Chapter 42: Summary - PMI Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct

Lets summarize the core Ethics & Professional Responsibility related items:

• Ethical violations — Report possible violations of code to PMI and cooperate with investigations.
• Conflict of interest — Occurs when personal interests are placed before professional responsibility. Avoid this; if that’s not possible, identify and communicate all potential conflicts to all parties.

o Personal gain — Tied to conflict of interest, it’s when someone benefits inappropriately in exchange for influencing a project. Prohibited.
o Inappropriate compensation — Tied to conflict of interest, this can include payments and gifts for personal gain. Prohibited.

• Appearance of impropriety — When conflict of interest is not communicated to all parties, your work and actions might appear improper.
• Intellectual property — A product developed and owned by others with commercial value. Recognize and respect copyrighted material.
• Confidentiality — Maintain and respect sensitive information, including intellectual property, obtained through your work.


Prev: Chapter 41

Chapter 35: Responsibility

Aim: The understand the term “Responsibility” as per the PMI Code of Ethics

Taking responsibility simply means that the project manager takes ownership for the decisions and actions made, and the consequences of the results. This responsibility also addresses decisions and actions that should have been made but were not. The position of project manager carries a lot of responsibility and we, as project management practitioners, must treat that responsibility with care. In a nutshell, this section says that the project manager will honor the commitments of the project and take responsibility for the result of the project.

Aspirational Standards for Responsibility

The aspirational standards for responsibility include the decisions and approach to the decision-making process that lead to a transparent method of managing projects that instills confidence in the process. Remember that the aspirational standards are things we should do. The aspirational standards for responsibility include

• Upholding the best interests of society, public safety, and the environment in all decisions and actions
• Only accepting assignments for which you are prepared, based on your background, experience, skill, and qualifications
• Doing what you say you will do—fulfilling your commitments
• In making a mistake, owning up to it and correcting it promptly
• Protecting proprietary and confidential information
• Upholding this Code and holding others accountable to it

Mandatory Standards for Responsibility

In all categories of the Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct, the mandatory standards are the things we must do. Failure to comply with the mandatory standards will likely tarnish the overall perception of project managers. The mandatory standards for responsibility include

• Knowing and upholding all policies, rules, regulations, and laws that are applicable to work, professional, and volunteer activities
• Reporting any unethical or illegal activity
• Reporting Code violations for resolution
• Only filing ethics violations that are substantiated by facts
• Pursuing disciplinary action against any individual who retaliates against anyone who raises an ethics issue

Exam Watch:

It should go without saying that a project manager should obey all the rules. However, pay attention to the fact that obeying all the rules is clearly stated in the Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct. You very well might see a question on the exam based on this simple premise.

Ethics Complaints

As a project management professional, you have a professional responsibility to report possible violations of professional conduct within the project management professional community. This is a self-policing provision. However, before you bring any accusations to the appropriate authorities, you must ensure you have the facts. If you cannot substantiate your claims, do more research or drop the complaint.

In accordance with your charge to report professional conduct violations, you are also required to cooperate with PMI in its investigation of ethics violations and the collection of pertinent information. An investigation requiring your cooperation might arise independently of you actually reporting a possible ethics violation. Further, you are required to pursue disciplinary action against any individual who retaliates against a person raising ethics concerns.

Responsible Conduct

In performing professional project management services for customers, it is imperative you meet your customer’s expectations and complete all work in accordance with the agreed-upon scope and objectives. Your customer should approve any deviations or changes to the work plan.

Confidentiality should be maintained at all times. This applies in the case of intellectual property, but also in the context of all professional activities performed.

To know more about the PMI code of Ethics Click Here

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Next: Chapter 36

Chapter 34: The PMI Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct

Aim: To understand the PMI Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct

The PMI Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct focuses on conflicts of interest, truthful representation, and your responsibility to the profession, the customers, and the public. Most of the information contained in the PMI Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct will seem obvious and intuitive upon your initial read, but it ensures that all project manager practitioners have an equal understanding of the responsibilities for honesty and integrity in the profession.

The PMI Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct is not a component of the PMBOK; rather it is a six-page stand-alone document available on the PMI website. You should read it carefully and thoroughly.

