Future direction of the SSPM

On December 7, the SSPM Central Committee made an initial analysis of the results of the world-café organized at the October 2013 Presidents' Conference. Based on the principle of "collective wisdom", the world-café offered presidents the opportunity to express their views on important themes relating to the direction and structure of the SSPM (see RMS 12/2013). The following questions were addressed around four tables by groups of varying composition:

- What functions should the central committee perform and what should its composition be?
- How can we better integrate French-speaking Switzerland and Ticino at all levels, including communications?
- What do I expect from Swiss Musical Review?
- What should be the SSPM's priority tasks, and what objectives should it set for the short, medium and long term?

The observations made during these discussions are all the more important as the Central Committee is currently carrying out an extended analysis of the association's structure and finances. The concrete results of this analysis will be discussed at the 2014 Presidents' Conference.
The very constructive discussions at the world café gave rise to a host of proposals and reactions, both positive and critical, which can only be summarized here. This brief summary does, however, give an idea of the main topics discussed during the debate on the direction or reorientation of the association.
The central association must play an active role at national level
In view of the different forms of organization found among societies made up of regional sections, the question may arise as to the usefulness of a central SSPM association. Generally speaking, the Presidents' Conference believes that such an association is necessary. In its view, its main tasks should be political activities at national level, maintaining contacts with other Swiss associations, and drawing up a fundamental charter for the association as a whole.
Definition of the tasks of the central association and the sections
There is room for improvement in the division of tasks within the association. If sections and the central committee are to be able to carry out their work effectively and constructively at their respective levels, their competences and tasks need to be defined in a concerted manner. The participants would also like to see a more transparent presentation of competences and procedures within the central committee.
Private education: Swiss standards and infrastructure
In the field of private teaching, which is one of the SSPM's main areas of activity (e.g. through the publication of lists of teachers and indicative fees), a number of proposals were put forward to enable the association to make an even greater contribution to quality assurance and offer targeted tools to support teachers. For example, the SSPM could play a pioneering role in the formulation of national quality standards for private music teaching. This would provide a benchmark for teachers and students alike, and enable SSPM members to consolidate their position in the market. The drafting of an updated pedagogical charter was also envisaged. This should take account of the changed situation since the outsourcing of vocational training, and set new priorities. It would also be interesting to propose tools such as a Swiss concert calendar or a platform for renting classrooms and concert halls. An expanded discussion forum would also be an added benefit for members.
Representing Latin Switzerland on the central association
For some time now, Latin Switzerland has been under-represented on the central association. This problem was once again raised. It seems clear that for a national association, exchanges between different parts of the country are important, and that in the long term, the absence of representation from Latin Switzerland could have a lasting effect on cohesion within the association. In view of the practical difficulties involved (long journeys, workload, busy weekends, etc.), it was proposed to develop a more flexible form of collaboration on the central committee, for example by allowing sections to delegate different people to meetings. This solution would have the advantage of guaranteeing an exchange of views, while at the same time distributing the work among several people.
SSPM window in the Revue musicale: providing a forum for sections
Participants also discussed members' expectations of the Swiss Music Review in general, and the SSPM window in particular. The latter is seen as important, and sections would like to have more space available to publish their own topics and press releases from time to time. One suggestion was to create a forum available to sections on a rotating basis. The pre-planned allocation of windows for articles of a certain length would guarantee the participation of all sections, and give them sufficient time to choose and prepare a specific topic. At the same time, this solution would make it possible to publish more original articles from Latin Switzerland, which is considered highly desirable. The editor of the SSPM window will explore this idea further and submit concrete proposals to the sections.
Next steps
As mentioned in the introduction, this summary covers only a few of the key points discussed at the Presidents' Conference. The Committee will take the results of these discussions into account in its structural and financial analysis. The sections will of course be involved in this process. Presidents will receive the full presentations and written summaries of the discussions on the various topics. The Central Committee plans to set up working groups with the sections to analyze the numerous suggestions and draw up concrete proposals. To be continued.