Member Value
2002; Elsevier BV; Volume: 102; Issue: 8 Linguagem: Inglês
10.1016/s0002-8223(02)90235-x
ISSN1878-3570
Autores Tópico(s)Dietetics, Nutrition, and Education
ResumoOne of the most important challenges facing ADA and many other professional associations is the complex and multi-faceted issue of “member value.” On a personal level you may be asking yourself, am I receiving good value in return for my membership? And is the Association doing all it can, within its resources, to increase the value of our profession to society by helping it grow and prosper? As ADA starts its next round of strategic planning, member value and the Association's future are front and center on the agenda. The Board's 2002-03 Program of Work identifies “strengthening member focus” as one of its primary goals. The Board is committed to implementing strategies that will continually enhance member value; I covered some of these strategies in last month's President's Page (JADA, July 2002, Vol. 102, No. 7, page 900). The 2003-08 strategic planning process will include conversations with members in these early stages and throughout the process. ADA has been well served by our current strategic plan and by the hard work of hundreds of members, leaders, staff and others who developed and implemented it. The goal is to refine and strengthen our existing plan. Charting ADA’s Course This past spring, the Board and Finance Committee embarked for the first time on a five-year plan to chart ADA's course for the next several years. As a result of this forecasting process, as you may have heard, the Board has approved a budget for the American Dietetic Association that will run a deficit for the 2002-03 fiscal year. This decision was not made lightly. I would characterize it as a last resort. But it was the correct decision and I fully support it. Providing the greatest amount of value to our members and the profession begins with a stable and reliable financial outlook that allows ADA to offer the resources that members need and expect from their Association. During the 1990s—a decade that saw a net growth in ADA's membership of 8,240 or about 14 percent—ADA enjoyed ample revenues fueled in large part by the nation's overall economic prosperity. More recently, in a retreating economy, we have seen our investment earnings significantly affected by stock market downturns— along with those of virtually all organizations or any individual who has an investment portfolio or retirement plan. The performance of ADA's investment portfolio indicates that we need to be substantially less dependent on investments for our operating income, now and in years to come, and the Board is looking at a variety of ways to increase the Association's revenue stream. At the direction of the Board, ADA staff prepared a Membership Dues Background Paper designed to answer this question: “What is the appropriate amount of dues needed to support the strategic needs of the dietetics profession and build member value in the American Dietetic Association?” The report assesses the interrelated issues of ADA membership benefits and the amount of annual dues paid by ADA members. It also compares ADA's membership, dues and services with other health professional associations; to the rate of inflation and to the Association's total revenue base. The report contains many interesting findings, and I encourage you to read or download it from ADA's member-only Web site at: www.eatright.com/images/leadership/spkr2001-02-58.pdf. In addition, the Board has asked the House of Delegates to consider—and to approve at its upcoming October meeting— a member dues increase to take effect in June 2003. Meeting Needs…Enhancing Value Will ADA membership be worth the cost after a dues increase? Is it worth the cost now? What benefits do I enjoy? What would I be willing to live without if there were no increase? In addition to tangible benefits of ADA membership, are there intangible benefits? What is the proper balance between the two? These are just a few of the questions that members are asking—and agreeing to disagree about. Few if any actions by a membership association spark more debate over member value than a dues increase. Your representatives in the HOD have been vigorously and passionately debating this issue for months in advance of the vote in October. I expect that many ADA members have made their views known to their delegates, and urge all members to do so. All summer, HOD-L has been humming with reactions from delegates and other members. The postings are interesting, persuasive, thought-provoking…the debate has been refreshing and worthwhile. Tangible Benefits I could fill pages detailing what I consider to be the countless tangible benefits of ADA membership. Here are some examples: ■ Access to the member-only Web site ■ The work of the Commission on Accreditation for Dietetics Education and the Commission on Dietetic Registration in training and credentialing the world's best-prepared dietetics professionals ■ The ADA Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice ■ Dietetic Practice Groups and State Affiliates ■ The role of AD A in shaping national health policy and legislation ■ ADA's position statements ■ The Nationwide Nutrition Network ■ Electronic mailing lists such as Dietetics-L ■ Web-based member publications such as CEO Digest, On the Pulse and Grassroots Times. ■ The Journal of the American Dietetic Association, which has been the subject of numerous postings—from widely differing perspectives—to HOD-L (please see box on opposite page). ADA membership carries with it dozens of such tangible benefits. Intangible Benefits Then there is the question of so-called “intangible benefits” of membership. My view on intangible benefits is very close