Designatory Letters Policy
Which letters belong to each grade, how and when they may be used, and how IIoET protects them.
- Reference
- IIOET-POL-0010
- Version
- 1.0
- Issued
- 8 October 2026
- Approved by
- Board of IIOET Limited
- Classification
- Public
1. Purpose
IIoET’s designatory letters tell the public that the holder has been assessed against a published standard and is held to the Code of Conduct (IIOET-COD-0005). This policy sets out which letters belong to which grade, how they are used, when they may and may not be used, and how IIoET protects them.
2. The letters
| Grade | Letters | How awarded |
|---|---|---|
| Student Affiliate | None | Open grade |
| Affiliate | None | Open grade |
| Associate Member | AMIIoET | Assessed |
| Member | MIIoET | Assessed |
| Fellow | FIIoET | Assessed by panel |
| Senior Fellow | SFIIoET | Assessed by panel |
| Honorary Fellow | HonFIIoET | Conferred by IIoET |
Student Affiliates and Affiliates may describe themselves as a “Student Affiliate of IIoET” or an “Affiliate of IIoET” but do not use designatory letters. Corporate membership carries no letters, and no individual may use letters by virtue of their employer’s Corporate membership.
3. Form of use
3.1 Letters are written after the holder’s name, without full stops and with the capitalisation shown above, for example “Alex Smith MIIoET”.
3.2 Where a holder also uses letters from other bodies, IIoET’s letters may be placed in whatever order the holder normally uses, but must not be combined with or merged into other letters.
3.3 A member uses the letters of their current grade only, subject to section 6 for Honorary Fellows. On upgrading, the letters of the previous grade are no longer used; a Fellow, for example, writes FIIoET and not MIIoET FIIoET.
3.4 Letters may be used wherever a professional would normally use them, including on correspondence, business cards, email signatures, websites, professional profiles and publications.
4. Current membership
4.1 Letters may be used only while membership at the corresponding grade is current, which means that the annual fee has been paid, the member has renewed and reaffirmed the Code of Conduct, and the membership is not suspended.
4.2 The public register on iioet.org is the authority on who holds a grade. Anyone may use it to verify a holder’s letters.
5. When the right to use letters ends
5.1 Lapse. If membership lapses through non-renewal, the right to use the letters ends on the date of lapse. Letters used before lapse need not be withdrawn from material already published, but must not be used in anything new. A member whose membership lapsed less than twelve months earlier may be reinstated at the same grade, without reassessment, by paying the fee for the current year and making the CPD declaration, and the right is restored on reinstatement. After twelve months, the person reapplies.
5.2 Resignation. On resignation, the right to use the letters ends on the date the resignation takes effect.
5.3 Suspension. While membership is suspended, whether as an interim measure or a sanction under the Complaints and Disciplinary Procedure (IIOET-PRC-0007), the letters must not be used. The member removes them from current material, such as online profiles and email signatures, as soon as reasonably possible.
5.4 Expulsion and withdrawal. On expulsion, or where the right to use letters is withdrawn as a sanction, the letters must not be used again and must be removed from current material as soon as reasonably possible.
5.5 In each case, IIoET updates the public register and revokes any related digital badge.
6. Honorary Fellows
Honorary Fellows use HonFIIoET in the same form as other letters, for example “Alex Smith HonFIIoET”. Honorary Fellowship is held for life, and the Board may withdraw it where the holder’s conduct would breach the Code of Conduct. An Honorary Fellow who also holds an assessed grade may use both sets of letters, with the letters of the assessed grade first, for example “Alex Smith FIIoET HonFIIoET”, because Honorary Fellowship is conferred rather than earned by assessment.
7. Use of IIoET’s name and logo by members
Members may state their grade and refer to IIoET by name in describing their professional standing, for example “Member of IIoET”. Members may display the digital badge issued to them for their grade, on its own and unaltered. Members do not otherwise reproduce the IIoET logo. No member may use IIoET’s name or logo in a way that suggests IIoET endorses a product, service or organisation, or that the member speaks for IIoET, unless authorised.
8. Trade mark protection
IIoET intends to register its designatory letters as trade marks, so that it can act against their unauthorised use. Until registration is complete, IIoET relies on its other legal rights and on the Code of Conduct to protect them.
9. Misuse
9.1 Misuse includes using letters without holding the corresponding grade, using letters after the right to do so has ended, using the letters of a higher grade, or presenting letters in a way that misleads.
9.2 Misuse by a member is a breach of the Code of Conduct and is handled under the Complaints and Disciplinary Procedure (IIOET-PRC-0007).
9.3 Misuse by a non-member is addressed first by asking the person to stop. IIoET may take further action, including legal action where it has the rights to do so.
9.4 Anyone who believes letters are being misused can tell IIoET at contact@iioet.org.