Code of Professional Conduct and Professional Practice

Introduction

What is the Code?

One of the hallmarks of a profession is the commitment by its members to high standards of professional conduct. Members of the Australian Computer Society (the Society) should at all times maintain standards of conduct worthy of Information Technology (IT) professionals. By doing so, they will enhance their personal stature as IT professionals and help maintain the credibility and prestige of the IT profession. They will also secure the continuing acknowledgment of their professional merits by the community as a whole.

The Society's Code of Professional Conduct and Professional Practice is designed to provide members with authoritative guidance on acceptable standards of professional conduct and practice within the IT industry. The Code focuses on essential matters and is not intended to include a multitude of detailed rules. The Code should not, therefore, be narrowly interpreted. While it contains specific rules, it is equally important that the spirit of the rules should govern members' conduct.

Who is the Code intended for?

The Council of the Society recommends the Code for consideration by all who are involved in providing service in the field of Information Technology and who consider themselves a part of the Information Technology industry. The Code is not intended as a 'how-to' manual of tools and techniques, nor is it intended as a benchmark of standards which must be rigidly followed for certification purposes. Rather, the Code should be approached as a set of guidelines of acceptable standards of personal behaviour and methods of practice within the IT industry which should always be followed.

How should the Code be used?

The IT profession covers all occupations relevant to the development and operation of IT systems. The requirements statements in the Code have been chosen because they are generally applicable and important. In any given situation not all these requirements will be applicable, and additional requirements may be necessary. The IT professional should evaluate each requirement and accept and or adapt it as appropriate to individual circumstances.

Professional Conduct Versus Professional Practice The Code is divided into two main sections - the Code of Professional Conduct and the Code of Professional Practice .

The Code of Professional Conduct is aimed specifically at the individual IT professional, and is intended as a guideline for acceptable personal conduct for each IT professional practising in the industry. It is applicable to all IT professionals regardless of their role or specific area of expertise.

The Code of Professional Practice is intended as a guideline for acceptable methods of practice within the IT industry. Because of the rapidly changing nature of the IT industry and the wide variation in roles, this section of the Code is deliberately generic and concentrates on common areas encountered in the industry that are not influenced by hardware, software or organisation type.

Terminology

1. The Code refers throughout to 'you', the member, in order to demonstrate that a personal commitment is required by professional members of the Society.
2. 'Client' is any person, department or organisation for whom the member works, or undertakes to provide Information Technology related aid, in any way.
3. 'User' is any person, department or organisation served by Information Technology based systems.
4. 'System' means all applications involving the use of computers. The term does not imply any particular mode of processing. 'System' may be interpreted as encompassing non-computer procedures such as clerical, manual, communication and electromechanical processes.

Compliance with the Code is mandatory for Members of the Society.

Relevance to Law

The Code has relevance to the professional standards legislation. The IT professional should be aware that the Code's requirements, if applicable to a member's particular situation but not adhered to, could be grounds for an unsatisfied client claiming professional negligence. The Code may be quoted by an expert witness giving an assessment of whether certain conduct was good practice. A supplier may be asked to comment if, in its view, its product conforms with the Code. Failure to observe the Code could also lead to a disciplinary charge or complaint being made against the member by either another member of the Society or by any other person or client.

Assistance to Members

Members should, when in doubt as to the propriety of any course of action, and if the doubt cannot be resolved by reference to the Code of Professional Conduct and Professional Practice , seek the guidance of the Chief Executive Officer of the Society.

Acknowledgments

The Society wishes to acknowledge the valuable assistance provided by a number of members of the Society in preparing and commenting on the early drafts of this code, and also the assistance provided by the British Computer Society whose code along with the Society's former Code of Practice assisted with the task of formulating this Code.