Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct

SM Thacker & Associates are a closed, group of independent, international consultants of long and high standing, with a proven record of management consultancy and training. We also view our main strengths as being independent, objective and having high personal and professional integrity. We have demonstrated to three separate professional Institutions and over 150 clients over 15 years that we possess and are able to apply all these qualities.

Work (and tendering for work) by us will be undertaken under the following code of ethics & professional conduct:

This code is in seven parts:

Lawful & ethical endeavour
World class standards of service to the client
Competence, Professionalism & Integrity
Independence
Objectivity
Respect for Confidentiality & Intellectual Property
An ongoing commitment to ethical standards and the United Nations Global Compact

1. Lawful & ethical endeavour

We will not bid for work which we view as unethical or unlawful. If this were discovered later we will extract ourselves from the situation immediately without compensation and report the matter to the appropriate authorities.
We will not bid for work for which a potential conflict of interest is likely to arise. Notwithstanding this condition:
- Should a potential conflict of interests arise during the course of an assignment this will be reported immediately to our existing client.
- We will immediately disclose to a client:
  - any interest in any business in competition with the client interests
  - any personal investment in the client organisation or its parent or any subsidiary company or a competitor to the client
  - any work for a third party on the opposite side of a transaction (customer / supplier)
  - any personal relationship with any individual in the client's employ
- But we will not accede to any "restraint of trade" as a condition of purchase
We will not accept discounts, hospitality, commissions or gifts as an inducement to show favour to any person or organisation, nor attempt to obtain advantage by giving financial or other inducements to clients or client’s staff. (We do however provide trivial rewards for amusement and in recognition of observed excellence during the execution of our projects and training.) (See Focused Improvement Systems Note F: Rewards & Punishment)
We will negotiate fees and charges for professional services only in a manner approved as ethical and professional. We will withdraw immediately if we see clients attempting to procure our services in an unethical or unprofessional way.
National laws will be respected.
We declare ourselves to be:
- solvent
- fit and proper persons, and of good reputation and character
- without any criminal convictions
- free from censure by regulatory authority
- free from any third party influence

2. World class standards of service to the client

Our raison d'être is to provide a world class standard of service to our clients. In this respect we constantly strive in our work and our research to:

Seek feedback
Benchmark ourselves and the deliverables from our projects against "best in class". (See Achievable Benchmarks)
Focused improvement of our competence, knowledge, practical experience and grounded methodologies contained within our products and services based on our research, benchmarks and feedback
Provide truthful, accurate, relevant and complete information
We will prepare estimates for a proposal on the basis of the fullest possible disclosure, giving the client the clearest possible view of the nature and scope of the work and changes in operational processes expected and required to meet the clients aspirations. (At this point we will also take care to identify and highlight potential hazards insofar as these can be foreseen.)
We will formally agree with the client the scope, nature and deliverables of the services to be provided and the basis of remuneration in advance of commencing the work; any subsequent revisions will be subject to prior discussion and agreement with the client. For work of fixed scope we will provide fixed prices.
Participate in project management and ensure that the client is kept fully informed about the progress of the assignment.
Act with courtesy and consideration toward the individuals contacted in the course of an assignment.
Employ an education led approach. I.e. an ongoing commitment to teaching clients how to do it (rather than doing it for them). (See Previous Best Practice B002: Education & Training.)

Our only measures of our performance are:

customer satisfaction;
exceeding our project / training objectives;
adherence to this code.

