Shipowners specialising in managing their own ships face exactly the same problems as ship managers. So the benefits of ISMA member apply equally to shipowners.
ISMA Membership
Applicants for ISMA membership aspire to be admitted either as ship managers or as crew managers. In either case, they must first be admitted as probationary, members as explained below.
Ship Managers
Ship manager membership is open to shipowners or ship managers responsible for the full technical management of at least one vessel in international trade. Ship manager membership involves certification under the ISMA three part Code of Shipmanagement Standards and the annual maintenance of such certification.
Crew Managers
Crew manager membership is open to crew or manning managers providing the entire complement of officers and crew for at least one vessel. Crew manager membership entails certification under the two parts of the ISMA Code of Shipmanagement Standards which apply to crew managers and maintaining such certification annually.
Probationary Members
Both ship managers and crew managers wishing to join ISMA will be admitted as probationary members, and must undertake to achieve full ISMA Code certification within 18 months of admission. Their progress will be monitored on a six monthly basis and must demonstrate consistent development. Assistance is available on the ISMA help line or through the Audit.
ISMA Structure
There are two main committees and three correspondence groups that tackle issues that are important to ship managers and crew managers.
Committees
The day to day activities of ISMA are entrusted to the elected Executive Committee, whose members, seven to ten in number, serve for two years. The committee meets some three times a year and guides the policy of the organisation between Annual General Meetings.
Responsibility for ensuring that the ISMA code of Shipmanagement Standards remains up-to-date and the highest quality rests with the Code Committee. The committee, which meets two or three times a year as circumstances require, agrees revisions to the Code as part of the process of keeping it fully in tune with changes in the ship management industry. The Code Committee also takes advice from the Audit Body on the application of the Code.
