Public Interest Statement

Legal Notice

© 2026 Institute of Administrative Management. All rights reserved. This document is published for public reference. It may be cited, quoted, and reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial professional, educational, and research purposes, provided that the Institute of Administrative Management is clearly acknowledged as the source and the document reference (IAM-PIS-2026-001) is given. Reproduction or distribution for commercial purposes, or any modification of the text, requires the prior written permission of the Institute of Administrative Management.

This document is a statement of the public interest commitments of the Institute of Administrative Management (IAM) and of the public interest obligations that its regulatory instruments place on Professional Members. It is declaratory in character: it explains and affirms obligations established elsewhere and does not itself create new obligations, rights, or procedures. It does not constitute legal, financial, or professional advice. The Institute of Administrative Management, its officers, employees, and agents accept no liability for any loss, damage, or claim arising from the use of or reliance upon the content of this document.

This Statement is principle-based and jurisdiction-neutral. Where it refers to legal, regulatory, or compliance obligations, it does so in general terms. Professional Members are responsible for identifying the specific laws, regulations, and standards that apply to their own role and jurisdiction, and for keeping their knowledge of those requirements up to date. Specific legislation, statutory instruments, and regulatory commencement dates are deliberately not cited in this Statement.

Consultation notice. This document is an Exposure Draft published for consultation. It is complete and approved for consultation by the IAM Professional Standards Committee, but it has not yet been approved by the Board of Directors, is not yet in effect, and may change before the First Edition is confirmed. Comments are invited by 16 October 2026 (17:00 UK time) through the online response form at www.instam.org/standards/respond, or by email to enquiry@instam.org with the subject line “IAM-PIS-2026-001 Exposure Draft response”. The First Edition is due to be published on 30 November 2026 and to take effect on 1 January 2027.

Comment is welcome on any part of the Statement. The Committee particularly invites views on whether the commitments in Section 4 are the right ones, whether any commitment the public should be able to expect of a professional body is missing, and whether the accountability arrangements in Section 7 are sufficient.

Accessibility: The Institute is committed to publishing this Statement accessibly. The electronic edition is prepared to meet internationally recognised digital accessibility standards, and the document is available in alternative formats on request to enquiry@instam.org.

Language: This Statement is published in English. The English text is the authoritative text. Where the Institute issues a translation, it is provided for convenience only and the English text prevails in the event of any difference of meaning.

Recommended citation: Institute of Administrative Management (2026), IAM Public Interest Statement, Edition 1.0, IAM-PIS-2026-001, available at www.instam.org.

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Edition History

Foreword

The Institute of Administrative Management has served the profession of administrative management since 1915. From its earliest years, the Institute has held that a profession exists not for its own advancement but for the benefit of those it serves. That conviction is expressed in the Institute’s motto, Non Sibi Sed Toti: Not for Oneself but for All, and it is given constitutional form in the Objects of the Institute set out in Article 4 of the Articles of Association.

On 1 January 2027 the Institute brings into effect a complete professional framework: the IAM Professional Standards for Administrative Management, the IAM Code of Ethics, the IAM Membership Regulation, and the IAM CPD Regulation. Each of those instruments states, in its own terms, that the profession serves the public interest as well as its members and their organisations. This Statement gathers those commitments into a single public declaration, so that members, employers, regulators, educators, and the public can see plainly what the Institute promises, why it promises it, and how it holds itself to account.

At the centre of this Statement is one commitment above all others: where the public interest and short-term organisational interest pull in different directions, IAM Professional Members are committed to act with integrity. A credential of the Institute is a signal to the public that its holder has accepted that commitment.

The Board of Directors commends this Statement to everyone whose work, custom, or trust touches the administrative management profession.

IAM Board of Directors

Institute of Administrative Management, November 2026

1. Introduction and Purpose

1.1 This IAM Public Interest Statement (“this Statement”) is issued by the Board of Directors of the Institute of Administrative Management (“the Institute” or “the IAM”). It sets out the commitments the Institute makes to the public, and the obligations its regulatory instruments place on Professional Members, in service of the public interest. It gives full expression to the commitment stated in Section 3.3 of the IAM Professional Standards for Administrative Management (IAM-PS-2026-001) and to Principle 9 (Service) of the IAM Code of Ethics (IAM-COE-2026-001).

1.2 The Institute’s motto, Non Sibi Sed Toti: Not for Oneself but for All, has expressed the profession’s purpose since the Institute’s foundation in 1915. It is the animating principle of this Statement: the profession of administrative management, and the Institute that serves it, exist for the benefit of organisations, communities, and the public, and not solely for the advancement of individual members.