3. Competence, Professionalism & Integrity

The personal qualities required to carry out our duties are:

objectivity, impartiality and independence
relevant depth and breadth of knowledge
consulting skills
practical experience
technical expertise

In this respect:

We do not bid for work outside our sphere of competence.
We will not make false or misleading claims regarding our competence (or omit relevant facts).
We will when publicising work or making representations to a client shall ensure that the information given is:
- factual and relevant
- neither misleading nor unfair to others
- not otherwise discreditable or contravenes any other terms of our code
We will provide references from other clients if requested.
We have respect for the professional obligations of others.
When more than one management consultant is employed by the client, will ensure that any potential conflict between the consultants is bought to the attention of the client.
When required by a client to review the work of another professional, will exercise objectivity, integrity, and independence in conclusions communicated to the client.
We will not invite nor encourage any employee of a client for whom we are working to consider alternative employment, unless it is the purpose of the assignment.

4. Independence

In this respect we exercise independence of thought and action.

We do not subcontract.
We have no personal, commercial or financial relationships with any organisation other than our direct clients and no personal, commercial, or financial interest in third party goods or services which may be recommended or supplied to the client.
We do not use agents.
We do not pay commissions.

5. Objectivity

In this respect we:

Will make certain that advice, solutions and recommendations are based on thorough impartial consideration and analysis of all available facts and relevant experience and are realistic, practicable and clearly understood by the client. (This will include the client’s ability to absorb the recommendations & likelihood of success of the adoption of the recommendations.)
Deal with management problems in perspective and give well balanced advice (including options).
Will advise the client of any significant reservations we may have about the client’s expectations of benefits from an engagement.
Will not indicate any short term benefits at the expense of the long term welfare of the client without advising the client of the implications.
- Will remain sympathetic to, but detached from, local, short term, interests, (unless it is the objective of the assignment)
Will disclose at the earliest opportunity any special relationships circumstances or business interests which might influence or impair or could be seen by the client or others to influence or impair our judgement or objectivity on a particular assignment.
Provide low cost developments (and subsequent management processes), appropriate to the need which are:
- Effective (It works)
- Competitive (It is better than the competition)
- Adapting (It is responding to internal and external stimuli)
- Innovating (It is improving in a systematic way to remain ahead).
- (See Previous Best Practice B013: Management)

6. Respect for Confidentiality & Intellectual Property

We fully respect the confidentiality and intellectual property of our clients, as we also expect them to respect our own and we:

Hold the affairs of their client in strict confidence in perpetuity (We will not publish information from which the client could be identified without their permission.) (Much of our substantial body of published work is obviously based on our experiences, but we take considerable care to not reveal or imply clients' identity.)
Will not use any confidential information about a client’s affairs elicited during the course of an assignment for personal benefit, nor the benefit of others;
Will not disclose in any engagements or potential engagements, in a similar area of work, any confidential information from past or competitive clients;
Do not permit Insider trading;
When required or appropriate we will make specific provision to preserve the privacy of client’s information;
- However we will automatically delete, or securely dispose of, or return to the client, all paper & electronically held data at the end of the assignment.
We will not accept any condition of purchase which transfers intellectual property rights from one to another or to share intellectual property unless this is the expressed intent of the project;
Specifically we do not permit the transfer of ours or our client's intellectual property to third parties unless this is the expressed intent of the project.

7. Ongoing Commitment to ethical Standards

& the United Nations Global Compact which has helped us formulate these underlying principles. We will act with due regard to ethical standards at all times in respect of:

Health & Safety
Human rights
Labour
Environment
Anti-corruption

______________________________________________________

Bookmarks for this topic above:

Our full range of training

Relevant Training / Workshops

Relevant Further Reading

Top

To discuss your consulting or training needs with one of our independent consultants or trainers please Contact Us

Whilst great care has been taken to provide relevant, accurate, practical, advice based on our considerable process design and development experience, this will almost certainly require interpretation into the context of your unique business. Please be careful in doing so and if in doubt seek expert advice. We would welcome your feedback!

SM Thacker & Associates

Independent Best Practice Training & Consultancy

Highlights of our full range of training courses / Workshops:

Bookmarks for this topic below:

Relevant Training Course / In-house Workshop Highlights:

Relevant Further Reading: The following further articles were mentioned in this paper:

Code of Ethics & Professional Conduct