Statutes and policy of the Intressentföreningen Quality Development Association

Statutes

§ Article 1 Purpose

Intressentföreningen Kvalitetsutveckling (hereinafter referred to as the Association) is the national network on leadership and organizational development for competitiveness and sustainability. The association enables cross-sectoral exchange of experience between organizations' managers and employees. The Association is a non-profit organization (Org. No. 802014-3320) which, together with the Swedish state, is the principal of the Institute for Quality Development (SIQ). The Association's task is to enter into and maintain agreements with the Swedish state regarding the activities of SIQ, and to legally and in other respects represent the Association's members in matters relating to the said Institute. The Association has its seat in Gothenburg.

§ Article 2 Membership

Membership in the Association is open to organizations operating in Sweden, which pay a service fee to SIQ.

§ Article 3 Membership fee

Members pay an annual fee which is set at the annual meeting of the association. The board can decide on exceptions if there are special reasons. 

§ Section 4 Composition and working methods of the Board

The affairs of the Association are managed by a Board of Directors consisting of the President and Vice-President and at least three other members. At least two alternates are also elected to the Board. 

The Board appoints from among its members, with the exception of the Chair and Vice-Chair, such functions as it deems necessary. 

The Chairman of the Board and two other representatives of the Association (members), appointed at the Annual General Meeting, are members of the Board of the Institute for Quality Development. An alternate is appointed for them. 

The Board meets when the Chairperson considers it necessary or when at least three members so request. A quorum is constituted when more than half of the members are present. In the absence of an ordinary member, he or she is replaced by an alternate present. 

The work of the Board and the meetings are aligned with SIQ and the planning cycle and work of the SIQ Main Board.

The Association's day-to-day operations and administration are handled by SIQ , which also acts as the secretariat for the Board. 

§ Article 5 Annual meeting

The Annual General Meeting shall be held each year before the end of June at a place in Sweden decided by the Board. Notice shall be sent to members at least 14 days in advance. The financial year runs from the annual meeting in June to the next annual meeting in June the following year. At the annual meeting, each member company has one vote.

The annual meeting shall include the following items 

a) Question on the statutory announcement of the annual meeting

b) Election of the Chairman of the meeting and two verifiers.

(c) the report of the Management Board for the past financial year

d) The auditors' report and the question of discharge from liability for the Board.

e) Election of the President

f) Election of the Vice-President

(g) determination of the number of other members and alternates of the Board of Directors

h) Election of other members and alternates of the Board of Directors

i) Election of two members and three alternates to the Board of the Institute for Quality Development

j) Election of two auditors and two deputy auditors.

k) Election of the Nomination Committee

l) Setting the fee for the Institute for Quality Development

m) Other matters submitted by the Board or notified in writing by a member to the Board at least one week before the annual meeting.

§ Article 6 Extraordinary General Meeting

An extraordinary general meeting is held when the board of directors considers it necessary or when at least one third of the members of the association request it. 

§ Article 7 Exclusion of a member

The Board decides on the expulsion of a member from the association. 

§ Article 8 Amendment of the Statutes and dissolution

A decision to amend these Statutes or to dissolve the Association shall require a two-thirds majority of the member companies present at two successive meetings of members, one of which shall be the annual meeting. A decision on the dissolution of the Association shall also determine how the assets shall be disposed of.

Information, policies and guidelines beyond the statutes

Application and admission as a member can take place at any time during the year. Membership covers the organization's employees in Sweden who thus have the opportunity to participate in various member activities.

In order to facilitate the exchange of experience and bilateral contacts, the main contact person of each member organization is given access to a member's directory with information on the main contact persons of other members. Members undertake not to use these contact details for their own marketing or sales of products and services.

Membership runs according to the calendar year and until further notice from the date the organization is accepted as a member unless otherwise agreed. In the event of admission during the current calendar year, the remaining months of the year will be invoiced.

(Membership until the annual meeting in 2024 had a different duration. The transition for existing members will gradually follow the calendar year and is done as below:
Memberships expiring June-Sep will pay the service fee for the remainder of the year 2024, and will be billed in December for the year 2025. Memberships expiring Oct-Dec 2024 will be billed for the remaining part of 2024 and 2025 at the same time. Membershipsthat expire Jan-June 2025 are billed for the remainder of 2025 for that calendar year. As of June 2025, all memberships have a calendar year term and as of January 1, 2026, all memberships are billed for the full year with a calendar year term. Invoicing will continue to take place every year in December.)

Withdrawal from the association must be notified to SIQ no later than three months before the end of the period (i.e. for new members this means no later than 30 September). Otherwise, a fee corresponding to a quarter of the current annual fee will be charged. The amount of the fee is indexed with a reconciliation against the base amount and is decided at the association's annual meeting. There will be no indexation during the financial year 2024/2025.

Membership requires a business that has employees based in Sweden.

It refers primarily to the entire organization's activities and employees.

  • Private companies and subsidiaries or equivalent that are part of a group but at the same time separate legal entities can apply for their own membership, i.e. regardless of whether the whole group is a member or not.
  • Commercial municipal and regional companies are not covered by the membership of a municipality or region. As their own legal entities, such companies apply for their own membership.
  • Universities and colleges apply for membership on the same terms as other organizations and companies.