A model of visionary leadership

Q: With origins dating back to over half a century, could you outline the history of the Chartered Institute of Personnel Management Sri Lanka (CIPM)?
A: CIPM Sri Lanka is the premier professional body for human resources (HR) in the country. It counts an illustrious history of promulgating best practices and driving professional education related to HR in the country.

Established in 1959, the institute was incorporated by Act of Parliament No. 24 of 1976 and elevated to chartered status by amendment Act No. 31 of 2018. Many leaders and successive councils have contributed to CIPM’s success story.

Q: The last two years have been particularly challenging for the world. Despite these obstacles, what have been some of the highlights of CIPM Sri Lanka’s journey so far?
A: In the wake of the Chartered Qualification in Human Resources Management (CQHRM) launched by the institute in 2020, we worked towards obtaining accreditation of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) in the UK, which is the world’s leading body for Human Resources Management (HRM).

In working towards this accreditation, many internal standards were aligned to match global standards of professional education – including policies and assessment methods that also had to be within accepted digital standards during the pandemic.

CIPD sets down stringent rules and standards to which CIPM has to conform – and CIPD considered CIPM’s application for accreditation of its CQHRM on the basis of its internal policies, procedures, standards, syllabus, assessment model etc.

Accordingly, CIPD UK accredited CIPM Sri Lanka’s chartered qualification in HRM. It also accredited CIPM as a CIPD accredited centre with effect from 1 July 2021. This is considered to be one of the main achievements among other landmarks – particularly in relation to the professional standing of CIPM as a premier HRM organisation that nurtures and develops the HR profession in Sri Lanka.

On top of this achievement, the Chartered Management Institute (CMI) in the UK accredited CIPM as a CMI approved centre with exclusive rights to conduct the Diploma in Professional Consulting for local consultants to achieve this qualification.

This will help improve professional standards of consulting in Sri Lanka; and it will be the first time a globally acclaimed professional qualification is being offered to consultants to qualify under global standards.

The official launch of CIPM as a CMI accredited centre with a licence to offer a Diploma in Professional Consulting was held on 23 November 2021.

Q: What were some of the most significant challenges faced by the organisation in recent times, in your opinion?
A: On 1 August 2020, a new council took over the task of steering the institute in the midst of COVID-19, which demanded exceptional strategic leadership, resilience and courage, in order to survive and continue our operations.

At the installation ceremony held in conjunction with the annual general meeting in July 2020, we unveiled our vision and intended strategic direction for the next two years.

We set about our tasks confidently, harnessing the council’s support, and that of members and staff: we focussed on business; new product, infrastructure and technology development; obtaining global recognition for professional study programmes; membership engagement; and staff progression and succession planning.

In the council year 2020/21, CIPM Sri Lanka witnessed an improvement in revenue and profit, which grew by five and eight percent respectively. Subsequently, 2021/22 has proven to be the best performing year so far in our over 60 year history – revenue growth stands at 33 percent as at January 2022.

This performance with the hybrid model of product delivery is remarkable.

As the leading professional HR institute with global accreditations, we have been successful in steering the organisation towards continuous development and growth in terms of financial results.

Student engagement through webinars, strategic marketing drives, developing in-house competencies – including rigorous professional standards – and enhancing satisfaction levels of customers have also been instrumental to our success.

Online classes for learners aspiring to obtain the Chartered Qualification in HR Management have been immensely successful due to improved online teaching standards enhanced by the availability of state-of-the-art ICT facilities, continuous training of resource personnel and implementation of technology based assessment systems.

All these strategic initiatives have been of much value to the institute.

Special work arrangements and caring for staff during lockdown periods have led to greater motivation among employees – and in turn, they have collectively taking action for the overall success of the organisation.

CIPM Sri Lanka is proud to have been able to provide for and take care of loyal team members and their families during these challenging times amid the pandemic.

Q: How would you describe the competition – and what strategies do you employ to stay ahead?
A: Based on our understanding of the market potential and national level demand for people management solutions (PMS), we strategically repositioned our PMS division.

The standard of seminars, workshops and consultancy activities has been upgraded, to add value to corporates and state sector organisations seeking the services of this division.

