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After "a very challenging year", UK library and information association CILIP is undergoing a restructure that will see almost a fifth of its 54-strong team made redundant. According to the organisation's c.e.o. Nick Poole, the restructure was approved by the CILIP board in September to offer "value" for members and help grow its membership under a cheaper model.
All posts except that of the chief executive were initially put at risk of redundancy. Now 11 roles are going including the director of external relations, who had been with CILIP for more than 13 years, and one senior role at Facet Publishing, CILIP's publishing arm. Two contracts which were scheduled to end in 2019 will not be renewed, CILIP also confirmed.
The organisation said the intention was to provide a "flatter" and "less siloed" overall structure with fewer senior managers while "empowering staff with expertise and experience to take ownership of their area of work". Two new teams - one of relationship managers and an integrated sales and marketing team - have been created, the latter of which CILIP already credits in having delivered the first five consecutive months of membership growth in nearly a decade.
Although tasked with reducing staff costs to balance its budget for 2019, CILIP maintains the measures it has undertaken were preventative and that it is not in financial trouble. To the contrary it said the fundamentals of CILIP’s trading activities and overall financial health "remain strong", as reported at its 2018 a.g.m.
Explaining its rationale for the restructure it wrote as part of an update to members: "All organisations need to change and adapt to the changing needs of their audience. In CILIP’s case, we have ambitious plans for growth and modernisation, including the implementation of a new, cheaper membership model, voted for by members at the 2017 AGM.
"While we have begun to see the first indications of membership growth in Q3 and Q4 of 2018, this growth has not happened quickly enough to offset the financial impact of a cheaper membership model. At the same time, a number of our trading activities (which normally offset fluctuations in membership) have experienced a very challenging year.
"Had we failed to act, CILIP would have faced a significant financial challenge in 2019. In September 2018, therefore, the CILIP Board approved a Strategic Review".
Defending the number of staff it decided must be let go, CILIP disclosed a "'belt tightening’ policy" had been put in place when it became apparent savings needed to be made, involving a review of all its financial commitments. CILIP said: "It is partly thanks to this process that we have been able to reduce the number of posts being made redundant."
CILIP wrote in the same update: "We are sorry to have to say goodbye to our professional colleagues, many of whom have served our community with diligence and dedication for many years."
Promising "an exciting programme of member-focused events, launches and activities" in 2019, following the restructure CILIP said it would be focusing on increasing revenues derived from membership fees (individual and corporate) and trading activities (events, training and sector support). It will also be focused on maintaining its income from rental and meeting room hire at its Ridgmount Street building (which it owns outright, generally generating around £850k per year) and from Facet Publishing, which outfit it said it "intends to sustain long into the future".