Trustee Board Code of Conduct

Trustees are expected to:

Act within the governing document and the law – being aware of the contents of the Royal Charter and By-Laws of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers and the laws that apply.
Act in the best interest of the Institution as a whole – considering what is best for the Institution and its members and avoiding bringing the Institution into disrepute.
Manage conflicts of interest effectively – registering, declaring and resolving conflicts of interest. Trustees must not benefit in any way, either directly or indirectly, financially or materially, from their connection with the Institution unless authorised.
Have a duty of care and exercise prudence and propriety regarding their expenses and the use of the Institution’s resources.
Respect confidentiality – understanding what confidentiality means in practice for the Institution, the Trustee board and the individual Trustee members and avoid undertaking activities which could place the Institution’s funds, assets or reputation at risk.
Have a sound and uptodate knowledge of the Institution and Engineering – understanding how the Institution works and the environment within which it operates.
Use their personal skills for the benefit of the Institution to ensure it is well run and efficient.
Attend meetings with reasonable regularity and other appointments or give apologies. Actively consider other ways of engaging with the Institution outside of regular trustee meetings.
Prepare fully for meetings – reading papers, querying anything not understood and thinking through issues in good time before meetings.
Actively engage in discussion, debate and voting in meetings – contributing positively, listening carefully, challenging sensitively and avoiding conflict.
Act jointly and accept a majority decision – making decisions collectively, standing by them and not acting individually unless specifically authorised to do so. Work with the principle of Cabinet responsibility.
Work considerately and respectfully with employees and management – respecting diversity, different roles and the management/governance boundaries, and avoiding giving offence.

Trustees are expected to honour the content and spirit of this code.