The Public Interest Safeguard
The interests of your clients provided that they do not conflict with the duties and loyalties owed to the community, its laws and social and political institutions. In performing work for a client your priority should be to satisfy that client’s needs and to meet the specifications to which you are committed. If, however, in meeting these requirements you are forced to breach law or inflict damage upon a third party, then you are professionally responsible to make the client aware of these consequences and agree on an alternative course of action.
Integrity
Do not breach public trust in the profession or the specific trust of your clients and employers. Observance of utmost honesty and integrity must underlie all your professional decisions and actions. Circumstances will undoubtedly arise during the course of your professional career where it may appear to be beneficial for you to deceive your client in some way. The resultant short term gain from this type of behavior is not acceptable professional practice, nor is it worth eroding the confidence and trust that is built up over the longer term.
Confidentiality
You must not disclose information acquired in the course of your professional work except where consent has been obtained from the rightful legal owner or where there is a legal or professional duty to disclose. This is applicable to most professions, but it is particularly applicable to you as professional as you are likely to have access to clients’ information due to the nature of your work. You should be aware that information is the property of the client, and must not be distributed freely or used for your personal advantage or that of a third party without the client’s consent.
Objectivity and Independence
Be objective, impartial and free of conflicts of interest in the performance of your professional duties.
In each professional assignment undertaken, you must be seen to be free of any interest which is incompatible with objectivity. Always make sure you are aware of your client’s objectives and the benefits he/she is looking for, and be careful not to lose objectivity created by the latest development technology or by the desire to promote your own product.
In the situation where a conflict exists between two or more clients, a full and frank explanation and disclosure of the conflict should be made to the clients.
Competence
Accept only such work as you believe you are competent to perform and do not hesitate to obtain additional expertise from appropriately qualified individuals where advisable.
You should always be aware of your own limitations and not knowingly imply that you have competence you do not possess. This, of course, is distinct from accepting a task of which the successful completion requires expertise additional to your own. You cannot possibly be knowledgeable on all facets of Information Technology but you should be able to recognize when you need additional expertise and information.
Keeping Up-To-Date
Keep yourself, and subordinates, informed of such new programs, practices and standards as are relevant to your duties.
Others will expect you to provide professional special skills and advice; and in order to do so, you must keep your knowledge up-to-date. This is true for members of all professions, but particularly so in all areas which is developing and changing rapidly. You must also encourage your staff and colleagues to do the same, for it is impossible to retain one’s professional standing by relying only on the state of one’s knowledge and competence at the time professional status is achieved.
Subordinates
Ensure subordinates are trained in order to be effective in their duties and to qualify for increased responsibilities.
Take action to ensure that your hard gained knowledge and experience are passed on in such a way that those who receive it not only improve their own effectiveness in their present positions but also become keen to advance their careers and take on additional responsibilities.
Responsibility to Your Team
Actively seek opportunities for increasing efficiency and effectiveness to the benefit of the team members.
Whatever the precise terms of your brief, you should always be aware of the environment surrounding it and not work solely towards completion of the defined task. You must regard it as part of your duty to make your team members aware of other needs that emerge, unsatisfactory procedures that need modification and benefits that might be achieved. You, as a professional, should take into account the relevance of new methods and should always be looking for the possibility of additional benefits not foreseen when the project was planned.