PROCEDURES FOR THE ASSESSMENT OF ESTABLISHED GROUPS WISHING TO BECOME A PART OF THE IPA WITHOUT FIRST BECOMING A STUDY GROUP 
 
1. It may be possible for a group to become a Provisional Society without first being a Study Group. These applications will be considered by the Applicant Societies Committee (ASC). This subcommittee of the ING is a permanent committee dedicated to evaluating but also reflecting upon deepening and perfecting the process of the evaluation of new applicant groups. It is envisaged that the minimum length of time between application and approval of Provisional Society status will be 2 years. The principle behind the process is one of openness and fairness, with lucid carefulness and with the goal of evaluating every situation on its own merit. The IPA wishes to be a growing, international home for competent psychoanalysts and thriving psychoanalysis. 
 
2. Appointment of the Applicant Societies Committee (ASC): This Committee will be comprised of a Chair and 3 members, one from each IPA Region. The President will appoint the Chair and members of this Committee in consultation with the Chair of the ING Committee with the approval of the Board 
 
3. Criteria for membership of the ASC: Members of this committee shall be senior IPA Members in good standing. They should be Training Analysts or at a similar level with institutional and educational experience. Between the 3 members of the Committee there should be a detailed knowledge of the models recognised by the IPA.  
 
4. Mandate of the ASC Committee: 
 
a. Establishing that a group is eligible to be visited based on the application documents and answers to any subsequent questions from the ASC as felt necessary. A list of the types of questions that might be asked is included as appendix 1 of this document. 
 
b. Informing and consulting with any contiguous Constituent Organisations regarding the suitability and advisability of the group’s request to be considered as an Applicant Society. (This requirement is subject to restrictions in the United States of America – see Procedures on the Development of New Psychoanalytic Groups (paragraph 14)). 
 
c. Meeting the criteria set out in paragraph 4 below is not in itself sufficient to ensure that a Developing  Committee will be established, and in reaching a decision the ASC will take into account factors such as the amount of IPA resources available to develop a group, the relative priority of this application compared to other applications (no matter in what order received) including, for example, the availability of appropriately skilled and experienced IPA Members who are willing to support the development etc. 
 
d. Should it be apparent to the ASC that a group is not ready for assessment of Provisional Society status, the Chair may inform the applicant group of this and ask them to consider whether they wish to apply for IPA Study Group or Allied Centre status. If the applicant group agrees, the Chair should refer the group to the ING Committee. If the applicant group disagrees and the ASC is convinced that the applicant group is not ready for Provisional Society status, the ASC will inform the group of this and its reasons; 
 
e. Recommending the appointments of Developing Committees and Liaison Committees when necessary and proposing appropriately experienced names for such Committees (in conjunction with the ING Committee Chair and relevant ING Co-Chair). 
 
f. Informing the applicant group that, should it be decided that the group is eligible to begin the Development process, the IPA will pay the cost of the initial visit and the group will be expected to pay all costs of subsequent visits, that is, travel, accommodation, and subsistence.  
 
g. Advising the ASC Developing Committee and ASC Liaison Committees throughout the process, keeping in regular contact via conference call or other means of remote communication. 
 
h. In the case that a Development Committee is recommended and established, ensuring that the views of any contiguous existing Constituent Organisations are included in the Developing report.  
 
i. Encouraging and facilitating existing Constituent Organisations to engage on an institutional level with the applicant group.
 
j. Ensuring due process has been carried out at each stage of the procedure and making recommendations to the IPA Board based on the information provided by the Developing and Liaison Committees (in consultation with the ING Chair and relevant regional Co-Chair). 
 
5. Conditions for application: A group which has not been an IPA Study Group may apply to the IPA to be an IPA Provisional Society if it meets the following criteria: 
 
a. Has an organisational history exceeding ten years, including the training of psychoanalysts. 
 
b. Is composed of at least 10 IPA Members (or ten analysts who would be eligible for assessment for IPA status under the IPA’s Equivalency Criteria), at least four of whom must be recognised as competent to conduct training analyses. 

c. must be competent to further the objects of the IPA.
d. must comply with the IPA’s Rules, Procedural Code, including the IPA Ethics Code, and applicable criteria, including those for training and qualifying persons for the practice of psychoanalysis.

e. must have attained incorporation as a membership organisation, when possible, under the laws of its territory. In jurisdictions that distinguish between business and not-for-profit corporations and allow choice, an IPA Constituent Organisation shall be a not-for-profit corporation. 

f. must be legally registered independently from any other body. 
 
