new system for SGs - please sign up on myecpr to become official member of the SG
Achim Kemmerling
ECPR is going to change the system of its Standing Groups soon. Below I attach the official ECPR email sent to SG group convenors. They ask us to send over our member lists. We can pass on your names, if you want us to, but you can also sign up via myECPR soon. (See below for details). We think this is the preferable option. Once myECPR is fully operational for SGs, we can use it for communication purposes, but also for matters of internal procedures. Hope you will all join. I will send out a reminder in due course.
Best
AK
Dear ECPR Standing Group Convenors
As you are aware, one of the key changes to Standing Groups (SGs) to be implemented as part of the new Standing Group Framework is the way individuals join SGs. The Framework provides for individuals to sign up to SGs through their MyECPR account, and for SG Convenors to be able to manage their membership lists through MyECPR too. The work for this to be operationalised has recently been completed, so I am writing to you now with details of how this transition to MyECPR from your own databases will work; and with a user guide for managing your Group through the system (attached).
Standing Groups on the ECPR website
As you will see, we have made some significant improvements to the way information about all of our Standing Groups is presented on the website. These developments should make it easier for users to both find out more information about SGs and then join them.
Membership sign up
The aim is to have all Standing Group membership lists brought under MyECPR by 1 June this year. Due to UK Data Protection laws it is not possible for us simply to import your membership lists into our system; individuals must actively sign up themselves. This means that those members of your Group who have a MyECPR account can simply log in and click a button; it’s as simple as that. Those members of your Group who do not have a MyECPR account will have to create one, which takes only a few minutes; then they too can sign up in the same way. Those individuals who sign up to your Group and who are from an ECPR member institution will be automatically added to the list; those who are from a non-member institution will need to be approved by you first. This can be done quickly and easily via your MyECPR account. Full details are in the attached User Guide.
In order to ensure all members in your list transfer across to MyECPR as efficiently as possible, we need your cooperation and help in informing your members of the changes. We therefore ask all of you to write to your membership lists as soon as possible to inform them of the transition and the benefits of being able to manage their SG membership through their MyECPR accounts, and if they do not have an account how easy it is to create one. A draft of some text that you might like to use is attached to this email.
At the same time, we will carry out a marketing campaign around our Standing Groups with the aim of both reinforcing the message you will already have sent to your members as well as promoting the benefits and services of our SGs to the wider membership to encourage more people to join. We will do this via first, our Official Representatives, reinforcing Standing Groups as a key benefit of membership of ECPR and asking them to circulate material throughout their institution; second, our email list (that goes to all with a MyECPR account – c. 17,000 people); third, social media; and, fourth, our website. We would ask you also to look at your own website, and disable any automated membership processes you may have, adding some text re-directing users to the ECPR website to join. You may also wish to add some general text to the homepage of your website outlining the changes and again directing people to the ECPR website. The link is http://www.ecpr.eu/StandingGroups/StandingGroupsList.aspx. If you have a WordPress site looked after by the ECPR we will do this for you. You will be able to monitor the number of people joining your Group throughout the whole process.
Contacting your members
With your membership lists held in the ECPR’s central database, we need to ensure that we remain fully data protection compliant, while still enabling you to use the data as freely as you need to. Through MyECPR it is possible for you to view and export your full membership list at any time*; full details of how to do this, and the UK Data Protection Act, that you need to agree to in order to make the export, are available in the User Guide.
The membership year
Part of the Standing Group Framework provides for members of SGs to renew their membership every year. In order to do this all members will be asked to re-join in January each year. We can support you in advertising this to your members at the end of the year; and again this will be as easy for them as clicking a button. When an individual joins a SG they will receive an auto responder email, which will thank them for their membership, direct them to your website for more information and also reference the membership year so they are clear on the new process.
Elections
Part of the Framework provides the opportunity for Standing Groups to conduct elections for Convenors or Steering Committee members through the ECPR website (MyECPR area). Further details of this are in the User Guide.
Should you have any queries at all about this process, or the Standing Group Framework, please do not hesitate to contact either myself (rge...@ecpr.eu) or Helen Cooper (hco...@ecpr.eu).
Best wishes
Rebecca Gethen
Communications Manager
Achim Kemmerling
just as a postscriptum: The myecpr page already let's you subscribe to our standing group. Please do so to become member of the SG in PolEco. And please also share this information with anyone who might be interested in the SG. For regularly updates, info etc. pls. check regularly our wordpress website until further notice.
Best wishes
Achim