The Association for Colleges started this week to consult its members on whether there should be a single body to speak for the sector.

The association believes that the Colleges Employers Forum, whose task is negotiating pay and conditions, is also taking on tasks that belong to the association.

"The understanding the AFC had, and we believed the broad majority of colleges had with the AFC and the CEF, was that the CEF would be restricted to pay and conditions matters. CEF has not adhered to that," said an AFC spokesman.

"Our view is that the interests of the sector are not served by fragmentation but by unification or clarification of roles."

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The consultation comes at a time when the association's 375 members are being asked to sign up for another year. So far just over 300 have agreed. It proposes several possible next steps, including letting market forces prevail, clarifying the two bodies' separate roles, a merger, or the establishent of a confederative body, taking in the sixth-form sector.

As part of its mission to speak for colleges, the AFC is also drafting a Manifesto for Further Education which will sum up "needs and wants within colleges" and be sent to the Government, political parties and trade unions.

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The Association of Principals of Sixth Form Colleges has shown little interest in the debate. It has a collaborative relationship with the Sixth Form Colleges Employers Forum, which settles pay and conditions. "We have two annual meetings and a joint autumn conference and there is a lot of liaison between us but the roles are clearly defined," said administrator Barbara Longford.

"Anything to do with governors would come from APVIC because that would be considered the professional development side and our employers' forum is concerned with employment matters," she said.

* The continuing overlap between the groups was demonstrated this week with the publication of ethical codes by both the AFC and the CEF. A CEF model code of conduct for corporation members was followed by the AFC's draft statement of ethical principles for further education.

The CEF code is a blueprint for college governors' behaviour while the AFC's document covers more general standards for governors, principals, employees, students and "education partners" - schools and rival colleges. Both cover key issues such as collective responsibility and a register of interests.

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The CEF advises: "It is unethical for members publicly to criticise, canvass or reveal the views of other members which have been expressed at meetings of the corporation."

The AFC says: "Individual governors should only make public statements on behalf of the college when authorised by the governing body or its chairman."