 
6. Required Documentation for application: Applications should be sent to the Chair of the ASC by email copied to the London office. The following information is required in English: 
 
a. a letter from the head of the applicant group requesting the IPA to consider the group for IPA Provisional Society status, and stating whether all or only some of the group’s members are applying for IPA membership.
 
b. a statement (as set out in Appendix 2) signed by all members of the applicant group interested in joining the IPA.
 
c. details of the applicant group’s history, organisation, and activities, including all documentation on the status of the applicant group such as its certificate of incorporation or equivalent, and its constitution and bylaws or equivalent document and Ethical Code.
 
d. details of any education and training programmes currently being offered by the applicant group (there can be no guarantee that training done before IPA affiliation will be granted IPA status).
 
e. details of the finances of the applicant group, including a copy of its accounts, if available.
 
f. groups must supply the curriculum vitae of a sufficient number of members that the group considers are most qualified to meet the membership criteria under the IPA’s Equivalency Procedures. This number should be at least 10 when added to the number of any existing IPA Members in the group. At least 4 of these initial 10 must be considered eligible for training analyst status.
 
g. in addition to this, the group must supply a list of names of all others wishing to apply for IPA status and membership in the potential IPA Provisional Society. Except in exceptional circumstances, all of these prospective members will be assessed for IPA Membership, and Training Analyst status where applicable, during the visits of the Developing Committee in an order arranged by the group.  
 
The Curriculum Vitae should include details on education and psychoanalytic training received, membership and professional activities, practice profile, publications and presentations, and administrative and committee responsibilities in the applicant group.  
 
Any additional applicants not included in the assessment process will be assessed for IPA Membership by the group itself, under the guidance of the Liaison Committee, once it has achieved the status of Provisional Society.  
 
7. Appointment of a Developing Committee: The ASC Chair, in consultation with the ING Chair, may recommend to the President that a Developing Committee be appointed to visit the applicant group. The President will appoint the Chair and members of this Committee in consultation with the Chair of the ING Committee with the approval of the Board. 

The costs of this initial visit must be approved in advance by the Treasurer (or by the Executive Committee if they are projected to exceed US$5k).  
 
8. Criteria for membership of a Developing Committee: Members of such committees shall be senior IPA Members in good standing. They will normally be Training Analysts or at a similar level, unless the expertise and experience of a member who is not a Training Analyst is required for non-training or non-institute matters. No committee shall have fewer than two Members, and it may have more according to its specific mandate. Members of committees shall be from different Constituent Organisations but, to avoid excessive costs, they should normally be selected from areas which are geographically close to the group being visited. They must be well versed in the training model adopted by the group being visited.  
 
9. The mandate of the Developing Committee is (the ASC may include additional points to this list based on the information supplied by the group in the initial stages of the application): 
 
a. to inform the applicant group of the IPA’s standards, procedures, and requirements from inception to appointment as a Component Society, including the IPA’s Rules and the relevant sections from the IPA’s Procedural Code (e.g. the Ethics Code).
 
b. to confirm how many of the group’s members are applying for IPA membership.
 
c. to confirm that the group understands that it will be expected to pay for all further visits of the Developing Committee and any subsequent visits by a Liaison Committee. 
 
d. to review all the information provided by the group (see paragraph 6 (above)), to ensure that it is complete and accurate, and to ensure, at the end of the initial visit, that the group still wishes to proceed with its application.  
 
e. to assess the members of the applicant group whose Curriculum Vitae were submitted with the application, under the IPA’s Equivalency Procedures and recommend to the Board such applicant group members as it considers appropriately qualified as IPA Direct Members.
 
f. in the case of an application from a group which is already part of an IPA Constituent Organisation, to attempt to resolve the disagreements within the Constituent Organisation which have led to the application to avoid the sub-division of the Constituent Organisation in to separate groups.
 
