The results of our 2024 member survey: How we’re responding to your key priorities
Explore the results of our 2024 member survey and find out how we’re acting upon what you told us.
Your opinions matter to us and sharing them is important for you too. It’s a chance to shape ICAS and enhance your membership because we use what you tell us to improve the services we provide.
In September 2024, we undertook our annual member survey. We’re already using the insights from that survey to help shape organisation-wide thinking and to inform our understanding of the issues that matter to you. We’re also using the insights to structure our strategic planning and to set robust measurement targets and key performance indicators (KPIs).
You said: That ICAS membership remains important to you
We did: In 2023, we launched a new strategy, ‘together we will’, which reaffirms our commitment to our members. We’ve been working hard to ensure that you gain as much value from your membership as possible and have created resources to explain the ‘value of your membership’ as well as updating our member value proposition. As an ICAS member, you have access to a wide range of support and services, including the award-winning CA magazine, CA Weekly emails, free webinars and events. You also have access to training and development resources, thought leadership and a range of professional and technical resources and advice, all designed to support you and your career journey. In 2024, we also launched our member engagement and value strategy designed to ensure that we continue to be your life-long career partner, adding value and supporting you every step of the way. We’ve also created a new website, shaped by your feedback, which will launch in February 2025.
You said: That the provision of technical resources was important to you
We did: Throughout 2024, we continued to run a programme of free technical webinars on a range of subjects, including tax, pensions, charities, sustainability, VAT, cyber security, and more. All our webinars are available on demand and can be accessed on icas.com. Our bi-monthly technical bulletin includes a range of articles, including expert opinion and analysis and Q&A case studies to keep you and your team up to date. In May, we also ran the Annual Practice Conference in Edinburgh and the Insolvency and Restructuring conference which is available online. We’ve also upgraded our members online portal to make it easier for you to access technical support. This will be available on our new website, which will launch in February 2025.
You said: That AI is both a potential opportunity for the profession and a threat
We did: In 2024, we established an AI working group which reports directly to ICAS Council. We’ve also participated in a global AI survey, looking at its impact on the profession and will use those findings to shape our AI strategy. We’ve published numerous articles on icas.com, including looking at how AI will disrupt the ethical landscape for CAs, and day one of our CA Summit focused on how AI, technology, and related new tools will continue to transform the way we do business. Our new CA syllabus has been refreshed to keep pace with advances in technology and data, empowering future CAs and ensuring that our qualification remains relevant. We’ve also created an expanded AI, technology and cyber security hub which will launch on our new website in February 2025 to help keep you updated and informed.
You said: That leadership on sustainability standards were important
We did: Following all the announcements on sustainability reporting in 2023, we kicked off 2024 with a summary article and analysis in ICAS’ Technical Bulletin to members (2023 – the year that sustainability reporting took centre stage) which included our suggested priorities for planning ahead. We hosted our second, in-person Sustainability Summit (hosted in association with A4S) in Edinburgh in April, covering sustainability reporting and business and technology in the climate transition. We launched the ICAS Sustainability Business Network on LinkedIn – a community of like-minded sustainability practitioners who are keen to support one another with ideas, insights and information about making progress in the real world. A face-to-face gathering of the network was hosted in Edinburgh in Q4 where some practical updates were provided on sustainability reporting and sustainable events. There were several sustainability focused webinars (also available on demand on icas.com) – Navigating the sustainability reporting landscape and sustainability data that drives change – and we continued our collaborative work with regional and global bodies, producing helpful references such as the Carbon Footprint Guide with Chartered Accountancy Worldwide, and ‘Nature is everyone’s business’ with the Global Accounting Alliance. We’ve continued to work with other advocacy stakeholders, responding to consultations and were pleased to co-host a workshop with the Transition Finance Market Review secretariat on the UK’s opportunity in transition finance. Our commitment to decarbonise ICAS’ operations and achieve net zero by 2045 remains robust and was boosted by initiatives such as a new low-carbon procurement process and supply-chain engagement activities.
You said: That ethical and business leadership was important
We did: During 2024 we revised the ICAS Code of Ethics which took effect from 1 January 2025. The main change is to include the International Ethics Standards Boards’ technology-related revisions. Our Code was reviewed to ensure that, given recent developments in GenAI, it remained fit for purpose. This was deemed to be the case, although to be vigilant our Ethics Board and AI Working Group will continue to monitor developments in this space and publish additional guidance as and when appropriate. The key revisions to the Code were highlighted in a webinar and related article. ICAS ethics resources for members can be accessed via our Ethics Hub. We also undertook a survey on ethical leadership and are using the findings to help inform our ongoing and future work in this space. We also produced guidance on what CAs need to know about modern slavery. We’ve continued to promote better regulation principles and communicate members’ views on proportionate regulation in our engagement with the FRC and UK government through our various consultation responses.
Thanks for your feedback
Thank you to all members who took the time to let us know their thoughts through the 2024 survey and related initiatives. We value your feedback and engagement as we continue to improve our services and increase satisfaction levels.
