More inclusivity and transparency for the LI Academy please. Were members consulted on this? How are roles such as the deputy chief supervisor advertised? Presumably they aren’t. 

Odd that the chief examiner also put together the LI Academy course materials. Was there any engagement of members or committees on the LI Academy? Were paid roles for the Academy advertised? 

LI traditionally cannot retain staff as there is limited  internal promotion or progression  I know because I worked for the LI 20 years ago. I was hired after I cold-called.

Why don’t LI work with members like me on win win scenarios that will bring in and retain members. 

New IT contract to replace P2C system. Any engagement of P2C candidates, mentors etc to ensure new system will be fit for purpose?
 
If I was self employed I would not be renewing my membership. LI took several months to respond to my emails from personal account  

 I got a prompt reply when I used my email address associated with an employer of 80 LAs in UK!
 

Edited February 21 by Andrew Cox