Honorary president: Judith Butcher Honorary vice-president: David Crystal OBE

SfEP strategy 2009–2011

• SfEP mission statement
• Vision
• Members and associates
• Communications
• Professional development
• Operations

SfEP mission statement

The SfEP's mission is to:

• promote high standards of editorial practice
• uphold the professional status of editors and proofreaders
• encourage the use of services offered by SfEP members and associates.

Vision

We are working to achieve a position within the next two years that reflects the following:

• the SfEP is the professional organisation of choice for editors and proofreaders in the UK
• SfEP membership grades and qualifications are well known and respected
• the SfEP is recognised as the voice of the editorial profession in the UK.

Members and associates

Membership

Aims

• Build the membership, recruiting both new entrants to the profession and experienced editorial professionals.
• Provide the membership with the services and benefits it expects from the Society.
• Ensure that all members and associates are able to advance as appropriate through the membership grades of the Society.
• Foster good relationships with corporate associates of the Society and their employees.

Building/retention

Year one (2009/10)

• Commission new database.
• Develop a leaflet aimed at in-house editorial staff to ensure they are aware that they can join the SfEP.

Year two (2010/11)

• Focus recruitment efforts on HE students of publishing/journalism.
• Consistently follow-up non-renewers: collect data on membership churn, tabulate and analyse.
• Address issues raised by membership churn analysis.

Benefits

Year one (2009/10)

• Explore benefits appropriate to the membership and make available where possible.

Year two (2010/11)

• As Year one.

Advancement criteria

Year one (2009/10)

• Develop ways of demonstrating to existing and potential associates that the SfEP welcomes experienced professionals as well as newcomers to the profession.
• Develop appropriate assessment criteria to enable the admissions panel to offer membership upgrades to associates with extensive editorial experience.
• Encourage further take-up of City & Guilds Licentiateship.

Year two (2010/11)

• Continue to promote City & Guilds as a mark of increasing professionalism.

Corporate associates

Year one (2009/10)

• Explore ways of increasing recruitment among corporate bodies.

Year two (2010/11)

• Build up relationships with major publishers (both mainstream and 'specialist' – e.g. large legal/commercial companies) with a view to (a) promoting the services of existing members, and (b) recruiting to the membership from within such bodies.

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Regional development

Aims

• Support local groups.
• Ensure as far as possible that no member is unduly disadvantaged because of their location.

Year one (2009/10)

• Promote local groups and support local group coordinators.
• Encourage development of new local groups.
• Identify regional organisations with which the SfEP might develop links and explore ways of cooperating with them.
• Explore ways of improving support for isolated members.

Year two (2010/11)

• As Year one.
• Encourage members in regions to become trainers.
• Explore the possibility of organising regional day conferences (in collaboration with local groups and/or regional organisations).
• Explore the development of distance-learning alternatives to some SfEP advanced courses.

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Communications

Marketing and PR

Aims

• Increase the profile of the Society.
• Develop and implement new marketing and publicity protocols and resources.

Increasing profile

Year one (2009/10)

• Check SfEP information on other organisations' websites.
• Distribute hard-copy marketing materials to careers departments.
• Increase awareness and use of the SfEP Directory of editorial services.
• Investigate attending the London Book Fair and other conferences/fairs.

Year two (2010/11)

• Collect case study material.
• Renew links with corresponding organisations.
• Place advertorials.

New MPR protocols and resources

Year one (2009/10)

• Streamline media releases.
• Implement telephone/email logging of enquiries.
• Create new marketing material.
• Start collecting examples of good editing.
• Develop monitoring methods.

Year two (2010/11)

• Create speaker's pack.
• Investigate system for rapid response to emerging news.

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Publications

Aims

• Keep printed matter up to date.
• Commission new publications as needed.
• Commission new editions of publications as needed.

Year one (2009/10)

• Assess the need for new/revised SfEP Guides.
• Review current printed material in consultation with relevant directors (e.g. internet, marketing, membership).
• Liaise with editor of Editing Matters.

Year two (2010/11)

• As Year one.

