The CQI process for electing
Ordinary Members to theCQI Council
Document reference number: CGOV.PR.671

Author:Approver:
Version:Issue date:Helen Flannery
CQI Board1
6 September 2023

CGOV.PR.670

Contents
Revision history ........................................................................................................................... 2Context and highlights ................................................................................................................. 3
Purpose ...................................................................................................................................... 4
Responsibilities ........................................................................................................................... 4
Timetable for elections ................................................................................................................. 4
Process description ...................................................................................................................... 4
1 Recruitment needs identified ................................................................................................ 4
2 Set the timetable ................................................................................................................ 4
3 Appoint Returning Officer (if applicable) ................................................................................. 4
4 Publish notice of elections to the membership across various channels and media ....................... 55 Nominations open ............................................................................................................... 56 Submit nominations............................................................................................................. 57 Close of nominations ........................................................................................................... 68 Voting opens ...................................................................................................................... 7
9 Voting closes and ballots are counted .................................................................................... 7
10 Notify candidates of the results ........................................................................................... 811 Publish the results ............................................................................................................. 8Timeline ..................................................................................................................................... 8
Associated documents .................................................................................................................. 8
Measurement of process effectiveness ............................................................................................ 8Training...................................................................................................................................... 8Revision historyVersionnumber1Description

Revised byDate and time

Original document

Helen Flannery

06/09/2023

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Context and highlights
This process defines how we recruit and elect Ordinary Members to the CQI Council and is to be used inconjunction with the Council Terms of Reference (CGOV.TOR.670). It is for both members who want toengage in the process and for the executive, volunteers and voting platform who execute the process.
CQI Council
The CQI Council is made up of the broad set of stakeholders for quality management and the quality
profession. The CQI Council plays a vital role advising and informing the CQI’s strategic plans andpriorities. The CQI Council forms part of the CQI governance and stakeholder management structure
defined in the CQI Framework for Corporate Governance.
Who are Ordinary Members?
Ordinary Members are members of the CQI and IRCA membership. A minimum of 10 and up to 20
current individual members of the CQI|IRCA representing a balance of all grades of membership and therange of demographics the CQI wishes to involve: CQI membership grades (Fellow, Member,Practitioner, Affiliate); IRCA membership grades (Principle, Lead, Auditor, Internal, Associate).
Who can nominate or be nominated?
All grades of CQI and IRCA membership mentioned above may self-nominate or a proposer may
nominate another member to become an Ordinary Member. As we need to keep a balance of grade anddemographic, we will invite nominations according to gaps in representation but all grades will be able tovote in elections.
Who can vote?
Our Charter defines “voting members” in terms of Annual General Meertings (AGMs) and Extradinorary
General Meeeting (EGMs), therefore for the purpose of the CQI Council election all grades of CQI andICRA membership mentioned above will be eligible to vote in CQI Council Elections.
Notice of elections
Adequate notice will be given through various media. The notice will include the number and types ofvacancies, how to nominate, who is eligible, closing date for nominations, what is required and any otherrelevant information.
What do I need to do (see process for detail)?
Nominate through the nomination site. A nomination will be invalid if one of the requirements ismissing, if it is not received by the specified time, or if membership fees are not paid.
Who will be the Returning Officer?
The CQI Council Secretary can engage a voting platform to run the nomination and/or elections on theirbehalf. The responsible person from the voting platform will be deemed the Returning Officer.

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PurposeThe purpose of this process is to define how CQI Council recruitment (nomination and election) is carriedout to fulfil recruitment to the council as per the Terms of Reference CGOV.TOR.670.

Responsibilities➢The CQI Council Secretary is responsible for the conduct of the elections.

➢The CQI Council Secretary may appoint a Returning Officer to act on their behalf.

➢

It is the responsibility of the Returning Officer to apply this process, to count the votes (oroversee the count) and to announce the results to the CQI Council Secretary. In the eventof any dispute concerning this process, the ballot or the validity of votes, the decision ofthe Returning Officer will be final.

