Institute of Environmental

Management and Assessment

Full Membership Guidance

Revised August 2004

 Eligibility – can I apply?
Two Routes:
• Standard Route:
– If you have achieved Associate Membership
– At least 3 yrs full time (or equivalent) experience

• Direct Route
– At least 7 yrs full time (or equivalent) experience
– Undertaken sound relevant training
 Benefits of Full Membership

• Professional recognition for your skills

and experience
• Able to demonstrate competence to
interested parties
• Required by clients
• Enables progression to Chartered
Environmentalist
 Full Membership Criteria
• Three Key Areas:
- Knowledge and Understanding
- Application of Knowledge and Understanding
- Communication Skills, Internal & External
• You are also required to sign to abide by the IEMA Code of
Practice for Full Members (slide 15)
• Description of a Full Member:
“Full Member of the IEMA is a well rounded individual that has the
necessary environmental management and assessment
knowledge, skills and experience to contribute, positively and
proactively, to the protection and improvement of the
environment. In this capacity, a Full Member is able to take a long
term and strategic view with regard to the goal of sustainable
development.”
 How do I apply?
• Application process consists of two parts:

Written Telephone
Application Assessment
Written Application: what does it consist of?
• Registration Form
• Evidence of Associate Membership (if applying via the standard route)
• Short Paper (1000 words – standard route, 2000 words – direct route)
• Full Curriculum Vitae
• Full Description of your current job
• Outline of your company’s (or clients’) activities and their
principal environmental impacts
• Copy of your company’s environmental policy
• Plan of your company’s management structure and your
position and role within it
• Signed witness statements
• A paper or table identifying relevant training to underpin
experience (direct route only)
3 COPIES OF WHOLE APPLICATION REQUIRED
 Telephone Assessment
• Undertaken with two Full Membership Assessors
• Candidates receive telephone conference details - date,
time, telephone number (candidates are responsible for
their part f the call cost – billed by their telephone
service provider)
• Assessors will introduce themselves and explain the
format of the assessment
• Assessors have signed confidentiality agreements
• Interview lasts approximately 40 minutes (standard
route) and 60 minutes (direct route)
• Assessors ask questions to determine whether the
candidate meets the criteria for Full Membership
 Assessors tips for the written
application
• Ensure you complete the registration form in full and
submit all the required information

• If required information cannot be included, explain

why in the covering letter

• Ensure your CV is comprehensive - including dates

and descriptions

• Ensure witness statements are signed

Assessor tips for the short paper
• Spend time! Make it easily understandable
• Show before the telephone assessment how you
believe you meet the criteria
• Your opportunity to shine!
• Central to the assessment and a key document
• Present it in a logical order, structured in relation to
each of the criteria
• Format
– Some candidates use a table format
– Some candidates divide the paper into 3 Sections in relation
to the three areas of the criteria
• Include clear concise statements and pertinent
examples
Short Paper – Common mistakes
• Exceeding the word limit
• Using ‘padding’
• Simply repeating your CV
• Answering each criteria in cryptic bullet points
– E.g. I understand the importance of natural
cycles
• Claiming the work of your company
• Swamping Assessors with company literature
– It is you that we are interested in!
Telephone Interview Tips (1)
• Use a quiet room for the call
• Ensure that you will not be disturbed
• Have all your papers with you
• Ensure that you are up to date on current issues
(N.B. Useful information sources on IEMA website!)
• Re-read written application / short paper prior to
your assessment
• Re-read the criteria and think about how you meet
them in relation to your experience and ensure
that you have personal examples to
demonstrate this
 Telephone Interview Tips (2)
• Show broad understanding of sustainability issues
• Show understanding of resource issues as well as
pollution impacts
• Show understanding of global to local issues
• Show a forward looking / thinking attitude
• Show understanding of short, medium and long term
threats and opportunities
• Mention examples from different media
• If you are weak on experience in a particular area
show understanding by explaining what you would do
in a particular situation
 IEMA Code of Practice for Full Members
Full Members of the IEMA shall:
• uphold and promote the environmental profession
• exercise honesty, diligence and objectivity in their professional work
• avoid their professional judgement being influenced by a conflict of interest and
shall make all relevant parties aware where there is such a conflict
• acknowledge their limitations of competence and not undertake work which he
or she knows is beyond their professional capability
• develop and maintain standards of professional competence and knowledge
through a combination of training, learning and practical experience
• in giving advice, make the relevant person(s) aware of the potential
consequences of the alternatives
• endeavour to be an innovative, lateral thinker in the pursuit of environmental
improvement and sustainability
• support and promote sustainable action and challenge environmentally
unsustainable action
• work to, and promote, high standards and best practice in the environmental
profession
 Supporting Documentation and
Information
• Full Membership Application Pack (including the
registration form)
• List of useful information sources on the IEMA website
www.iema.net
• IEMA News subscription service (email update)
• IEMA Publications shop
• Environmentalist magazine and other journals /
magazines
• 8 week timetable (see next slide)
• Professional Development Plan
 Eight week timetable: Full Membership Application
Week Action Required Tips
Week 1 •Read the Guide to Full Membership and prepare / request copies of your: Ask the IEMA now if you are unsure
•organisations environmental policy about anything
•organisation chart / management structure
•job description
•evidence of Associate Membership (copy of certificate)
Week 2 •Read the Full Membership criteria and make notes for your short paper How do you personally meet the
criteria (not your organisation)
Think of practical examples that
demonstrate your experience
Week 3 •Update / prepare your CV Make sure the paper is about you.
•Prepare a draft of your short paper
Week 4 •Finalise your short paper, ensuring it complies with the word limit. Ask a colleague to proof it for you

Week 5 •Send your short paper to your witnesses and ask them to sign and return the Use existing info – Environment report
statements within two weeks
•Prepare an outline of organisations activities and principle environmental impacts

Week 6 •Contact your witnesses to ensure that they have received the documentation and Remember to state why any
will be returning it. documentation is not included
•Prepare covering letter for your application.

Week 7 •Complete the application form in full. Use the checklist to ensure that you
•Complete the checklist and ensure all parts are enclosed. enclose all the documentation

Week 8 •Send three copies of your application to the IEMA with the appropriate fee Take a copy of you whole application
Any Further Questions?