to that of Professional Issues delegate Connie Diekman, MEd, RD, FAD A, who wrote to HOD-L: When I read (a previous) e-mail, the statement “we receive little in return for the money” really hit me…I’ve never thought about membership as a “what do I get for my money.” I think… this is my profession and what can I learn from colleagues, the Journal, listservs and other media to help me stay on top of my profession, which makes me a better employee, a better professional and a better colleague for my peers? Sure, tangible benefits are nice, but maybe the real question is, are the non-members growing professionally to their full potential, are they moving the science of nutrition and the profession of dietetics forward? If not, maybe that is what needs to change, not just tangibles. If we always want more in return, at what point have we drained the well, and don’t we at some point have to put back to get more out?Honest disagreement is often a good sign of progress-GandhiMany recent comments on HOD-L relate to the perceived value of the Journal of the American Dietetic Association:Florida delegate Candace Stewart, MS, ED, LD:[A group of members at a recent district meeting] overwhelmingly stated they would gladly NOT receive the Journal to forego a dues increase. Is there any way on the membership renewal there could be a fee for membership without receiving the Journal and with the Journal… say a $40 add-on to receive the Journal… keep the fees the same for those who opt not to receive the Journal directly.Clinical Issues delegate Mary Patricia Fuhrman, MS, RD, CSND: Rather than give an option to not subscribe to the Journal, maybe we should look at making the Journal more of a member benefit. JADA is the most visible part of ADA membership. Perhaps it should reflect the membership needs more closely rather than its current format and focus. I recently discussed these issues at the [Dietitians in Nutrition Support DPG] retreat and the overwhelming feeling there was that we need to have JADA reflect what we do and who we are. Although they admitted that recent improvements have made it more useful, it was felt that there needs to be mare applicable and practical information that pertains to practice. If we give members what they need and want, the benefit of membership and dues would be easier to “sell.”Pennsylvania delegate Idamarie Laquatra, RD:I have been reading about the practice journal and I have to respond. We (as a House) voted against having a separate practice journal, publication. I know that this did not please everyone, but that was the vote at the time. Also, we always speak about the need to increase the understanding about the value of research among members, yet the one tool we have to communicate that (the Journal) is not perceived as being of value. I personally don’t want the Journal to turn into Today's Dietitian because the forum for original research would be lost.California delegate Teresa Bush-Zurn, MA, RD, FADA, CDE:We just voted on a research philosophy at our last HOD meeting which emphasized the value of research for our profession. And now members want to cancel their subscription to the Journal? Our code of ethics says we will ‘practice dietetics based on scientific principles and current information” while our standards of practice state we ‘effectively apply, participate in or generate research to enhance practice ‘ The JADA is one source for this and a means for our Association, to provide that need to our member. We need to educate our members and our current students and dietetu; interns, the value of research, the JADA and the many forms of research they use in their daily professional work.No discipline can seriously be considered a profession unless it compiles and makes available a specific body of knowledge that has been scientifically tested and verified. The Journal serves this vital function for ADA and its members, offering a visible, widely accessible source of knowledge that all dietetics practitioners can draw upon, and which demonstrates to our clients, colleagues, employers and the public that the work of dietetics professionals is based on sound science and consensus. I understand that not every member will find every article of every Journal issue to be valuable. But, in the phrase of computer experts, that isn't a bug-it's a feature! The variety of the Journal's content is not a weakness, it is a strength.Elaine Monsen, PhD, RD, who is retiring in 2003 after 20 years at the helm of the Journal, put it very well when she told me the Journal should not be read as a novel, but as a collection of poems or short stories: there is something for everyone. A reader's expectation each month should be finding a few pertinent articles. The diveisity of our profession, our members and our practice areas mean no one should expect to read each entire issue. But with 80 pages of research every month, eight pages devoted to practice issues and up to 20 pages covering Association business, it is clear that the Journal of the American Dietetic Association offers value to all its members.Without such a publication, ADA member value would decrease and our ability to contribute to the future would be hampered. I encourage all members, whenever possible, to help strengthen and advance the dietetics profession by doing high-quality scientific research that is worthy of publication in our Journal That would be a great way to personally make a difference for the dietetics profession.