Q: And what are the institute’s plans for 2022?
A: During 2021 and leading to this year, several new products – namely the Diploma in Industrial Relations and Employment Law, Diploma in Occupational Safety and Health, and Certificate Course in Reward Management – were launched.

The Diploma in Occupational Safety and Health will produce certified occupational health and safety professionals, and help create a cadre of specialists in this particularly important field.

The Diploma in Industrial Relations and Employment Law will produce certified professionals in the relevant field. It is designed to address the need for growth and development of the country, and combines the two salient features of industrial relations and employment law that remain inseparable from each other.

These new products have added immense value to professionals seeking to qualify in specialised areas of Human Resource Management (HRM), which greatly benefit all businesses. For CIPM Sri Lanka, these products will increase revenue streams.

Our institute has also embarked on the important task of developing national HR standards with much enthusiasm, jointly with the Sri Lanka Standards Institution (SLSI). This has been a longstanding requirement – and CIPM Sri Lanka took this initiative in line with it being empowered to do so by the act of parliament under which it was established.

Q: What’s next for CIPM in terms of evolution and growth as a business?
A: We have initiated a number of infrastructure development projects, which upgraded many facilities at the institute especially during 2021 whereby a fully equipped members’ lounge refurbishment was completed along with a members’ lobby with modern conveniences.

Two important projects – a fully fledged modern auditorium and new cafeteria – are to be launched shortly. Both these facilities add immense value to all stakeholders of CIPM Sri Lanka, particularly its members, students and staff.

The most strategic focus under infrastructure development is the proposed new building on land owned by the institute, adjacent to its present headquarters. Plans are afoot to construct a well-equipped building comprising 12 storeys, considering the student population, and expansion of our business and other allied activities.

We have set up all activities for the new building project to commence shortly. To this end, architectural drawings have been submitted to the relevant authorities to obtain the required approvals.

Further, investment in state-of-the-art technology has been a priority to ensure ambitious standards in teaching, assessments and the overall activities of CIPM Sri Lanka. An ERP system for total automation of the business school is currently progressing and nearing completion.

A ‘Turnitin’ appliance has been installed to detect plagiarism by students at examinations. This tool is a foolproof method of conducting examinations by upgraded testing methods to high global standards.

CIPM gives top priority to members’ wellbeing and development. Facilities such as the refurbished members’ lounge; members’ lobby; Member Connect and Coffee with President mentoring sessions; and lecturing opportunities, periodical webinars, and caring and support for COVID-19 afflicted members have brought about great value additions to delight CIPM’s membership.

Membership upgrades and new member recruitment are the other strategic initiatives undertaken for the betterment of the institute.

The importance of developing employees is also a key priority for us. We have taken steps to identify talent and develop senior staff, to harness their competencies and place them on our succession plan.

Personnel at seniority levels are offered training opportunities based on the annual training plan. Staff engagement, grievance handling, welfare and special programmes, employee satisfaction surveys and regular staff meetings are key initiatives conducted to maintain a high level of motivation within the organisation.

In addition, many priorities have been identified for implementation during council year 2021/22.

The formulation and finalisation of a new strategic plan governing all activities, growth and development in the international market; launch of an MBA programme as a top-up for CQHRM; and introduction of national HRM standards for the country are key among them.

Strengthening government relations and affairs, regional expansion for more inclusive access to CIPM’s facilities and courses, construction of the new building consisting of 12 floors and state-of-the-art facilities for members, students and staff in Colombo adjacent to ‘HR House,’ robust schemes for on-the-job training and internships for CIPM students, building sustainable and mutually beneficial relations with the corporate community, business and professional level local and international institutional collaborations, and ICT infrastructure development to ensure sustainable business growth and stability are among the many activities.

During the period from July 2020 to date, CIPM has thus accomplished many remarkable achievements – they stand out as top class achievements during the tenure of the current President and his Council.

These endeavours have paved the way for the future leadership of CIPM to take the organisation to greater heights.

Jayantha Amarasinghe
President
Telephone 0777 389809
Email president@cipmlk.org
Website www.cipmlk.org