12 Apr APCC membership survey results

The Operational Steering Group (OSG) has now concluded analysing the result of the Member Surveys sent out in February.  Sincere thanks goes out to all members who engaged with this process, giving a response, or in most cases multiple responses.

The OSG was overwhelmed by the responses receiving 698 individual responses in total and is the reason it has taken a few weeks to wrangle all the data into an order that we could analyze and interpret the results.

Highlights for each survey:

Website – 67 responses
The website is not used that much by the membership and is clearly mainly used by enquirers
looking for consultants who are potential new members. This was also due to the secretariate giving a high level of updates to the members outside of this.
It was agreed LinkedIn should be looked at as a form of communications

The Directory – 68 responses
Members had many suggestions on improvements to The Directory. Some felt the search options were too wide and caused
enquirers to be overwhelmed by the content.
It was agreed this was a key priority outcome of the survey

Succession and Education – 102  responses
There was an even split between members, those not thinking about succession and those considering APCC as an important feature of succession.  This is not a burning issue but one worthy of further investigation in the medium term.

Potential Business Opportunities – 102 responses
Many Members greatly value this service but just as many think there is significant room for improvement with many excellent suggestions being made.  This is a priority for the OSG who have committed action.

Member Value – 75  responses
This survey confirms there is high value in, with contact with the regulator being one of the key benefits, as well as potential business opportunities.
One item that was raised was around the APCC providing support for the 166 panel, enabling firms who aren’t on the FCA’s panel to be able to put themselves forward for the work. This idea has already been raised with the board.

Professional Standards – 56  responses
This highlighted some mismatch in how members viewed themselves compared to other member firms.  All agree that Professional Standards are the foundation of the Association and more regular references to the Code of Ethics and The Standards will be made.

Membership Engagement and Advocacy – 98 responses
Generally members are happy to engage an advocate for the Association.  Opportunity to have focus on specific sectors and improve the induction process for new members which will be taken to the board.

Member Events and Guest Speakers – 76 responses
A very high level of satisfaction around the events and speakers.  A resounding “keep doing what you’re doing”

Member Event Format – 56 responses
There is demand for events outside of London although it does remain strongly the venue of choice.  One area identified is when using affiliate venues consider whether they have regional offices particularly in Midlands, North East and South West (the strongest regional pulls)

Priority action being taken by OSG

• Joint meetings with Bev and the team in redesigning the Directory and its contents from a members point of view
• Working to improve the Potential Business Opportunities Funnel
• Investigating setting up of an alternative S166 panel
• Enhancing the induction process for new members

The OSG will update members on the outcomes of these priority actions as they are completed.

The members of the OSG would once again thank all members who responded to the surveys and remind you to please contact the OSG if you have further insight and to look out for and engage with similar enthusiasm to any further surveys in the future.

Richard Farr

Chair OSG

An infographic summary of the above can be found here