THE BASIS OF THE IAM HAS
ALWAYS BEEN QUALITY. WHEN
YOU THINK ABOUT IT, WITHOUT
QUALITY, WE HAVE VERY LITTLE –
IT IS WHAT WE ARE AND WHAT WE
DO.
I made this point at the recent
national motorcycle group conference
to kick start a new initiative to look at
the quality of the IAM’s performance.
The initiative was the brain child of
former IAM Chairman David
Kenworthy earlier this year, and is
now taking shape.
The priority is the
Skill for Life
process, seen not
from our
perspective, but
from an associate’s
point of view. We
need to look at all
the activities
involved and set
standards that we
can all agree to and
which will ensure the IAM can meet the
challenges which will face us the next
few years.
At the moment we have some
quality assurance processes
dealing with the conduct of the
test. Yes, we have the capability
to look at some of the senior
observers but we have big gaps
that are not dealt with.
It gave me no pleasure to cite
instances of problems that
individuals had experienced in
dealing with the IAM centrally,
and the groups, as examples of
how things can go wrong.
But it wasn’t a long list and
overall I suspect we actually do
quite well. That said, there are
some things that need to be
resolved. We have to be able to
say we are committed to quality
- and then prove it. Anyone can
talk the talk.
When we look at the Skill for
Life process we must involve
both Head Office functions and
the Groups, particularly the
governance of the group movement,
and their ongoing finance. The groups
are (generally) small bodies; we have
to both provide better support for them
and ensure the sustainability of the
delivery of test preparation for the
coming years. These underline the
initiative. The newly formed NRG has
formed a sub-group to look at the
issues that need standards to be set,
and to develop them.
While we will be consulting with groups
more generally in due course, please
don’t wait to make any points you
would like to regarding the review.
Constructive suggestions and ideas
are welcome - and an email address
standards@ iam.org.uk has been
created specifically to receive and deal
with them. Please encourage everyone
in your group to engage with the process
and contribute.
Everyone has separate experiences and
has gained separate knowledge. For the
benefit of everyone - the IAM and the
220 groups - we need to capture all that
wisdom and make use of it. Please don’t
keep quiet now and complain afterwards
- that’s too late. This is a golden
opportunity for us to work together and
break down some of the barriers that
have existed between “Head Office” and
“The Groups”. We are all in the IAM.
Peter Rodger
Chief Examiner
Spot the twit and add a caption. Suggestions to Tony Rowlinson