1.3 This Statement is declaratory. The binding obligations of Professional Members are established in the IAM Professional Standards (IAM-PS-2026-001), the IAM Code of Ethics (IAM-COE-2026-001), the IAM Membership Regulation (IAM-MEM-REG-2026-001), and the IAM CPD Regulation (IAM-CPD-REG-2026-001) (together, “the regulatory instruments”). This Statement explains how those instruments, taken together, serve the public interest. It creates no new obligations, rights, or procedures, and nothing in it shall be read as extending or limiting the regulatory instruments.

1.4 This Statement is written for several audiences at once: for Professional Members, so that the public dimension of their obligations is clear; for employers, so that they understand what an IAM credential commits its holder to; for regulators, educators, and other professional bodies, so that the basis of the Institute’s self-regulation is transparent; and for the public, so that anyone affected by the work of an administrative management professional can see the standard of conduct they are entitled to expect.

1.5 The Statement is organised as follows. Section 2 sets out the constitutional foundation of the Institute’s public interest commitment. Section 3 explains what the public interest means in administrative management practice. Section 4 states the Institute’s own commitments. Section 5 restates the public interest obligations of Professional Members. Section 6 provides a framework for resolving conflicts between competing interests. Section 7 explains how the Institute holds itself accountable for these commitments. Section 8 contains general provisions, and the Schedule lists related documents.

2. Constitutional Foundation

2.1 The Institute’s commitment to the public interest is anchored in its constitutional Objects, set out in Article 4 of the Articles of Association. The Objects define the purposes for which the Institute exists; the regulatory instruments, and this Statement, are means by which those purposes are pursued. The Articles of Association, as registered with the Registrar of Companies for England and Wales (Companies House) and as amended from time to time, are the Institute’s constitutional instrument and take precedence over every subsidiary document.

2.2 This Statement is adopted by the Board of Directors under its general power to manage the business of the Company in Article 28(1) of the Articles of Association. It is not a rule made under Article 55(1) and is not itself an instrument of professional regulation. Of the regulatory instruments listed in clause 1.3, the IAM Code of Ethics, the IAM Membership Regulation, and the IAM CPD Regulation are made by the Board under Article 55(1), and the IAM Professional Standards are developed, maintained, and reviewed by the IAM Professional Standards Committee under the governance arrangements set out in Part F of those Standards. Breaches of the obligations those instruments establish are addressed under those instruments, not under this Statement.

2.3 Where any conflict arises between this Statement and the Articles of Association, the Articles take precedence. Where any conflict arises between this Statement and a regulatory instrument, the regulatory instrument takes precedence. This Statement should be read as an aid to understanding the regulatory instruments, in the same way that the Institute’s guidance documents explain and illustrate them.

2.4 The relationship between this Statement and the regulatory instruments is reciprocal. Section 3.3 of the IAM Professional Standards commits the profession to the public interest and refers to this Statement for the full expression of that commitment. Principle 9 (Service) of the IAM Code of Ethics binds every member to serve the profession and the public interest and is anchored, through this Statement, in the Objects under Article 4. The IAM Membership Regulation and the IAM CPD Regulation give the commitment institutional effect through assessed admission, disciplinary procedures, and mandatory continuing professional development. The Schedule to this Statement sets out these relationships in full.

3. The Public Interest in Administrative Management

3.1 In this Statement, the public interest means the collective interest of all those affected by the practice of administrative management: the interest in organisations that are honestly and competently administered, in information that is accurately kept and properly protected, in resources that are responsibly stewarded, in working environments that are safe and fair, and in governance that can be trusted. The public interest is not the interest of any single organisation, client, employer, or member, and it is distinct from the commercial interest of the Institute itself.

3.2 The public, for this purpose, extends well beyond a professional’s employer. It includes colleagues whose personal data and working conditions depend on sound administration; customers and service users who rely on the organisations that professionals administer; suppliers who depend on fair procurement; regulators and statutory authorities who rely on accurate records and honest reporting; and the communities and wider society affected by organisational decisions.

3.3 Administrative management practice touches the public interest at many points. The records professionals keep, the data they protect, the procurement they oversee, the working environments they manage, and the governance they support all affect people who never see the work being done and have no means of checking it. That is precisely why professional standards matter: those affected must be able to trust the competence and conduct of the professional without being in a position to verify either.

3.4 Professional standing is founded on that trust. The Institute’s credentials, grades, and post-nominal designations are public signals that their holders have been assessed against published standards, are bound by an enforceable code of ethics, and maintain their competence through continuing professional development. A professional body that maintained standards only for the private benefit of its members would not deserve that trust. The Institute therefore regulates in the public interest, and accepts that where the interests of a member and the public interest conflict in a regulatory matter, the public interest comes first.

