The International System Safety Society and the International System Safety Conference — Its Future

Abstract

In recent years, there has been a falling off of membership in the International System Safety Society and attendance at its annual International System Safety Conference (ISSC). There are a number of reasons for this, including: The recent tight budget constraints on government and independent organizations A growing loss of younger Society membership The impression that the Society no longer serves a unique niche in the world of system safety The first aspect needs no further consideration, apart from how one continues to make the case to organizations about the benefits of active membership in the Society and attendance at its meetings. Typically, one might note the value of networking with peers, learning what's new and topical in system safety. I suppose one must also ask how organizations typically view graded membership in the Society as compared to equivalent membership in more formal institutions. More specifically, what does the Society's membership and level mean to the individual and the organization in terms of achieving improved performance? What benefits do organizations gain from Society membership of advertising the pedigree of its workforce? Has there been an organizational review of this nature?