g. to continue to consult with any affected or contiguous IPA Constituent Organisations in the service of facilitating development and integration of the Group within the same country.   
 
h. when possible and appropriate members of the existing Constituent Organisations within the same country may be asked to participate in the IPA Equivalency evaluation process. 
 
i. to ensure that the training conducted by the group meets IPA criteria, and that it has the capacity to conduct the organisational and educational functions of an Institute in an autonomous fashion and has graduated at least one candidate to IPA Membership criteria standards.
 
j. to observe the various aspects of the group’s day to day workings e.g., scientific, and general meetings, focussing particularly on group dynamics, with the goal of having a better understanding of the group’s functioning.
 
k. to review the group’s handling of past ethical issues, complaints, etc, and to determine whether there are any current matters of concern that might be relevant to the committee’s assessment of the group.
 
l. inform the group that the Developing Committee does not have the authority to handle or advise on the handling of ethical complaints against IPA members or candidates, and that any such complaints must be directly sent to the IPA’s Ethics Committee, or to the relevant Constituent Society if the accused is a member of a Constituent Society.
 
m. to prepare a report of each visit for the ASC covering each of the above issues and eventually recommend to the ASC whether the applicant group should be approved as an IPA Provisional Society. 
 
10. Report of the Developing Committee and IPA approval or rejection: The Developing Committee will report to the ASC, copied to the Chair of ING. If the Developing Committee recommends the group for Provisional Society status, the ASC will forward the report to the Executive Committee. The Executive Committee may consult the ASC and ING Chair and in turn may make a recommendation to the Board.  
 
11. Transition to Provisional Society status: The Board may: 
 
a. by two-thirds vote, approve interim Provisional Society status, which will lapse unless ratified by the next Business Meeting. 
 
b. reject the recommendation citing the reasons for doing so. 
 
12. Authority of the Provisional Society: A Provisional Society (Interim or otherwise) is authorised to train and qualify persons for the practice of psychoanalysis and conduct all its own affairs. 
 
13. Appointment of a Liaison Committee and its mandate: Once the group has been approved as an Interim Provisional Society the ASC will recommend the appointment of an ASC Liaison Committee. The ASC Liaison Committee will be appointed by the President with the consent of the Board and on advice from the Chair of ASC. The mandate for a Liaison Committee is: 
 
a. To continue to oversee the application of the IPA’s Equivalency Procedures.
 
b. To visit the Provisional Society at least once a year (or, if required, more frequently in the initial years).
 
c. To monitor and evaluate all aspects of the Provisional Society’s functioning.
 
d. To require the Provisional Society to revise any of its governance documents, procedures, standards, criteria, or activities where the Liaison Committee believes these fall short of IPA criteria, and to report to the Chair of ING in writing on each occasion it makes such a requirement.
 
e. To ensure the Society understands that the Liaison Committee does not have the authority to handle or advise on the handling of ethical complaints, and that any such complaints must be handled by the Society’s Ethics Committee or, if for some reason this is not possible, be sent to IPA’s Ethics Committee to ask for their assistance.
 
f. To recommend the Provisional Society for Component Society status at the appropriate time.
 
g. To ensure that the Constitution and Bylaws of the Provisional Society include the authority to enable the Society to expel a member should the need arise. 
 
h. To ensure the Group has made demonstrative efforts to communicate and consult with contiguous existing IPA organisations where applicable to facilitate integration and participation within the relevant country’s IPA context.  
 
These functions are to be exercised by the Liaison Committee and may not be carried out by the Provisional Society. 
 
14. Costs of Liaison Committees: The Provisional Society will pay all the costs of the visits of the Liaison Committee (i.e., travel, accommodation, and subsistence) – in exceptional circumstances, the IPA’s policy on Subsidies to Visiting Committees may be relevant.  
 
