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About the BCS Berkshire Branch
The Berkshire Branch has over 700 members and holds monthly meetings
from September to May; non-members are always welcome and details can
be found in the computer press and on the web.
About the BCS
As the industry body for IT professionals, and a Chartered Engineering
Institution for Information Technology (IT), the BCS exists to provide
service and support to the IT community, including IT practitioners and
employers of IT practitioners.
Formed in 1957, the Society now operates under a Royal Charter granted
in 1984 which requires it, amongst other things, to:
".... promote the study and practice of Computing and to advance
knowledge therein for the benefit of the public"
The BCS is also an Engineering Institution, fully licensed by the
Engineering Council to nominate Chartered and Incorporated Engineers
and to accredit university courses and training schemes.
Information Systems Engineering
Computerised information systems have developed rapidly since they made
their first appearance in the 1950's. That growth has been particularly
rapid in recent years and computers are now involved in almost every
aspect of human activity. The quality of information systems is a major
factor determining the prosperity, even the survival of business
organisations, the strength of national economies and, in an ever
increasing number of situations, the physical safety of the general
public. It is clear that this dependency on the computer will continue
to increase for the foreseeable future and, as we start into the 21st
century, it is essential that the work of designing, building and
maintaining information systems should be in the hands of qualified,
competent professionals working to clearly defined, appropriate
standards.
The BCS - what does it do?
The essential requirement for professional competence coupled with
appropriate professional standards lies at the heart of almost all the
activity of the BCS and the services which we provide.
The Society is a professional body and a learned society with a wide
range of activities designed to support the IS community both in the UK
and overseas, including:
* accrediting individual professional competence and
integrity through the award of our professional qualifications and
those of the Engineering Council;
* defining standards for professional conduct
through our codes of conduct and practice and the associated
disciplinary procedures;
* advising the UK Government and its agencies on
IS-related matters included in proposed legislation. Where necessary,
the BCS sponsors legislation itself, for example the Computer Misuse
Act 1990;
* examining and initiating debate on topical IS
issues such as safety critical systems, software certification,
intellectual property rights, computer pornography and the year 2000
date change problem;
* representing the profession on issues of
importance, liaising with other professional bodies, including other
engineering institutions, overseas informatics societies and make
representations to Government and to the European Commission;
* setting standards for education and training,
through the BCS examination and by inspection and accreditation of
university courses and company training schemes;
* providing opportunities for networking through the
activities of the branch and specialist group networks;
The Society in Europe
In 1989 the Society helped to found the Council of European
Professional Informatics Societies (CEPIS) through which it gains
access to the European Commission; CEPIS is currently working through
the ECDL Foundation to promote the European Computer Driving License.
The BCS is the UK member of the International Federation for
Information Processing (IFIP).
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