4. The Institute’s Public Interest Commitments

The Institute makes the following commitments. Each is given effect through the regulatory instruments and governance arrangements identified in the relevant clause, and each is maintained under the review arrangements in Section 7.

4.1 Open and published standards

4.1.1 The Institute publishes the standards against which the profession is assessed. The IAM Professional Standards (IAM-PS-2026-001), the IAM Code of Ethics (IAM-COE-2026-001), the IAM Membership Regulation (IAM-MEM-REG-2026-001), and the IAM CPD Regulation (IAM-CPD-REG-2026-001) are all classified Public and available at www.instam.org, so that the public and regulators have a clear statement of the competence and conduct that IAM credentials represent.

4.2 Public consultation

4.2.1 The Institute consults publicly before making, and before materially amending, its regulatory instruments. Consultation responses inform the final text, and each instrument is published with a stated effective date and a stated review date, so that the basis of the Institute’s regulation is open to scrutiny before it takes effect.

4.3 Integrity of admission and grades

4.3.1 Admission to the assessed grades of Professional Membership (Associate, Member, Fellow, and Senior Fellow) is by assessment against the published Career Stage framework of the IAM Professional Standards, under the procedures of the IAM Membership Regulation. Admission is determined by the Institute alone, on evidence supplied by the applicant and verified by the Institute, within published maximum decision periods; no referee, endorser, interview, or panel stands between an applicant and the Institute’s decision, and no fee influences any awarding decision. Grades and post-nominal designations mean what the published framework says they mean; the Institute protects their integrity so that the public is not misled about what a credential represents.

4.4 Continuing competence

4.4.1 Professional competence is an ongoing obligation, not a one-time achievement. The IAM CPD Regulation requires Professional Members at every assessed grade to complete 30 hours of continuing professional development in each CPD Year, including mandatory sustainability CPD, and establishes a structured procedure for non-compliance. The public can therefore rely on IAM credentials as evidence of current, not merely historic, competence.

4.5 Fair and transparent enforcement

4.5.1 The Institute enforces the IAM Code of Ethics through the complaints, disciplinary, and appeals procedures of Regulation 9 of the IAM Membership Regulation, with full procedural protections for the member concerned, including notice, the right of representation, and rights of appeal. Sanctions range from written warning to expulsion.

4.5.2 Enforcement serves the public as well as the profession. The Institute acknowledges conduct concerns received at conduct@instam.org within five working days and maintains records of disciplinary outcomes in accordance with the IAM Membership Regulation; where that Regulation so provides, an outcome may be made public where the Board considers it necessary in the public interest.

4.6 Protection of those who raise concerns

4.6.1 The Institute protects members who raise concerns in good faith. Under Section 4 of the IAM Code of Ethics and Regulations 8.9 and 8.10 of the IAM Membership Regulation, no member shall be subjected by the Institute to detriment, disadvantage, or disciplinary action for making a disclosure in good faith, regardless of whether the concern proves to be substantiated, and any attempt by a member to subject any person to detriment for a good-faith disclosure is itself professional misconduct.

4.7 Accessible public information

4.7.1 The Institute maintains public-facing information that allows employers and the public to understand and verify professional standing, including the IAM Member Directory, the public register of Honorary Fellows, and published explanations of the grades and post-nominal designations. Requests concerning membership standing may be directed to membership@instam.org, and any person may verify a member’s standing without charge through the verification facility at www.instam.org/verify.

4.8 Equality, diversity, inclusion, and access

4.8.1 The Institute promotes equality, diversity, and inclusion in the profession, through Principle 6 of the IAM Code of Ethics and the IAM EDI Practice Guidance (IAM-EDI-2026-001), and maintains routes into the profession that widen access, including the Affiliate tier for the administrative workforce and Student Membership for those in recognised study. A profession that serves the whole public should be open to the whole public.

4.9 Sustainability and ethical practice

4.9.1 The Institute treats the environmental and social impact of professional practice as a public interest matter. Principle 8 of the IAM Code of Ethics requires members to consider environmental and social impact, embed sustainability within the limits of their authority, and treat ethical sourcing — including vigilance against modern slavery and exploitative labour practices in supply chains within their area of responsibility — as a matter of professional standard. Mandatory sustainability CPD under the IAM CPD Regulation sustains this commitment year on year.

