Developing the future agenda for STEP What are the key issues for you and your branch?

Business planning – what’s it all about

The key issues? Governance, representation, participation and decision-making. More international culture/flavour. Develop Secretariat resource to match needs worldwide. Develop a strategic development plan for education. How STEP can best meet the differing interests of onshore/offshore members. Rationale for and approach to membership growth. Work through membership issues such as grandfathering. Plans for STEP’s priority recruitment markets. Plans for STEP’s priority communications markets. Identify ‘value for money’ concerns. Develop a clear policy on the support of weaker branches. Trends in volunteering – implications. Competitors. Current and evolving involvement in regulation. But what really matters to you?

Is STEP membership highly relevant to your work? Do you think STEP needs to continue to change from being an exclusive Society to a centre of professional excellence? What gives the greatest value for money for your STEP membership? Is it important for STEP to be valued by employers, as well as members? Overall, is STEP membership is good value for money? What would make STEP better value for money? Value for money from STEP

Growing STEP’s membership Should size count e.g. 50,000 TEPs? Is quality more important than quantity? Should growth focus on emerging markets in new jurisdictions? Is international growth relevant to you? Should experienced people be offered an ‘easier’ non-exam route? Should STEP offer an associate membership to people with comparable qualifications in relevant professions? How much scope is there for recruiting new, quality members in your jurisdiction?

STEP’s role in regulation and public policy Do you feel STEP’s public policy role in relation to regulation is essential to our reputation? Should STEP avoid taking on a regulatory role? Would it be OK for STEP to take on the role of regulator in certain jurisdictions – perhaps if it was essential to remain an educator or examiner? Should STEP aim to become accepted as a global regulator for our industry? Does STEP’s role as a ‘voice for the industry’ matter?

STEP’s educational offering Is STEP’s education offering best delivered face to face? Should STEP develop a strong online education offering? Is there a relevant qualification as a route to entry in your region? Does STEP cater for your special technical interests through certificates and CPD?

If you want to get involved, do you know how? Do you feel well informed about how STEP works? Would you be willing to volunteer? Is STEP good at encouraging participation? Do you feel that the way STEP works is transparent? Do you feel you have a stake in the governance of STEP? Do you feel that STEP seems to work well and so you don’t feel a need to become involved? Should STEP have uniform standards and procedures? Where STEP has regional or national bodies, should they (within the STEP worldwide and global regulatory framework) be able to interpret standards and procedures in the light of domestic legislation/culture? Representation and participation within STEP

Financial planning? Estates planning? Wealth planning? Family inheritance and succession planning? Intergenerational wealth management? Private wealth management? Trusts? Legal tax avoidance? Tax compliance? Domestic work? International work? Offshore work? Onshore work? Cross-border work? Multi-jurisdictional work? Business-to-business? Vulnerable clients – elderly, long- term care? Specialist services e.g. mediation, trust litigation, complex tax issues? Trusted advisors? Ethical benchmark? As an organisation, do you feel STEP is about: Anything else? STEP’s reputation and market position

Should STEP promote itself and its members to the public, as well as to professionals and high-net-worth individuals? Do you feel STEP is recognised as the source of education and qualifications for our sector? Do you agree that STEP’s reputation is built on and sustained by its lobbying work? STEP’s reputation and market position

Based on the issues raised by the Expert Panel and by branch members, what is this branch’s view on the major issues STEP needs to face up to over the coming years: as a global and national organisation? as a branch? for individual members and their clients? What are the issues for this branch?

Next steps Feedback goes to Expert Panel and Board Debated at Council in September Report to all members on the ‘big’ issues and some of the answers – encouraging further response STEP Leaders Forum in December sketches out the plan The STEP Board decides and refines – presents to STEP Council in April 2014 Branch consultation meetings throughout the process as it develops Members kept up to date – website Regular discussion on STEP’s main LinkedIn group