Membership

Guidelines for affiliate members

The following are the guidelines to be observed by all IPRN affiliate members for professional conduct between them and full members of IPRN

Conduct of business

  1. Openness and honesty shall mark conduct between all affiliate members and full members and both member's 'word' shall be their 'bond'. This means that, having undertaken to do something, even verbally, it will actually be done.
  2. To avoid misunderstanding, all transactions involving payment must be confirmed in writing.
  3. If a member finds it impossible to undertake an assignment requested by an affiliate member, this must be stated immediately and, if applicable, another consultancy in the country concerned should be recommended.
  4. A member who has undertaken an assignment for an affiliate member shall be paid within 30 days of rendering an invoice, irrespective of whether the commissioning affiliate member has been paid by their client. Both members may vary this rule by mutual agreement.
  5. The terms on which the assignment is undertaken must be agreed in writing at the time of commissioning: what exactly is included; whether the client or the commissioning affiliate member shall be invoiced; the terms on which the transaction is being agreed; the currency for payment.
  6. The full member receiving a commission may pay an optional, negotiated percentage of up to 10% of the fee element involved in the job, for each and every client, to the commissioning affiliate member, if this is agreed in writing between them at the time of commissioning. However, it is recommended that the affiliate commissioning member be reimbursed by the client for the management of a multi-country campaign and the introduction to other full members, to ensure transparency and probity.
  7. Notification should be given to the General Secretary/Administrator that work has been/is being done between affiliate and full member agencies so that some indication of progress of work through the Network can be monitored.

Annual general meeting

  1. All IPRN policy is set by the Annual General Meeting and implemented between meetings by the General Secretary/Administrator and the Chairman. From time to time it is necessary for the General Secretary/Administrator to request information, to circulate questionnaires or similar material and affiliate and full members should respond promptly.
  2. Every affiliate member shall pay an annual subscription either individually or through their own affiliated organisation. Payment shall be made within 60 days of the date of the invoice by cheque or draft drawn on a UK bank in Pounds Sterling (£). Subscriptions shall cover the financial year of IPRN - 1st January to 31st December unless otherwise agreed in writing.
  3. The denomination of affiliate member and the subscription for affiliate membership shall be governed by the decisions of the Annual General Meeting of full members of the IPRN or in a general vote taken constitutionally at any other time.
  4. All affiliate members agree to be subject to the Constitution of the IPRN and motions passed at conference/s by full members, as these may affect them.
  5. Each affiliate agency shall have the right to show the IPRN Affiliate Member logotype on their stationery and their web site during their membership and they agree to remove this promptly and not to make any claim of affiliation should their membership cease for any reason.

Full members' responses to affiliate members

  1. All members must respond within 48 hours to any enquiry from an affiliate member, either with the information requested or to indicate if, how or when that information can be supplied.
  2. All members agree to provide such information requested by an affiliate member free, at no charge or, if costs will be incurred obtaining that information, to inform the affiliate member of that cost and the timescale involved within the same 48 hours.
  3. All members agree to acknowledge new business enquiries, either from the administrative office or individual affiliate members within 48 hours. Subsequently they agree to use their best endeavours to progress such requests within the timescale and in the form requested, or otherwise keep the enquirer fully and regularly informed of their ability to assist the network or affiliate member to progress such new business enquiries.

Confidentiality

  1. In every case, all information exchanged between affiliate members and full members shall be held in strict confidence and not disclosed to any other person, unless with the agreement of the member providing the information. No affiliate or full member may use such information for their own personal ends or gain.
  2. No affiliate or full member may approach any client of another member without express permission of the member concerned, and the reason for such an approach being fully disclosed.

Problems and mediation

  1. If the affiliate member is in anyway aggrieved or dissatisfied by the response or working activities of any full member they should report this immediately in writing to the General Secretary/Administrator who will enquire into the situation and report back to the affiliate member and to the Chairman and Administrative Committee for adjudication under the Articles of Association and Conference Motions.
  2. If an affiliate member shall act unprofessionally or in a way which may be deemed to bring the reputation of the International Public Relations Association into disrepute, in the opinion of the Administrative Committee and the then President of the IPRN, then the affiliate membership of the IPRN may be summariliy withdrawn and the use of the association with the IPRN and the depiction of its logo on any stationery will be prohibited to that affiliate member. In such circumstances no refund of paid fees will be made.
 

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