15. Reports of Liaison Committees: The Chair of each Liaison Committee will prepare a report in English to the Chair of ASC, copied to ING Chair and to the IPA office, following each visit. The Chair of ASC will consult the ING Chair and draw the Board’s attention to any matters of concern in the ING report to the Board meeting. The Chair of ING will inform the Chair of the ASC and the Chairs of Liaison Committees of any Board comments or actions resulting from these reports. Copies of Liaison Committee reports and any related papers will be made available to Board members on request. The Chair of ASC in consultation with the Chair of ING will inform the President immediately he or she receives Liaison Committee reports which give rise to matters of serious concern and not wait till the next Board meeting. 
 
16. Copying of Liaison Committee reports: Liaison Committee reports will not usually be copied to Provisional Societies. They may be copied to the Board, ING Chair and the IPA office unless there is a legal requirement to copy them to others. However, the Liaison Committee will inform the Provisional Society of the general contents of its reports (excluding confidential information on individuals) and discuss areas for improvement. The Liaison Committee will inform the Provisional Society that it does not have final authority regarding the Provisional Society, which lies ultimately with the Business Meeting. When in doubt, the Chair of the Liaison Committee should consult the Chair of the ASC. 
 
17. Application for Component Society status: A Provisional Society cannot normally be considered for Component Society status until at least four years from the Business Meeting’s approval of the Provisional Society (but, in exceptional circumstances, and where the Provisional Society contains a substantial majority of members who were previously IPA Members of IPA Component Societies, the Board may recommend Component Society status to the Business Meeting after two years from the Business Meeting’s approval of the Provisional Society). If the Liaison Committee agrees in principle that this requirement has been met, but subject to a final visit to prepare a report to the Board, the Provisional Society may apply for Component Society status provided it does so at least three months before the Business Meeting at which the application is to be considered. The application should be sent to the IPA office in English. In special circumstances, the ASC Chair may agree that the documents be submitted in French, German or Spanish. The application should include: 
 
a. a letter from the President of the Provisional Society requesting the IPA to consider the Group for IPA Component Society status. 
 
b. a statement (as set out in Appendix 2) signed by all members of the Provisional Society. 
 
c. A copy of the Society’s Constitution and Bylaws and Ethical Code. 
 
The ASC Chair will consult the ING Chair and the Chair of the Liaison Committee and may request the Liaison Committee to visit the Provisional Society to prepare a report to the Board, which should be delivered to the IPA office at least six weeks before the Business Meeting. 
 
18. Report by the Liaison Committee: To recommend the Provisional Society for Component Society status, the Liaison Committee’s report must demonstrate that: 
 
a. the Group has at least 10 IPA Members in good standing (see Appendix 3), at least four of whom are recognised as competent to conduct training analyses. 
 
b. The training conducted by the Provisional Society meets IPA criteria, and that it has the capacity to conduct the organisational and educational functions of an Institute in an autonomous fashion, including the graduation of candidates. 
 
c. the group provides an organized scientific life such that it fulfils the IPA’s goal of fostering the development and communication of psychoanalytic knowledge, given that its scientific life together with the training of candidates constitute the primary purpose of an IPA Constituent Organization. 
 
d. The quality of the Provisional Society’s Governance and administration is adequate to resolve professional and administrative problems, and that the Provisional Society complies with all other relevant IPA criteria, including the IPA’s Ethical Principles and Procedures. 
 
e. The Society is financially secure and is maintaining incorporation as a membership organisation when possible under the laws of the territory. In jurisdictions that distinguish between business and not-for-profit corporations and allow choice, an IPA Constituent Organisation shall be a not-for-profit corporation. 
 
19. Transition to a Component Society: If the Liaison Committee recommends the Provisional Society for Component Society status, the ASC Chair will forward the Liaison Committee report and recommendation to the Executive Committee, which may forward it to the Board. The Board may either: 
 
a. recommend the Provisional Society to the Business Meeting as a Component Society; or  
 
b. reject the application, giving its reasons. 
 
Change Log 
Approved by the Board July 2019 
New wording for paragraph 6.g) agreed by Executive Committee (on delegated authority from the Board), March 2020 
Amendments, approved December 2020: i) addition to the mandates for all ING Committees making it clear that the ING has no authority to advise on, assist with, or handle Ethical complaints, and ii) addition to the declaration form signed by applicant groups and groups applying for change of status to ensure that any legal proceedings are carried out in the UK under English law. 
 Amendments approved June 2023: to clarify when and how consultation with contiguous organisations happens 
 
*This change record is for background information only and does not form part of the Procedural Code. If there is any conflict between a statement in the Procedural Code and a statement in this change record, the change record will be disregarded. 
 