4.10 Integrity of assessment and protection of learners

4.10.1 The Institute separates delivery from awarding. Its Certified Programmes and Role Mastery courses are delivered by the Institute and by organisations it recognises under the IAM Centre Recognition Scheme (IAM-CRS-2026-001), but every assessment is set and moderated, every outcome determined, and every credential issued by the Institute, so that a credential means the same thing wherever it was earned. Malpractice and maladministration in assessment are prevented, investigated, and sanctioned under the IAM Malpractice and Maladministration Policy (IAM-MMP-2026-001); a result obtained by malpractice is withdrawn whatever the passage of time.

4.10.2 Every learner enrolled through a Recognised Centre is the Institute’s candidate. If a Centre ceases to deliver, the learner completes the programme by another route at no further cost to the Institute, keeps every result achieved, and receives the credential, under the IAM Learner Protection Policy (IAM-LPP-2026-001). Barriers to assessment are removed without changing the standard under the IAM Reasonable Adjustments and Special Considerations Policy (IAM-RASC-2026-001).

4.11 Responsible use of artificial intelligence

4.11.1 The Institute requires the responsible use of artificial intelligence in professional practice, through Section 5 of the IAM Code of Ethics, Regulation 8.8 of the IAM Membership Regulation, and the IAM AI Governance Guidance (IAM-AIG-2026-001), including obligations of transparency, human oversight, and the protection of confidential information against AI-related data risks. The public is entitled to administration that uses new technology honestly and safely.

4.11 Education, advocacy, and public benefit

4.11.1 The Institute advances the profession for public benefit: it designs and quality-assures Certified Programmes under the IAM Professional Standards, supports mentoring under the IAM Mentoring and Professional Supervision Framework (IAM-MEN-2026-001), and advances the standing of the profession through evidence-based advocacy, thought leadership, and engagement with external professional bodies, employers, and policymakers.

5. Members’ Public Interest Obligations

5.1 Every Professional Member is bound by Principle 9 (Service) of the IAM Code of Ethics: serve the profession and the public interest. The Principle is a binding obligation, not an aspirational ideal; breaches may constitute professional misconduct and lead to disciplinary proceedings under Regulation 9 of the IAM Membership Regulation. The same obligation binds Affiliates, Student Members, Retired members in respect of any continuing professional activity, and Honorary Fellows, in accordance with Section 7.1 of the Code.

5.2 The central public interest obligation is this: Professional Members commit to act with integrity even where the public interest and short-term organisational interest pull in different directions. Loyalty to an employer or client is a professional virtue, but it does not extend to dishonesty, concealment, or the facilitation of wrongdoing. Where the two conflict, integrity prevails.

5.3 Members have a positive duty to raise concerns. Under Section 4 of the IAM Code of Ethics, a member who becomes aware of conduct that may breach the Code, or of unlawful, unethical, or unsafe activity in the course of their professional practice, has a duty to raise the concern; silence in the face of serious wrongdoing is itself a breach of the Principles of Integrity and Accountability. Concerns may be raised through the internal channels of the member’s own organisation, through the Institute at conduct@instam.org, through the relevant regulatory or statutory authority in the practitioner’s jurisdiction, or, where appropriate and proportionate, through other lawful disclosure routes recognised by the applicable whistleblower-protection legislation.

5.4 Confidentiality serves the public interest, and so do its limits. The duty of confidentiality under Principle 4 of the Code is not absolute: it does not prevent disclosure required by the law applicable in the practitioner’s jurisdiction or by an order of a court, tribunal, or regulator of competent authority; disclosure properly authorised by the person to whom the duty is owed; or a disclosure made in good faith under Section 4 of the Code or under the whistleblower-protection legislation applicable in the practitioner’s jurisdiction. Where disclosure is compelled, members should disclose no more than is required and, where lawful and practicable, notify the affected party.

5.5 The obligation of service grows with seniority. Service may include mentoring colleagues under the IAM Mentoring and Professional Supervision Framework (IAM-MEN-2026-001), contributing to IAM activities, sharing knowledge, volunteering professional skills, and advocating for the recognition and development of the profession. Fellows and Senior Fellows are expected to contribute beyond their own organisation through such service.

5.6 Members also support the public interest through candour with their own regulator. The IAM Membership Regulation requires Professional Members to notify the Institute of matters bearing materially on their fitness to practise or on the reputation of the profession, within the timeframe and on the terms set out in Regulation 8.11 of that Regulation.

6. Resolving Competing Interests

6.1 Most professional practice serves the public interest and the organisational interest at the same time: sound administration is good for the organisation and good for everyone the organisation touches. Genuine conflicts are the exception, but they are also the moments when professional standards matter most. This Section provides a principle-based framework for those moments. It is guidance on applying the regulatory instruments, and does not replace them.