➢The Returning Officer has the power to suspend and then recommence an election or todisqualify candidates who breach this process.

Timetable for elections➢

Elections will normally be held when there is a requirement to fill a space on the Council
following tenure completion or a member resigning their position. This may be yearly or as
and when required. The makeup of the Council will determine this.

➢The timetable for each election will be determined by the CQI Council Secretary at least
two months before the proposed closing date for nominations.

Process description
1 Identify recruitment needs
2 Set the timetable
2.1 The timetable for each election will be determined by the CQI Council Secretary at least
two months before the proposed closing date for nominations.
3 Appoint Returning Officer (if applicable)
When appointing the following must be considered and implemented:
oMechanisms must be put in place to ensure that there can be no duplication invoting.

oTo ensure the voting process is secure, each member must be issued with a uniquereference number.

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oAdequate safeguards against fraud will be in place to maintain the security of theballot.

oWeb-based voting will be via a secure website, to ensure the integrity of the ballot
and the privacy of members data.

oA data processing agreement will be in place if using a data processor/third party,
and data protection should be considered at the outset of planning.

4 Publish notice of elections to the membership across various channels and media
4.1 Adequate notice must be given of all elections.
4.2 This can include a notification sent directly to all members entitled to vote, inclusion in a
CQI publication that is sent to members, and a notice on the CQI website. This list is notexhaustive.
4.3 Notice of an election should be prominently placed on the CQI website until the closing
date for voting and should be updated as and when the process requires.
4.4 The campaign may also be advertised through social media channels.
4.5 The notice of the election will include at a minimum:o What the election is for.
o The number of vacancies to be filled and from which membership grades.
o Welcome members from all backgrounds and experiences.
o Who is eligible to be a candidate.
o Who is eligible to nominate a candidate.
o How to nominate or be nominated.
o The closing date for nominations and the timetable for the elections.
o Any other information considered by the Returning Officer to be necessary in order tofacilitate the election.
5 Nominations open
5.1 To be a candidate, a person must comply with the eligibility requirements for the position,
ie be a member of the CQI and/or IRCA, be of a grade that is being recruited, have nooutstanding code of conducts against them, and have paid their membership fees.
5.2 All candidates must be nominated in accordance with the criteria for the specific election
and all nominations must be received by the deadline specified.
5.3 A member can nominate themselves or another member. If a member nominates
another member, it will be the nominated member’s responsibility to complete theirapplication within the specified deadline but they must be given notice that they havebeen nominated by either the nominator or the Returning Officer so they can meet thiscriteria.
6 Submit nominations
6.1 Applications must be made through the channel(s) indicated in call to nominate
communications and must be submitted in full before the deadline for nominations
expires.
6.2 All applicants must complete the application form on the nomination page.

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6.3 Notice will be given for any personal data processing.
6.4 Election materials are published at the Returning Officer’s discretion and the CQI will not
publish any information that it believes:o To contain inaccurate or untruthful information.
o To be potentially libellous.
o Could subject the CQI to any legal action or discredit it in any way.
o To contain profanity or inappropriate language.
6.5 Election materials will be provided to all members eligible to vote along with voting
instructions.
6.6 A nomination will be invalid if:
o The application has not been fully completed by the specified time.
o The candidate is not eligible for election.
o The nominators are not eligible to nominate.
o The particulars of the candidate or the persons nominating the candidate areincomplete, untruthful, or inaccurate.
o The Returning Officer or Council Secretary’s decision that a nomination is invalid
is final. The candidate will be immediately withdrawn from election if theReturning Officer holds that a nomination is invalid.
6.7 All nominations received will be confidential prior to the closing date for thenominations. However, the Returning Officer may choose to disclose anonymised data
as required.
7 Close of nominations
7.1 After the closing date for nominations, the names of the candidates can be made public
but only after the candidates themselves know if they are successful or not.
7.2 A candidate can withdraw from an election by submitting a notice of withdrawal. This
must be signed by the candidate and delivered to the Returning Officer or Council
Secretary at the given email address.
7.3 Any withdrawals must be received no later than two days after the closing date fornominations.
7.4 If a candidate withdraws, the election proceeds with the remaining candidates.
7.5 If an election is uncontested (i.e. the number of candidates nominated is equal to or lessthan the number of vacancies for that area) a statement of the candidates will beposted on the website and the candidates will be declared elected unopposed.
7.6 If a candidate dies at any time between the closing date for nominations and theannouncement of the election result, the election will continue. If election materials
have already been distributed, the CQI will make attempts to notify members, via thewebsite and any other general means of publication, of the death of the candidate. Any
votes received for the deceased candidate will be discounted.
7.7 The candidates will be randomly listed on the ballot.