—J. O’S. M. Honest disagreement is often a good sign of progress -Gandhi Many recent comments on HOD-L relate to the perceived value of the Journal of the American Dietetic Association: Florida delegate Candace Stewart, MS, ED, LD:[A group of members at a recent district meeting] overwhelmingly stated they would gladly NOT receive the Journal to forego a dues increase. Is there any way on the membership renewal there could be a fee for membership without receiving the Journal and with the Journal… say a $40 add-on to receive the Journal… keep the fees the same for those who opt not to receive the Journal directly. Clinical Issues delegate Mary Patricia Fuhrman, MS, RD, CSND: Rather than give an option to not subscribe to the Journal, maybe we should look at making the Journal more of a member benefit. JADA is the most visible part of ADA membership. Perhaps it should reflect the membership needs more closely rather than its current format and focus. I recently discussed these issues at the [Dietitians in Nutrition Support DPG] retreat and the overwhelming feeling there was that we need to have JADA reflect what we do and who we are. Although they admitted that recent improvements have made it more useful, it was felt that there needs to be mare applicable and practical information that pertains to practice. If we give members what they need and want, the benefit of membership and dues would be easier to “sell.” Pennsylvania delegate Idamarie Laquatra, RD:I have been reading about the practice journal and I have to respond. We (as a House) voted against having a separate practice journal, publication. I know that this did not please everyone, but that was the vote at the time. Also, we always speak about the need to increase the understanding about the value of research among members, yet the one tool we have to communicate that (the Journal) is not perceived as being of value. I personally don’t want the Journal to turn into Today's Dietitian because the forum for original research would be lost. California delegate Teresa Bush-Zurn, MA, RD, FADA, CDE:We just voted on a research philosophy at our last HOD meeting which emphasized the value of research for our profession. And now members want to cancel their subscription to the Journal? Our code of ethics says we will ‘practice dietetics based on scientific principles and current information” while our standards of practice state we ‘effectively apply, participate in or generate research to enhance practice ‘ The JADA is one source for this and a means for our Association, to provide that need to our member. We need to educate our members and our current students and dietetu; interns, the value of research, the JADA and the many forms of research they use in their daily professional work. No discipline can seriously be considered a profession unless it compiles and makes available a specific body of knowledge that has been scientifically tested and verified. The Journal serves this vital function for ADA and its members, offering a visible, widely accessible source of knowledge that all dietetics practitioners can draw upon, and which demonstrates to our clients, colleagues, employers and the public that the work of dietetics professionals is based on sound science and consensus. I understand that not every member will find every article of every Journal issue to be valuable. But, in the phrase of computer experts, that isn't a bug-it's a feature! The variety of the Journal's content is not a weakness, it is a strength. Elaine Monsen, PhD, RD, who is retiring in 2003 after 20 years at the helm of the Journal, put it very well when she told me the Journal should not be read as a novel, but as a collection of poems or short stories: there is something for everyone. A reader's expectation each month should be finding a few pertinent articles. The diveisity of our profession, our members and our practice areas mean no one should expect to read each entire issue. But with 80 pages of research every month, eight pages devoted to practice issues and up to 20 pages covering Association business, it is clear that the Journal of the American Dietetic Association offers value to all its members. Without such a publication, ADA member value would decrease and our ability to contribute to the future would be hampered. I encourage all members, whenever possible, to help strengthen and advance the dietetics profession by doing high-quality scientific research that is worthy of publication in our Journal That would be a great way to personally make a difference for the dietetics profession. —J. O’S. M. Whether the member benefits are tangible, intangible or both, I believe that all dietetics professionals benefit from belonging to ADA… and ADA benefits from all its members. Associations exist to meet individual members’ needs and to advance and advocate for the profession as a whole. The profession of dietetics consists of many diverse segments. Each segment is important, but we must guard against the temptation to fragment off into our own corners. The unity within the diversity of our profession is the key to solving complex issues. And as we know, most nutrition lifestyle issues are complex. The ADA Community We can all support the Association that promotes and validates our profession by becoming and remaining ADA members—and by strongly encouraging others to do the same. As we work to strategically move ADA and our profession forward, the dialogues and debates must continue. However, let's always keep in mind the big picture: carrying on the work of our founders and predecessors and passing on to the next generation an Association that is infinitely stronger and more effective than the one we joined. Wherever we live, because we are ADA members, we are all part of a community of committed, dedicated individuals who are devoted to improving the health and nutrition of all people, everywhere in our society. I am proud to have been a part of that community since 1976 and look forward to being part of it for the rest of my life.
Referência(s)