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The role of ‘Ethics’ at CILIP as the professional body for the information, knowledge management & library sectors
Nick Poole, CEO, CILIP27/06/2016
Law
Ethics
Standards
Qualifications
Practice
Culture
Law
Ethics
Standards
Qualifications
Practice
Culture
Law
Ethics
Standards
Qualifications
Practice
Culture
Law
Ethics
Standards
Qualifications
Practice
Culture
Law
Ethics
Standards
Qualifications
Practice
Culture
Law
Ethics
Standards
Qualifications
Practice
Culture
UNREGULATED
Law
Ethics
Standards
Qualifications
Practice
Culture
UNREGULATED
SELF-REGULATED
Law
Ethics
Standards
Qualifications
Practice
Culture
UNREGULATED
SELF-REGULATED
REGULATED
Law
Ethics
Standards
Qualifications
Practice
Culture
UNREGULATED
SELF-REGULATED
REGULATED
In a self-regulated sector, our professional ETHICS become the guiding principles which lead policy & practice
What does ‘Ethics’ mean?
‘Ethics’ and ‘professional ethics’
• ‘Ethics’ in daily life refers to moral choice – balancing what you have a right to do and what is ‘right’ to do
• ‘Professional ethics’ refers to adherence to the values and principles of a Code of Professional Ethics and using these values and principles as the basis of good judgement
• All Ethics are subject to external norms – there is no ‘absolute’ morality, but rather a set of dominant principles that are defined by the social and professional context
CILIP’s current model
Ethical Principles
High-level values & principles
Code of Professional
Practice
Ethical Principles applied to ‘interested
parties’
Ethics Committee
Keeps the Principles under review & advises
on application
Royal Charter
Promotes Public Benefit
CILIP’s charitable purpose (as defined by our Royal Charter)
To work for the benefit of the public to promote education and knowledge through the establishment and development of libraries and information services and to advance information science (being the science and practice of the collection, collation, evaluation and organised dissemination of information).
Ethical Principles (p1.)
• Concern for the public good in all professional matters, including respect for diversity within society, and the promoting of equal opportunities and human rights.
• Concern for the good reputation of the information profession.
• Commitment to the defence, and the advancement, of access to information, ideas and works of the imagination.
• Provision of the best possible service within available resources.
Ethical Principles (p2.)
• Concern for balancing the needs of actual and potential users and the reasonable demands of employers.
• Equitable treatment of all information users.
• Impartiality, and avoidance of inappropriate bias, in acquiring and evaluating information and in mediating it to other information users.
• Respect for confidentiality and privacy in dealing with information users.
Ethical Principles (p3.)
• Concern for the conservation and preservation of our information heritage in all formats.
• Respect for, and understanding of, the integrity of information items and for the intellectual effort of those who created them.
• Commitment to maintaining and improving personal professional knowledge, skills and competences.
• Respect for the skills and competences of all others, whether information professionals or information users, employers or colleagues.
Key concepts
• Public good• Balance between creators/mediators/users• Balance between short and long-term• Human Rights• Equality of access to information
Code of Professional Practice
• Applies to all CILIP members by merit of membership
• “Applies the ethical principles to the different groups and interests to which CILIP members must relate”
• Based on applied ethics
Code of Professional Practice
• Personal responsibilities
• Responsibilities to information and its users
• Responsibilities to colleagues and the information community
• Responsibilities to society
• Responsibilities as employees
Personal responsibilities
• Members should:
• Strive to attain and continue to develop the highest personal standard of professional knowledge and competence.
• Ensure they are competent in those branches of professional practice in which qualifications and/or experience entitle them to engage by keeping abreast of developments in their areas of expertise.
• Claim expertise in areas of library and information work or in other disciplines only where their skills and knowledge are adequate.
• Refrain from any behaviour in the course of their work which might bring the information profession into disrepute.
Responsibilities to information and its users
• Members should:
• Ensure that information users are aware of the scope and remit of the service being provided.
• Make the process of providing information, and the standards and procedures governing that process, as clear and open as possible.
• Avoid inappropriate bias or value judgements in the provision of services.
• Protect the confidentiality of all matters relating to information users, including their enquiries, any services to be provided, and any aspects of the users' personal circumstances or business.
• Carry out and use research involving users (e.g. surveys of needs) in a responsible manner, ensuring that best practice is followed as set out in law or in codes of conduct recommended by research organisations (e.g. universities) or professional bodies.
Responsibilities to information and its users
• Members should:
• Deal fairly with the competing needs of information users, and resolve conflicting priorities with due regard for the urgency and importance of the matters being considered.
• Deal promptly and fairly with any complaints from information users, and keep them informed about progress in the handling of their complaints.
