SPECIAL REPORT: 30 YEARS OF THE CISI
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Michael Cole-Fontayn MCSI Chair, CISI: 2018–present
When faced with adversity, it’s important for any organisation to see the challenges that arise as opportunities to be met. This was the approach I aimed to bring to the
CISI when I took on the role of chair, and it has undoubtedly been present in our colleagues and members throughout the coronavirus pandemic.
In 2018, the organisation was thinking about some very
significant macro trends, including accelerating technological development and digitalisation, alongside acknowledging an increasing drumbeat of concern around climate risk, sustainability, diversity and inclusion, and broader workplace culture. Rather than dilute their importance, the coronavirus simply
amplified the urgency with which these issues needed to be tackled by organisations. The CISI used the Covid-19 pandemic to accelerate many of
the projects it had been considering, particularly in relation to the need to become increasingly digital; we needed to put ourselves in the position of members in places as diverse as Leeds to Lagos, and Riyadh to Singapore, and work out how we could remain relevant to them, and provide them a service in the best way possible. Our global footprint
was vital here, with our team in Sri Lanka – our biggest staff presence outside the UK – being instrumental in developing projects such as the MyCISI app. Our team there provided pivotal contributions to projects when lockdown restrictions were disrupting the ability to work in Europe but were more relaxed in southern Asia. Right now, it’s our turn to support our colleagues in Colombo
“The CISI used the Covid-19 pandemic to accelerate many of the projects it had been considering”
as a political and economic crisis engulfs the island nation’s capital. The aforementioned investments and development in our technology mean we have been able to support staff there and ensure that they remain operationally resilient. After three decades of changing in challenging times, it
would be foolish to predict that the CISI won’t have to navigate new hurdles in the next 30 years and beyond. Several issues of varying magnitude jump instantly to mind,
including but not limited to enabling investors to invest in a genuinely sustainable way, navigating the burgeoning world of cryptocurrencies and their impact on global economics, a sustained focus on equality of opportunity for all, and the outcomes of the Russia–Ukraine conflict. Our organisation has always been about enabling our
members to translate uncertainty into the best advice via care and due diligence. I have a feeling that the sense of collective integrity that the
CISI possesses thanks to the dedication of its members and volunteers will be even more important as we enter this very turbulent and curious period.
Read our profile of Michael at
cisi.org/michael-cole-fontayn
then UK Chancellor George Osborne’s pension freedoms. The past five years in particular have
created a challenging backdrop for UK and global markets, with the UK hitting 10.1% inflation in July 2022 – the highest in 40 years – the uncertainty of Brexit unfolding, the pandemic hitting world stock markets, and an overarching heightened awareness of climate change’s potential impact on the planet. For the CISI, the pandemic has
accelerated the launch of planned enhancements, such as remote invigilation of exams in February 2021 and a new membership app in September 2021 (see Simon’s note, p.17), and has led to new ways of working and serving members, such as hybrid working and virtual events.
Remote invigilation Virtual events have allowed greater engagement with the CISI global membership base, while remote invigilation has enabled members globally to take exams when face-to-face testing has been prohibited, or when test centres have been closed, or where there are no local test centres at all.
// OUR TEAM IN SRI LANKA WAS INSTRUMENTAL IN DEVELOPING THE MYCISI APP //
Speaking of the development of the
Institute’s remote invigilation offering, Susan Clements, CISI’s director of learning, says: “I’ve never worked so hard in my entire career as I did to launch our remote invigilation service. “It was a pretty frantic time. We had to
look at different suppliers to find a system that matched our requirements, which involved lots of testing to see how robust various systems were. We had to establish how easy they were to use, how reliable and secure they were, and what security checks would be conducted before exams began.” A limited range of exams were available
from August 2020, while the first narrative-style exam (involving essays and/ or calculations instead of multiple-choice responses) launched in February 2021. Even though test centres are now
open, roughly half of multiple-choice exams are taken remotely, and a third of narrative exams.
18 THE REVIEW SEPTEMBER 2022
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