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O ñ: October 13th, 2008

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: Chip Camden
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ͶͶͶͶͶͶͶͶͶͶͶͶͶͶͶͶͶͶͶͶͶͶͶͶͶͶͶͶͶͶͶͶͶͶͶͶͶ-
When you sign a contract, you are agreeing to its terms; it becomes a  commitment. Above that
level comes    Ͷ actions that are determined by your sense of right and wrong. Since I don͛t
believe in an absolute right or wrong, this layer doesn͛t mean much to me. But the concept of 

goes beyond even that.
Ethics are principles by which you live because they make life better in one way or another Ͷ even if the
realization of that better state is deferred. Often, ͞better͟ is simply defined as being able to respect
yourself. But it also involves being able to be trusted by others because, without trust, you can͛t get very
far in any endeavor.
TechRepublic recently reposted a link to two



 

 




  . While each of
these codes contains some good information, neither quite fit for me. The first one seemed like it was
addressed from a large consulting firm to its clients; the second one seemed more like promises from
the individual consultant to his/her consulting firm. But what about us independent IT consultants? I
decided to try my hand at creating a code of ethics for us Ͷ or, at least, one that works for .
Given that preamble, let me present my code of ethics for independent consultants, as addressed to our
clients.
1. The time for which you are paying me is yours and only yours. I will eliminate other distractions
and 
 on the set of problems you have entrusted to me.
2. I will  




 even 

. It͛s better for you to find out sooner than
later.
3. I will try to accurately estimate time requirements when they are requested, but I will also
qualify those estimates according to the level of additional research required and with
knowledge of my own    and
.
4. I will keep you regularly updated on my progress. I will break down the elements of my
accomplishments to whatever level of detail you require.
5. I will only perform work for which you have given your approval. However, I will actively look
beyond the narrow limits of my project for opportunities and risks that you may have
overlooked and bring those to your attention when I find them.
 . When 





 , I won͛t try to hide behind a facade of expertise. Instead, I͛ll ask
pertinent questions and (with your approval) conduct additional research.
7. I will do my best to 


 , to document my work, and to make it as
understandable as possible. I will never bake in obfuscations to insure job security.
8. If someone else is better qualified to handle an assignment, I͛ll tell you. It͛s more important for
me to get the job done right than to hold onto a certain number of billable hours for myself. (I
expect that attitude to pay its own dividends in the long run.)
9. My recommendations will be based on what I perceive to be best suited to your needs in the
present and future. I will not let myself be unduly swayed by considerations of what technology
is currently in fashion or is more interesting to me personally.
10.In short, I will treat you as I would like to be treated if I were your client