 

Appendix 1 
 

Example of the Types of Questions that may be asked of an Applicant Group 
1. What role does the personal analysis play? What is the rational for personal analysis and what is its aim? When does it start regarding training and when does it end? How are personal analysts appointed and with what skills? Is the success of the candidate's personal analysis, such as the quality of the personal analytic process they have been able to achieve, assessed at some point? 
 
2. What role does the treatment of cases under supervision play? What is the rationale for the clinical activity and what is its aim? Is there a governing rule for the number of patients treated, their characteristics (pathology, gender, etc), and length of treatment? 
 
3. What role does supervision play? What is the rationale for supervision and what is its aim? What skills are deemed relevant to become a supervisor and how are supervisors appointed? How long does supervision last and how is the end decided? Who assesses the candidate’s reports on the progression of supervised cases? Are supervisors assessed and if so, what is the procedure for this and who carries it out?  
 
4. What is the role of theoretical and clinical seminars? What is the rationale for the theoretical and clinical seminars and what is their aim? What is their general 
content and who leads them? How are the leaders appointed? How are their quality and capacity to reach their goals being assessed? 
 
5. How is progression during training being assessed? What is the rationale for assessing progression and why is it done as it is? What is required for a candidate to qualify? 
 
6. Are candidates encouraged to meet and have their own organisation? Do they participate in all scientific meetings of the Society? Do they have an opportunity to have their voices heard in the general assembly? Are they involved in the Society’s Committees? What is the reasoning behind the way that things are currently structured for candidates? 
 
7. What are the group’s expectations on becoming IPA society – what does the group hope to gain from joining the IPA i.e., what are the group’s aims. What are the potential problems e.g., does the entire group support the application or is it possible that the group may split after or during the process? 
 
8. Has the group considered how it would integrate into the broader IPA context within the area and Region? Has this included communication with affected and contiguous Constituent Organisations towards this end? 
 
 

Appendix 2 

 
Statement for signature by applicant groups 
 
The statement below should be signed by members of groups applying: 
a. to become a Provisional Society of the IPA, (see paragraph 6b above) 
b. To become a Component Society of the IPA, (see paragraph 17b above) 
all of whom are or are seeking to become Members of the IPA.  
 
____________________________________________________________________ 
 
Full name and address of the applicant group: 
 
 
We the members of the above group, and individually listed below, wish to apply for Provisional Society/Component Society (delete as appropriate) status within the International Psychoanalytical Association. The list below includes those who are or are seeking to become Members of the International Psychoanalytical Association. 
 
We all agree, as a condition of consideration as a Provisional Society/Component Society (delete as appropriate), that if approved for such status we will: 
 
1. Comply with the IPA’s Rules, Procedural Code, and any applicable IPA criteria, including, but not limited to: 
 
a. The IPA’s Ethical Principles and Procedures. 
 
b. The IPA’s Procedures for the Assessment of Large Applicant Societies. 
 
c. The IPA’s Procedures regarding groups which contain members who are not and do not currently plan to apply to become Members of the IPA. 
 
d. The IPA’s Procedures regarding the payment of IPA dues. 
 
2. Comply with the requests and requirements of the appointed Liaison Committee to the Provisional Society as outlined in the IPA’s Procedures on the Development of New Psychoanalytic Groups.  
 
3. Pay such costs as are requested by the IPA for the appointed Developing Committee and subsequent Liaison Committee to the Provisional Society.  
 
4. Agree that any litigation the group may undertake (or to which the group is a party) in connection with (i) the IPA or (ii) Membership of the IPA or (iii) any disciplinary action taken by the IPA in relation to the Group, will be in the High Court in London, England, which shall have sole jurisdiction over any legal disputes. The laws of England shall apply. 
 
List of members of the group who are or are seeking to become members of the IPA and their signatures