• Ensure that the information systems and services for which they are responsible are the most effective, within the resources available, in meeting the needs of users.
• Ensure that the materials to which they provide access are those which are most appropriate to the needs of legitimate users of the service.
Responsibilities to information and its users
• Members should:
• Defend the legitimate needs and interests of information users, while upholding the moral and legal rights of the creators and distributors of intellectual property.
• Respect the integrity of information sources, and cite sources used, as appropriate.
• Show an appropriate concern for the future information needs of society through the long term preservation and conservation of materials as required, as well as an understanding of proper records management.
Responsibilities to colleagues and the information community
• Members should:
• Act in ways that promote the profession positively, both to their colleagues and to the public at large.
• Afford respect and understanding to other colleagues, including those in other professions and acknowledge their ideas, contributions and work, wherever and whenever appropriate.
• Refer to colleagues in a professional manner and not discredit or criticise their work unreasonably or inappropriately.
• When working in an independent capacity, conduct their business in a professional manner that respects the legitimate rights and interests of others.
• Encourage colleagues, especially those for whom they have a line-management responsibility, to maintain and enhance their professional knowledge and competence.
Responsibilities to colleagues and the information community
• Members should:
• Ensure that any member of staff to whom a task is delegated has the knowledge and skills necessary to undertake that task effectively and efficiently.
• Share, where possible, results of research and development projects they have been involved in to help encourage best practice across the profession and enable colleagues to improve the services they provide.
• Refrain from ascribing views to, or speaking on behalf of, CILIP, unless specifically authorised to do so.
• Report significant breaches of this Code to the appropriate authorities.(1)
• Refrain from any behaviour in the course of their work which might bring the information profession into disrepute.
Responsibilities to society
• Members should:
• Consider the public good, both in general and as it refers to particular vulnerable groups, as well as the immediate claims arising from their employment and their professional duties.
• Promote equitable access for all members of society to public domain information of all kinds and in all formats.
• Promote the necessary skills and knowledge amongst users to become effective independent learners and researchers.
• Strive to achieve an appropriate balance within the law between demands from information users, the need to respect confidentiality, the terms of their employment, the public good and the responsibilities outlined in this Code.
• Encourage and promote wider knowledge and acceptance of, and wider compliance with, this Code, both among colleagues in the information professions and more widely among those whom we serve.
Responsibilities as employees
• Members should:
• Develop a knowledge and understanding of the organisation in which they work and use their skills and expertise to promote the legitimate aims and objectives of their employer.
• Avoid engaging in unethical practices during their work and bring to the attention of their employer any concerns they may have concerning the ethics or legality of specific decisions, actions or behaviour at work.
Role of Professional Codes
• Inspiration
• Practical guidance
• Education
• Discipline or sanction
Critiques
Collective (un)conscious bias
• Any culture is defined around predominant norms
• These norms are reinforced both overtly (law, culture) and implicitly through assumptions and ‘collective wisdom’
• In the UK, our culture and ethical norms are defined around principles that were established under the Enlightenment and reinforced through expansionism/Empire-building
• We privilege a particular view on ‘social justice’ which reinforces rather than challenges these norms
Everything is political
• All moral choice is a ‘political’ choice, including the choice of non-intervention
• Failing to challenge dominant norms helps to affirm them
• A Chartered Institute (as a charity) cannot:
• Exist solely for a political purpose• Ally itself exclusively to one political party
• A Chartered Institute can:
• Campaign on political agendas• Engage with political stakeholders across Government
• There is no such thing as an ‘apolitical’ stance – should a Professional Body be a campaigner for positive change?
A tale full of sound and fury
• Ethical principles are often ‘carrot’ but no ‘stick’
• Without enforcement are the Ethical Principles just good intentions?
• Does having an unenforced Code of Ethics actually sanction the failure to change?
• Without active education does the Code become a vague set of beliefs?
• Without a clear moment of affirmation, are people aware of the Principles?
Case Study: Museums Association Code of Ethics
MA Ethics Review & new Code of Ethics
• A 5-year project!
• Review their Code of Ethics for fitness-for-purpose & political implications
• Published a new Code of Ethics for Museums in April 2016
• 3 sets of principles:
• Public engagement and public benefit
• Stewardship of collections
• Individual and institutional integrity
Useful principles
• Intended to support applied ethics
• Positions ethical reflection as a living part of daily practice
• A duty proactively to champion ethics
• Respect for law and regulation
• Division of public/cultural assets and financial assets
• Transparency
• Upholding public trust
Should the review of CILIP’s Ethical Principles and Code of Professional Practice encompass the question of CILIP’s moral responsibility to champion specific values (such as equality and diversity) and its accountability in selecting which values to champion?
