Due to the efforts of previous members, staff, trustees and chairs, the PSA is in a very strong position in terms of membership, staffing and finances but this foundation must now be invested in to redefine and revitalise the organisation in order to maintain this stability in the future.
In recent years the PSA has undertaken a far-reaching period of reform focused around the principles of ambition, visibility and professionalism. The aim was not to create a completely new organisation or to lose touch with the past but to redefine the aims and structure of the organisation in order to keep pace with a rapidly changing context. It was about continuity and change and a huge amount has been achieved.
The aim of this Ten-Year Strategic Plan is to develop and continue this momentum by setting down very clearly, and for the first time, the PSA’s core aims and ambitions. The aim is not to create an organisational straitjacket, but to set out a clear direction of travel in terms of where the PSA is going and how it intends to get there. This, in turn, will not only drive the various work streams of the PSA but it will also make it far easier for members to see the incredible value of the organisation and the benefits of membership.
The draft document is available to download here. (For an accessible document format please click here.)
Our aim is ambitious. It is to be the leading learned society within the social sciences with an international reputation for supporting our members and developing the discipline. But we cannot do it alone, which is why from 10 February – 3 March 2017 we have been seeking members views on the strategy.
Most of all, we hope that, in reading about it, you’ll want to join us and be part of it.
Sarah Brown, Interim Chief Executive, Political Studies Association
Read letter from current Chair, Professor Matthew Flinders, inviting Chair-elect, Professor Angelia Wilson, to feed into the strategy
Read Professor Angelia Wilson and Professor Feargal Cochranes response to the draft strategic plan
Member Feedback
Our period of membership consultation has now closed – thank you to all who engaged with the document. During the consultation period the following feedback was submitted by PSA members:
Feedback from Professor Andrew Hindmoor, University of Sheffield
Feedback from Professor Justin Fisher, Brunel University London
Detailed comments on the strategic plan were received in response to the consultation with thanks from Professor Sarah Childs (University of Bristol) and Professor Mike Goldsmith (University of Salford).