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8 Voting opens
8.1 A member must have no outstanding subscriptions or other fees due to CQIlIRCA at thetime of voting to be eligible to vote.
8.2 The default mechanism for all elections is secure web-based voting.
8.3 The Returning Officer will ensure that members’ votes remain confidential.
8.4 A ballot paper and instructions on how to vote will be electronically sent to each member
eligible to vote and will be in such format as the Returning Officer and the Council
Secretary agree.
8.5 Voting instructions will be sent to all members entitled to vote, and will include:o The names of the candidates.
o The answers to application questions.
o Instructions on how to vote.
8.6 It will be at the discretion of the Council Secretary how the information is provided tomembers.
8.7 In addition to providing the information to individual members, the voting instructions
and candidates will also be published on the CQI Website.
8.8 The CQI is responsible for providing member contact details to the Returning Officer sothey can provide voting instruction and any necessary information to the members.
8.9 Voting instructions and information are dispatched in good faith. However, the nonreceipt of election materials, will not invalidate an election.
8.10 Whatever form a ballot takes, it must:o Contain the names of all the candidates.
o Contain clear instructions on how to vote.
8.11 Details of how to vote must only be sent to members’ notified email addresses. Notified
address means the email of the member on the membership database held by the CQIat the time that mailing details are compiled. It is the responsibility of the member toensure that the CQI is notified of their correct address, and any changes to it.
8.12 All candidates should ensure that they comply with Data Protection legislation in the UK
and with similar legislative provision in other jurisdictions. Where a candidate hasaccess to membership details in another capacity (e.g. through SIG or regional
involvement) they must not use those details for canvassing.
8.13 During the period of nomination and election, candidates must not canvass using any
official CQI approved social media site, including LinkedIn, Facebook, or Twitter. The
CQI may utilise these channels to publicise the elections or provide all candidates anopportunity to engage with members via them.
8.14 Candidates are reminded that any action which could be construed as buying orprocuring, advertising, or offering incentives to encourage voting, is not permitted.
9 Voting closes and ballots are counted
9.2 The Returning Officer is responsible for collecting all ballot papers and voting records
and these will remain confidential to them.

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9.3 Counting should take place as soon as possible after the close of the voting, andcontinue, with reasonable breaks, until all votes are counted.
10 Notify candidates of the results
10.1 The Returning Officer will notify the Council Secretary of the results of the election.
10.2 If there is a tie between any two or more candidates, and the addition of one vote to
any of the candidates would have enabled that candidate to be elected, the Returning
Officer will decide between the candidates by a random draw.
11 Publish the results
11.1 Candidates will be notified by the Council Secretary.
11.2 Once all candidates are aware of the results, they will then be published via various
CQI communications channels.
11.3 Ballot papers and results will be held according to data retention schedules after which
they will be destroyed.

Timeline
The timeline will be set out by the Council Secretary during the planning phase of the process andagreed with relevant stakeholders including the Returning Officer.

Associated documents
CQI Council Terms of Reference – CGOV.TOR.670.

Measurement of process effectivenessCandidates are elected.
Zero complaints received from the process.
100% of eligible members are able to nominate and vote.

Training
Read and understand for staff involved and a walkthrough by the Council Secretary.

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