Code of practice

Year one (2009/10)

• Ensure, via Editing Matters and feedback, that the membership is aware of the availability and usefulness of the code of practice.
• Promote the code of practice when and where the opportunity arises.
• Invite comments from the membership with a view to a revision in 2010/11.

Year two (2010/11)

• Revise the code of practice.

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Internet

Aims

• Make the SfEP website the first port of call for those wanting to hire editorial freelances, get editorial training and join a professional editorial organisation.
• Ensure that the SfEP website contains all the information needed by members and associates to get the most out of their membership of the Society.
• Make the SfEP website more responsive to the membership's needs and aspirations.
• Increase the reach of the SfEP Directory of Editorial Services.

Database integration

Year one (2009/10)

• Ensure that the database can be fully integrated into the website.
• Investigate online payment and online forms for membership, renewals, directory, conference, training courses, etc.

Year two (2010/11)

• Implement online payment and forms.

SfEP Directory

Year one (2009/10)

• Get links to the directory on as many company intranets as possible, beginning with those of the Society's corporate associates.
• Investigate online revision and correction by members themselves.

Year two (2010/11)

• Implement online revision/correction by members.

SfEPLine

Year one (2009/10)

• Initiate creation of email/forum hybrid as replacement for existing Yahoo! Groups version, within Members' area.
• Compile moderators' guidelines with the help of past and present moderators.
• Find and sign up at least one more moderator, to divide the workload.

Year two (2010/11)

• Sign up another two moderators.

Structural and content changes

Year one (2009/10)

• Move the SfEPWiki onto the SfEP host server, within the Members' area.
• Create a web-friendly version of the code of practice from updated pdfs.
• Revise the qualifications section of the website to reflect changes in the Society's plans for continuing professional development.
• Encourage more local groups to create their own web pages within the SfEP website.

Year two (2010/11)

• Create a new section on the website containing self-tests.

SEO and Google AdWords

Year one (2009/10)

• Increase search engine optimisation (SEO) to ensure that the website appears higher in search engine results.
• Refine the use of Google AdWords to increase traffic to the site and especially to the directory.

Year two (2010/11)

• As Year one.

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Professional development

Syllabus

Aim

• Develop an overarching syllabus linking training, accreditation, mentoring and tests.

Year one (2009/10)

• Develop the syllabus as a consensus document to form the basis of training courses, tests, mentoring and accreditation.
• Develop the syllabus for proofreading.
• Develop the syllabus for copy-editing.

Year two (2010/11)

• Start to develop syllabus for other skills – e.g. project management.
• Start to develop syllabus for specialisms – e.g. STM, legal.

Training

Aims

• Review and update the scheduled training courses to ensure that they meet the training needs outlined in the syllabus.
• Develop modular course materials that can be used for both scheduled courses and in-house training.
• Enhance training opportunities for the regions.
• Promote in-house training to outside organisations.

Scheduled courses

Year one (2009/10)

• Review current training schedule.
• As areas of the syllabus are agreed, review and update current courses.

Year two (2010/11)

• Redevelop all existing core courses in line with the syllabus as training modules.
• As other areas of the syllabus are agreed, review and update current courses if required.

Continuing

• Schedule courses in line with demand.
• Ensure that the syllabus is in line with current working practices.
• Review scheduled courses to ensure that they remain pertinent and support the syllabus.
• Identify new trainers.

Regional training

Year one (2009/10)

• Explore alternative training venues beyond those currently matched to the membership distribution.
• Identify 'hotspots' of editorial work and schedule courses appropriately &ndash e.g. medical communications agencies in the North-west.
• Explore alternative means of offering training aside from traditional tutor-led/classroom-based courses, balanced against their cost.

Year two (2010/11)

• Develop alternative means of offering training aside from traditional tutor-led/classroom-based courses.

In-house training

Year one (2009/10)

• Actively pursue profitable training opportunities with other organisations.
• Identify new trainers.

Year two (2010/11)

• Actively pursue profitable training opportunities with other organisations.
• Identify new trainers.
• Use the redeveloped course materials to form the basis for all in-house training.
• Consider more active marketing of SfEP in-house training.

Mentoring

Aims

• Systematise the mentoring content.
• Document the mentoring procedure.
• Encourage mentored proofreading in specific subject areas.
• Encourage mentored copy-editing.

