ITPM6.
318 Project Management
Ethics and Professionalism
2
Project Management Ethics
Project Managers deal with decisions involving:
− People, Resources and the Environment
And sometimes these factors are in conflict,
creating a dilemma and perhaps significant risks.
Ethics is the discipline of “how to do it best”.
Why bother?
Protect against damaging perceptions:
− Project, Company and Profession
Avoid legal and moral backlash
Develop and maintain trust
Attract and retain good staff
3
Project Manager’s legal & ethical
responsibilities
Confidential Information – Confidentiality Agreements
Privacy Act
Copyright Act
Negligence – having a duty of care and failing to meet
the standard of care
− In relation to confidential information
− In relation to a client’s database or network
Hacking – Theft, Criminal Damage
Contractual Agreements - Copyright
4
PMI Ethics
To guide behaviour and help with tough decisions,
PMI have published:
− Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct
− Ethical Decision-Making Framework.
The values which guided these documents are:
− Responsibility
− Respect
− Fairness
− Honesty
5
1. Responsibility
“Our duty to take ownership for the decisions we
make or fail to make, the actions we take or fail to
take, and the consequences that result.”
Seek to manage others versus assigning blame and
ensure progress is made
Be willing to adjust plans
Be a supportive participant
Own the entirety of the project
6
2. Respect
“Our duty to show a high regard for ourselves, others,
and the resources entrusted to us. Resources entrusted
to us may include people, money, reputation, the safety
of others, and natural or environmental resources.”
Consider people’s time – including email and
communication
Advocate the overall business over just your project
Look after your team – stress and needs
7
3. Fairness
“Our duty to make decisions and act impartially and
objectively. Our conduct must be free from competing
self interest, prejudice, and favouritism.”
Abstain from decisions that question your fairness
and objectivity
Focus on balancing workload
Be fair to yourself
Evaluate performance not popularity
8
4. Honesty
“Our duty to understand the truth and act in a truthful
manner both in our communications and in our
conduct.”
Disclose and prepare stakeholders
Be transparent and follow procedures
Inform client even bad news. Give them all the
information and what you are doing.
9
PMI Ethical Decision Making Framework
1. Assessment: Make sure you have all the facts about
the ethical dilemma
− Does it abide by the law?
− Does it align with the PMI Code of Ethics and Professional
Conduct?
− Does it agree with your employer’s and client’s code of
ethics and conduct?
− Does it align with your ethical values and those of the
surrounding culture?
2. Alternatives: Consider your choices
− Have you listed possible alternative choices?
− Have you considered pros and cons for each possible
choice?
10
PMI Ethical Decision Making Framework
1. Assessment: Make sure you have all the facts about
the ethical dilemma
− Does it abide by the law?
− Does it align with the PMI Code of Ethics and Professional
Conduct?
− Does it agree with your employer’s and client’s code of
ethics and conduct? Does it align with your ethical values
and those of the surrounding culture?
2. Alternatives: Consider your choices
− Have you listed possible alternative choices?
− Have you considered pros and cons for each possible
choice?
11
PMI Ethical Decision Making Framework
3. Analysis: Identify your candidate decision and
test its validity
− Will your candidate decision have a positive impact or
prevent harm to project managers, PMI staff or
volunteers, clients, your employer’s organization, other
stakeholders, the environment, or future generations?
− Does your candidate decision take cultural differences
into account?
− Looking back, will this decision seem like a good idea a
year from now?
− Are you free from external influence to make this
decision?
− Are you in a calm and unstressed state of mind?
12
PMI Ethical Decision Making Framework
4. Application: Apply ethical principles to your
candidate decision
− Would your choice result in the greatest good?
− Would your choice treat others as you would like to be
treated?
− Would your choice be fair and beneficial to all
concerned?
5. Action: Make a decision
− Are you willing to accept responsibility for your
decision?
− Could you make your decision public and feel good
about it?
− Are you ready to act?
13
Procurement
You’re about ready to sign a big new client to a contract
worth over $50,000. Your boss is under a lot of pressure
to increase sales. He calls you into his office and tells
you his job is on the line, and he asks you to include the
revenue for your contract in the sales figures for the
quarter that ends tomorrow. You know the contract is a
sure thing but the client is out of town and cannot
possibly sign by tomorrow. What do you do?
14
When Ethical Items Conflict
At work, you believe that the health and safety of your
fellow employees is at risk, and that management is
not responding appropriately. You are genuinely
concerned for your colleagues.
The company does have a system for reporting safety
risks, but you have seen that system take too long and
be too cumbersome to properly alert your co-workers.
What are your options and which option is best?
15
Confidentiality versus Business Survival
Susan is the CEO of a company which has commissioned a
project that will establish a whole new line of business needed
for the company’s survival.
Susan’s husband Alan works in the claims department of a
health insurance company. Paperwork on a recent claim shows
that claimant was treated for hyper anxiety and severe mood
swings. Alan notes the patient’s unusual last name and realises
the patient is his wife’s project manager.
Susan seems very happy with how the project is going and he
cannot violate patient confidentiality by informing her about
the project manager’s mental illness but he is not comfortable
with a potentially unstable person in a position of influence
and supervision over such a critical project. Can Alan reconcile
these issues in an ethical manner?
16
Compliance versus Job Security
You’re about ready to sign a big new client to a
contract worth over $50,000. Your boss is under a lot
of pressure to increase sales. He calls you into his
office and tells you his job is on the line, and he asks
you to include the revenue for your contract in the
sales figures for the quarter that ends tomorrow.
You know the contract is a sure thing but the client is
out of town and cannot possibly sign by tomorrow.
What do you do?
17
Legal and Ethical Issues
You keep a copy of a client’s database on your support
server to help investigate problems they report. Each
month the client sends you a new copy of the
database on CD. What are your responsibilities?
18
Professional Accreditation
The Project Management Institute is the world’s leading
professional membership association for project, portfolio
and programme managers. (There’s also the International
Project Managers Association – IPMA)
PMI, IPMA and Axelos* offer accreditation programmes.
Accreditation assures employers and clients that the holder
meets an exacting industry standard of competency.
Membership of a professional association also provides
access to information, tools and templates, knowledge
resources, research, publications, professional
development opportunities etc.
(* Axelos is the standards development body for the PRINCE2
project management methodology)
19
Continued Professional Development
ITPM6.318 Project Management covers the key elements of
project management but there is much more to learn.
Hands-on experience is important (‘school of hard knocks’
provides many, many learning opportunities) but even
accredited project managers need to maintain competency in
their profession in order to:
Maintain client confidence and credibility
Be more efficient through new skills
Grow as an influencer and leader of teams
Maintain currency as methods evolve
Be able to secure more challenging and rewarding jobs
Become a better professional person
