IPAF’s three-year strategic plan
The IPAF Three-Year Strategic Plan has been created to help all of us understand the major objectives for the organisation over the next three years, and to measure and demonstrate our progress towards those goals.
As the worldwide MEWP industry has grown, so has IPAF. All the companies in this Federation now expect a highly professional and business-oriented approach to our relationship with them. Coping with this rapid growth into 70 countries and around 12 different languages has been a challenge.
In order to have a clearer strategic focus that all people doing the work of IPAF, and ideally all IPAF members, will be able to explain, we created this document as a blueprint against which to measure progress, adapting our approach and range of services and activities to best fit growing and changing demand.
Key areas of focus to be developed under the IPAF three-year strategic plan:
- Develop and implement a strategy to optimise the use of VR, simulators and IPAF’s expanding eLearning offer, while integrating the Smart PAL Card into systems to deliver a full digital experience.
- Engage with IPAF PAL Card holders through membership or subscriptions, a web shop, meetings, eNewsletters and other media.
- Create career paths for people employed in the industry – from PDI courses through to fully qualified specialist MEWP technicians, including the development of other operator courses such as for telehandlers.
- Impact MEWP usage to reduce the Fatal Incident Rate by creating and sharing global industry standards, campaigns and best practice.
- Identify opportunities to expand with the MEWP industry into new countries to share good practice.
The primary objectives of IPAF remain to:
- Promote and extend the use of members’ products on a worldwide basis and, where necessary, take action on all matters of interest to the powered access equipment industry.
- Encourage the highest standards of safety and good trading by members.
- Represent the industry in discussions at government level and to liaise with other trade associations as necessary.
- Encourage technical efficiency in the industry by co-operation in the establishment of standards.
- Provide for co-operation between all members in the discussion of common problems, and to do all such other lawful things as are conducive to the achievement of the above objectives.
- Increase the global footprint of IPAF and actively target the involvement of the industry’s main players.
- Maximize the benefits of membership and efficient use of the Federation’s resources in an organisation dedicated to the safe and effective use of powered access.
- Provide, facilitate and expand communication channels among all IPAF members.
- Provide education and training for the whole industry, including the promotion of careers in the powered access industry.
- The strategic aims of IPAF over the three-year period are to:
- Promote the safe and effective use of powered access worldwide.
- Ensure the sustainability of the Federation.
- Strengthen the IPAF brand worldwide in terms of recognition, impact, global footprint and influence on national governments.
- Deliver enhanced benefits to members and to encourage their greater participation individually, through country councils and at conferences.
In addition to the main aims, objectives and areas for development identified in the plan, IPAF commits to continuing to provide the full range of support services to members and the powered access industry at large, including: Accident reporting; standards and guidance development, including European EN standards, US (ANSI) standards, Canadian (CSA) standards, ISO standards and other national standards; monitoring international regulations that govern equipment use; working with health and safety authorities worldwide, development of IPAF best practice, maintenance of the IPAF PAL Card training programmes and the CAP Card training programme, professional development seminars, the IPAF Rental+ programme, enhancement of the Smart PAL Card, including processing, production and despatch of around 200,000 PAL Cards every year, maintenance of internal IT systems and infrastructure, processing, authorising and reporting on all financial transactions, convening and reporting from the IPAF Board, IPAF Councils and committees, supplying representatives to relevant external bodies and committees, and continuing to support regional development and the Mast-Climbing Work Platforms (MCWPs) sector.