Year one (2009/10)

• Issue administrative guidelines for mentors.
• Recruit and train mentors.

Year two (2010/11)

• Draft guidelines on content for mentors.
• Recruit mentors in specific subject areas.

Continuing professional development

Aims

• Establish a programme of occasional professional development days.
• Build on the Licentiateship of the City & Guilds Institute (LCGI) in Editorial Skills qualification to offer a pathway to the City & Guilds Graduateship.

Year one (2009/10)

• Research potential themes for professional development days and possible trainers/leaders.
• In partnership with City & Guilds, develop criteria for the next level of qualification.

Year two (2010/11)

Pilot professional development days.

Announce the pathway and criteria for C&G Graduateship.

Accreditation

Aims

• Maintain the reputation and standards of accreditation in proofreading.
• Develop accreditation in copy-editing.
• Align accreditation with other tests, training and mentoring.

Year one (2009/10)

• Review the recommended texts.
• Review the working of accreditation.
• Document procedures.

Year two (2010/11)

• Review the syllabus and standards.
• Review and update the documentation.
• Develop accreditation in copy-editing.

Tests

Aims

• Agree syllabuses to form the basis of training courses, tests, mentoring and accreditation.
• Upload proofreading self-tests on to website.
• Develop a test that will become the standard method of admission for new ordinary members.

Year one (2009/10)

• Draft and agree the syllabus.
• Write and pilot the proofreading self-test.
• Write the first draft of the test for new ordinary members.

Year two (2010/11)

• Pilot and refine the test for new ordinary members.
• Agree and release the test for new ordinary members.
• Draft and upload alternative self-tests.

Conferences

Aims

• Hold an annual conference that delivers both training and networking opportunities.
• Ensure that the programme presents training/learning opportunities for both newcomers and more established members as well as corporate/in-house staff.
• Establish venues around the country to avoid having to look for a new venue every time.
• Maintain a database of possible workshop leaders and other conference session facilitators from among the membership.

Year one (2009/10)

• Ensure that the 2010 annual conference programme includes a balance of training and networking opportunities.
• Establish which venues to use regularly.
• Increase corporate/in-house presence and attract more delegates from the 'middle' group of SfEP members (i.e. ordinary members and the newer advanced members) at the 2010 conference by conducting surveys in October 2009 among both groups to find out specific training requirements and including workshops in the programme based on the results.
• Subcontract raising sponsorship for conference and attracting exhibitors for the marketplace to a third party.
• Build a database of possible workshop leaders and other conference session facilitators from among the membership.

Year two (2010/11)

• As Year one.

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Operations

Aims

• Ensure that the SfEP continues to cover the costs of running and developing the Society from its income.
• Evolve the Council into an advisory body with all implementation carried out by the office or subcontractors.
• Ensure the office is adequately staffed and that office staff have the resources needed to do their jobs.

Financial position and planning

For the current financial position, see the financial statements for the year to 28 February 2009.

Year one (2009/10)

• Assets: two PCs, one laptop, printer, printer/copier/fax machine, furniture, miscellaneous equipment.
• Projected income: £321,340.
• Forecast spending for the next two years includes office equipment (two new PCs), software (new database), publications, training development, mentoring, conferences, office staff and accommodation.

Year two (2010/11)

• Assets: as Year one.
• Projected income: £330,000.

Management of the Society

Year one (2009/10)

• Move as many Council operational tasks as is practicable into the office.
• Establish committees of volunteers to support the volunteer directors.
• Reduce the number of Council meetings to six per year.
• Formalise the role of the former chair to remain on the Council in a support role for a year after standing down.

Year two (2010/11)

• Spread the load of remaining Council tasks more evenly among Council members.
• Review the committees (ongoing).
• Reduce the number of Council meetings to one per quarter.

Office and staffing

Year one (2009/10)

• Office and the use of one meeting room at Erico House, Upper Richmond Road, Putney.
• Office staff of three: executive secretary (full time), office manager (full time) and finance officer (part time).

Year two (2010/11)

• No change with regard to premises.
• Review the work carried out in the office and look at further subcontracting or hiring an additional staff member if needed.

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