WFPMA

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Willkommen
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to the website of the World Federation of People Management Associations (WFPMA)

WORLD FEDERATION OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATIONS

1     GENERAL

Article 1.1     Denomination and nature of the Federation

The official name is ‘World Federation of Personnel Management Associations’ (WFPMA);
in French ‘Federation Mondiale des Associations de Direction de Personnel’; in German ‘Weltverband der Vereinigungen fur Personalfuhrung’; in Spanish ‘Federacion Mundial de Asociaciones de Direccion de Personal’.

The WFPMA is composed of:

the Asia Pacific Federation of Human Resource Management (APFHRM), the European Association for Personnel Management (EAPM), the Federacion Interamericana de Asociaciones Profesionales para la Gestion Humana (FIDAP), and the North American Human Resource Management Association (NAHRMA), these four hereinafter to be known as the four original full members; together with the African Human Resources Confederation - AHRC (formerly African Federation of Human Resource Management Associations - AFHRMA) and other qualified regional bodies of national associations for people management which may have subsequently been accepted into membership.

WFPMA is strictly professional in nature. It is a not-for-profit organisationand is independent of any employer, governmental, political or union organisation.

Article 1.2     Objectives and goals

1.2.1    To improve the quality and effectiveness of professional people management and development, and to demonstrate the valued contribution of and continued need for the profession by sharing information, knowledge and experience. 

1.2.2    To stimulate and help establish and develop people management associations in those parts of the world where no continental or regional association exists;

1.2.3    To create and maintain contacts with all WFPMA member associations, as well as with other organisations which have some activity in the same or a similar field;

1.2.4    To support and coordinate the liaison and/or efforts of professional people management associations in international matters;

1.2.5    To ensure member association bylaws conform with the general aims and objectives of the World Federation;

1.2.6    To support or represent people management associations where they ask for such support in their contacts with world organisations such as the United Nations and its agencies including the ILO, UNESCO, etc;

1.2.7    To commission or undertake and disseminate research that broadens understanding of people management and development issues;

1.2.8    To stimulate and encourage the creation, development and growth of people management educational, learning and research programmes.

Article 1.3     Activities

To achieve its objectives and goals, WFPMA will carry out activities which may include the following:
 

  • encourage mutual assistance between member associations in answering international enquiries from a national association on behalf of itself or its members;
  • provide general assistance to national associations of people management if so     requested, provided no financial commitment is involved and that there is no appropriate continental/regional association in membership of the WFPMA which covers the particular country involved;
  • assist in facilitating self-financing international study trips;
  • organise self-financing international conferences, such as the Federation’s own biennial World Congress;
  • carry out common surveys and statistical comparisons;
  • encourage exchange of research reports by member associations;
  • promote the voluntary exchange of professional publications (such as journals, periodicals, bibliographies, etc);
  • assist a national or regional association with the arrangement of seminars and conferences, involving helping finding speakers, publicity, etc;
  • assist the exchange of experiences about current functional or professional situation
  •  of people management;
  • attempt to establish common positions (vis-a-vis ILO, etc) on matters that concern
  •  the function or profession of people management;
  • encourage the establishment of professional qualifications and training programmes for people management;
  • encourage the development of codes of ethics;
  • encourage the exchange of information on training concepts, methods or materials;
  • promote cooperation between member associations in agreeing to a common interpretation of personnel and developmentterms;
  • encourage agreements between member and national associations to sell each other’s publications at reduced prices.

Article 1.4     Jurisdiction

The WFPMA is registered in Geneva, Switzerland.  It is ruled by Swiss civil law.

2     MEMBERSHIP

Article 2.1     Categories of members

The WFPMA has the two following categories of members:

  • full members
  • affiliated members

Full members  In each continent or region, only one federation of national people management associations can become a full member.  In all cases, the aims and goals of the full members must be consistent with those of the WFPMA.  The full members at the time of amending these bylaws are:

the Asia Pacific Federation of Human Resource Management (APFHRM),
the European Association of Personnel Management (EAPM),
the Interamerican Federation of Human Resource Management (FIDAP),
the North American Human Resource Management Association (NAHRMA), and
the African Human Resources Confederation (AHRC).

Affiliated members  National professional people management associations for which there is no present appropriate continental or regional federation may affiliate to the WFPMA, provided they can demonstrate that:
 

  • they are the leading independent professional people management organisation in their country;
  • they have a substantial proportion of the professional personnel practitioners in their  country in membership;
  • they are of good professional standing and reputation in the field of people management;
  • they can support the required fees;
  • they demonstrate a commitment to join with other neighbouring countries to form a regional or continental federation in accordance with WFPMA objectives.

In addition, other organisations with a strong professional international people management involvement, such as world bodies or international federations in related fields or global employers, may be accepted into affiliation from time to time, subject to the approval of the WFPMA board.

Article 2.2     Members' obligations

All members meet their member obligations by:

  • having a relationship with the WFPMA in accordance with the WFPMA bylaws;
  • providing WFPMA Board members and committee Chairs the necessary support to carry out their WFPMA accountabilities;
  • making sure that fees due on July 1 each year and any other dues are paid promptly to the WFPMA Treasurer.

Article 2.3     Acquisition and loss of membership

2.3.1    Organisations which wish to acquire membership should apply to the Secretary General, with proof that they comply with the conditions laid down in these bylaws.

2.3.2    Membership must be endorsed by a two-thirds majority of the full Board, described in 3 hereunder.

2.3.3    Membership can be cancelled by atwo-thirds majority decision of the full Board for either of the following reasons:
 

            a. If a member no longer complies with the requirements and obligations set out in Articles

2.1 and 2.2;
    

            b. If a member commits any other serious infringement of the aims and objectives of the World Federation.