6.2 When a member believes that what they are being asked to do, or what they observe, may set the public interest against an organisational or personal interest, they should ask five questions. First, is the course of action lawful under the law applicable in the practitioner’s jurisdiction? Second, is it honest — could it be explained fully and truthfully to everyone it affects? Third, which of the nine Principles of the IAM Code of Ethics are engaged, and what do they require? Fourth, who is affected beyond the organisation — colleagues, customers, suppliers, regulators, the public — and how? Fifth, would the decision withstand scrutiny if it later became public?

6.3 If those questions do not resolve the matter, members should raise it: first, where appropriate, through the internal channels of their own organisation; and where that is not appropriate or has not resolved the concern, through the routes described in clause 5.3. A member facing an ethical dilemma that cannot be resolved through these means should seek advice from the IAM at conduct@instam.org or from an appropriate professional adviser.

6.4 Members should record significant decisions of this kind: the facts as understood at the time, the options considered, the advice sought, and the reasons for the course chosen. A contemporaneous record protects the member, the organisation, and the public.

6.5 This framework does not require members to exceed their authority, to override legitimate business decisions made by those authorised to make them, or to breach confidentiality other than as permitted by Principle 4 and Section 4 of the IAM Code of Ethics. Acting in the public interest means acting with integrity within one’s role — and using the proper channels when integrity requires more than the role allows.

7. Accountability for These Commitments

7.1 The Institute holds itself to the standards it sets. This Statement is approved by the Board of Directors, takes effect on 1 January 2027, and is subject to review by 1 December 2028, on the same cycle as the regulatory instruments, so that the commitments in Section 4 are re-examined whenever the instruments that give them effect are re-examined.

7.2 The Institute will consult publicly before materially amending this Statement, in line with its commitment in clause 4.2, and will publish each edition with a clear record of changes in the Edition History.

7.3 Anyone — member or not — may hold the Institute to these commitments. Concerns about the conduct of a member should be raised at conduct@instam.org and will be acknowledged within five working days. Complaints about the Institute’s own service, including any failure to live up to this Statement, should be raised at enquiry@instam.org and will receive a substantive response within 20 working days, in accordance with Regulation 9.11 of the IAM Membership Regulation.

7.4 The Board of Directors keeps the operation of these commitments under review as part of its governance of the Institute, and the outcome of each review is reflected in the subsequent edition of this Statement and, where necessary, in amendment of the regulatory instruments themselves.

8. General Provisions

8.1 This Statement applies to the Institute and describes obligations that apply to all those bound by the IAM Code of Ethics under Section 7.1 of that Code. For Subscribers and members of the public it is informative: it describes what may be expected of the Institute and of the profession, without imposing obligations on the reader.

8.2 This Statement is designed for international application. Its content is principle-based and contains no requirement that is specific to any single country, legal system, or regulator. Where the Statement refers to legal, regulatory, or compliance obligations, it does so in general terms, and members are responsible for identifying the laws, regulations, and standards that apply to their own role and jurisdiction. Clause 8.3 concerns the interpretation of this Statement as an instrument of the Institute and does not limit its international application.

8.3 This Statement shall be interpreted in accordance with the laws of England and Wales. It does not affect, alter, or repeal anything contained in the Articles of Association; where any conflict arises, the order of precedence in clause 2.3 applies.

8.4 If any provision of this Statement is held to be invalid or unenforceable, that provision shall apply with the minimum modification necessary to make it valid and enforceable, and the remaining provisions continue in full force and effect.

8.5 This Statement may be amended or replaced by resolution of the Board of Directors, subject to the consultation commitment in clause 7.2. The current edition is published at www.instam.org.

Schedule: Related Documents

The following documents give effect to, or explain, the commitments in this Statement. Where any conflict arises, the order of precedence in clause 2.3 applies.

Table 1: Documents related to this Statement

Issued for consultation by the IAM Professional Standards Committee

Exposure Draft for consultation · Institute of Administrative Management, 11 September 2026 · Proposed to take effect from 1 January 2027

Non Sibi Sed Toti: Not for Oneself but for All

www.instam.org

© 2026 Institute of Administrative Management. All rights reserved.

INSTITUTE OF ADMINISTRATIVE MANAGEMENT

Inspiring professionals since 1915

IAM Public Interest Statement

IAM-PIS-2026-001 • Edition 1.0 • Exposure Draft • 11 September 2026

Non Sibi Sed Toti

Not for Oneself but for All

www.instam.org • enquiry@instam.org

© 2026 Institute of Administrative Management. All rights reserved.

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