In both cases, a and b, three months notice shall be given to the member of the intention to invoke this Article unless the infringement, which should be specified, is remedied; only if the infringement continues after this three month period may membership be cancelled. In addition, the Board can cancel membership if financial obligations, including dues, are 12 months or more in arrears.  A member may resign from the WFPMA with six months notice by notifying the Secretary General in writing.  There is no proration of dues for membership of less than one year in cases of voluntary or involuntary cancellation of regional membership.

3     ORGANISATION

Article 3.1     The Board

3.1.1   The WFPMA will be run by a duly elected Board. The Board is the supreme body of the WFPMA.  It is composed of three officers (see Article 3.2 below) plus two representatives appointed by each of the four original full members and the African Federation of  Human Resource Management Associations, and one from each of any subsequent continental/regional federations which become full members. Each Board member will be entitled to one vote.  A Board member who is unable to attend may be represented at a Board meeting by a deputy to whom authority to participate and vote will have been delegated for that meeting only. Board members are limited to a maximum of four consecutive terms of two years each, unless also elected to serve as officers. 

3.1.2   National associations affiliated to the WFPMA pending the formation of a regional federation will be invited to elect representatives in accordance with the formula below; these representatives will be invited to attend and participate in Board meetings but will not be eligible to vote or hold office. 

Number of national associations in affiliate category

1 to 5          =       1 representative
6 to 11        =       2 representatives
12 or more =      3 representatives

Representatives will normally rotate among eligible asociations every two years.  In the event that a group of associations are not able to agree among them which should provide the representative for any two-year period, the matter will be referred to the President and Secretary General whose decision shall be final.

3.1.3    The nominated officer of the host association organising the next World Congress will be invited to attend all meetings of the Board in a non-voting capacity.

3.1.4    The Board shall normally meet at least twice a year.  Meetings are called by the President at least three months in advance.  They must be called within two months if four Board members including the Past President or Secretary General request it.

3.1.5    The Board meeting shall decide on the following by a two-thirds majority of the full Board:

  • the admission of new members;
  • the cancellation of membership;
  • the revision of bylaws.

3.1.6    The Board meeting shall decide on the following by a majority vote of those present subject to a quorum of at least half the members being present:

  • the election of officers;
  • the Federation’s important policies;
  • any action as may be appropriate to further the goals of the Federation;
  • the Federation’s budget, the level of membership fees and expenditure;
  • any questions or disputes related to a country or organisation’s application for affiliate membership which has not been resolved by the officers.

Article 3.2     Officers

3.2.1    The Officers of the WFPMA are the President, the Secretary General and the Immediate Past President.  They are full members of the Board and each has one vote.  No more than three members of the Board may be from the same region, either by nationality or domicile, and the Presidency shall rotate among the full member federations.  Affiliated organisation representatives are not eligible to hold office.

Officers are elected for terms of two years.  The President can serve in that office for one term only, which will be followed by one term as Immediate Past President.  In view of the special resources required to provide the Federation’s Secretariat, there is no specific limitation on the term of office for the Secretary General, subject to election every two years and to the general principle expressed at the end of paragraph 3.1.1 above.  All Board members assume office at the end of the World Congress every second year, unless replaced by their regional federation during their period of WFPMA Board membership.

3.2.2    The Officers shall have the power to:

  • prepare the agenda for the Board meeting;
  • submit to the Board the annual report and accounts;
  • submit to the Board, for consideration and approval, a working programme covering a specific period;
  • submit to the Board such other recommendations or proposals as may be appropriate;
  • deal with matters not specifically assigned to Board members in a manner consistent with the agreed aims, objectives and policies of the WFPMA;
  • recommend new members;
  • consider and resolve any questions or disputes related to an organisation’s application for affiliate membership.

4     FINANCE

Article 4.1     Costs

The costs of the WFPMA will, in principle, be covered by the member associations. The costs of Board participation will, in principle, be the responsibility of the individual concerned or of the association they are representing.  Only the costs associated with the Petitpas Award and the WFPMA website and any other initiatives which may be agreed by the Board from time to time will be borne by the Federation itself.  All other activities,  such as conferences, seminars, study trips, etc, must be self-financing, and no financial commitment can be attached to the WFPMA in respect of such activities without specific prior approval.  The WFPMA will not be held liable for any costs incurred in its name except with the specific prior consent of the Board.

Article 4.2     Remuneration

All persons serving the WFPMA shall do so without compensation.  Reasonable expenses may be reimbursed if authorised in advance by the Board.  Expenses associated with Board participation will, in principle, be the responsibility of the individual concerned or of the association they are representing.

5     REVISION OF  BYLAWS AND DISSOLUTION OF THE FEDERATION

Article 5.1     Bylaws

Any Board member has a right to propose total or partial revision of the bylaws.  Any revision should be submitted with an unabridged written text at least three months before the next Board meeting.  A decision on such a revisionrequiresa majority of two-thirds of the full Board.

Article 5.2     Dissolution

The same procedure as described in Article 5.1 shall apply in respect of dissolution of the WFPMA.

6      OFFICIAL LANGUAGES

The official languages will be:

  • English
  • French
  • German
  • Spanish

The working language will be English. In case of doubt, the English language will prevail.

NB. Under normal circumstances the office of President and the hosting of the WFPMA biennial World Congress will rotate among the full members in sequence, initially in the following order:  APFHRM, FIDAP, EAPM, NAHRMA, AHRC.

(This version reflects the revisions agreed at the meeting in Istanbul, Turkey in September 2011)