Exam Trivia:

No PMP Prep book will cover the entire details of the PMI code of Ethics & Professional Conduct. They will cover only the salient points. It is a nice idea to go through the whole document to get a better idea of the same. The PMI Code of Ethics can be found in the link below:
http://www.pmi.org/en/About-Us/Ethics/~/media/PDF/Ethics/ap_pmicodeofethics.ashx

Core Values

The PMI Code of Professional Conduct is comprised of five chapters:

• Vision and Applicability
• Responsibility
• Respect
• Fairness
• Honesty

Each section challenges all practitioners of project management to apply ethical standards to work efforts, acting in an accurate, trustworthy, honest manner while acknowledging and minimizing conflicts of interest.

The first chapter sets the overall tone of the call for high standards in professional and social behavior. This initial chapter also increases the scope from previous Codes of Conduct to include all project management practitioners. Prior to the release of the current version of the Code, several Codes of Professional Conduct existed. Membership status in PMI and the particular certification held dictated the specific Code(s) that applied to you. The current unified Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct applies to all project management practitioners, regardless of credentials held.

Taken together, these core values provide the basis of the project manager standards of conduct. These standards exist to both promote confidence in the field of project management and to challenge each project manager to strive for excellence. Don’t take the code lightly! PMI views the code as an integral part of the continued development of the project management profession.

Exam Trivia:

To answer scenario based questions in the exam, ask yourself this question “If someone in your company (that you own) engage in such an activity, will I be ok with it?” If the answer to this question is NO, then you must not engage in such behavior yourself and select the answer that does this. Remember that as the Project Manager you must be a role model and behave in a way that people look up to you.

Aspirational and Mandatory Conduct

Each chapter in the PMI Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct contains two sets of standards. First are the aspirational standards. These are the behaviors to which we aspire. In other words, these are the behaviors all project managers would exhibit in the best of situations. Some of these take work to achieve, but they give us good goals that strengthen each project manager and the profession as a whole. There are no specific consequences for violating the aspirational standards.
Second, the PMI Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct presents the mandatory standards. These standards provide the minimum acceptable behavior for project managers. Violation of any of the mandatory standards carries consequences. Such consequences can result in loss of credentials, or worse.

Exam Trivia:

Exam questions from this topic are almost exclusively application questions. PMI doesn’t care that you have memorized the Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct. They want to see that you can apply the Code to specific situations. As you study, consider how you will apply the Code to your projects.

To know more about the PMI code of Ethics Click Here

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Next: Chapter 35

Ethics And Professional Responsibility

The following are the important themes you must remember from the PMI Perspective regarding Ethics & Professional Responsibility.

1. Conduct yourself professionally in your work with clients. This includes the following:

o Doing the “right” thing
o Being respectful and cooperative and treating everyone fairly
o Following the correct procedures
o Being assertive and taking responsibility of any issue or problem
o Being cognizant and avoiding any conflict-of-interest issues

2. Ways to increase the professionalism of project management include the following:

o Maintaining high standards of personal integrity
o Continually striving to improve and become more knowledgeable
o Continually looking for ways to improve the project management practice and the project management knowledgebase.

Exam Trivia:

A Project manager must be the supporter or the Shield for his team and never throw his team under the bus. Though in real life you may see managers who blame their team for poor quality work or slipped delivery dates, as per PMI “It is the Project Managers Fault” if the project fails in any aspect

Other PMI Themes:

General PMI Themes
Project Framework
Project Initiation
Project Planning
Project Execution
Project Monitoring & Controlling
Project Closure

Points to Remember: Ethics & Professional Responsibility

Ethics and professional responsibility questions make up 10% of the exam. That’s good news because these questions are really easy if you understand the ideas behind the PMP Code of Professional Conduct.

In general, there are a few kinds of problems that the code of ethics prepares you to deal with.

1. Follow all laws and company policies.
2. Treat everybody fairly and respectfully.
3. Have respect for the environment and the community you’re working in.
4. Give back to the project management community by writing, speaking, and sharing your experience with other project managers.
5. Keep learning and getting better and better at your job.
6. Respect other people’s cultures.
7. Respect copyright laws.
8. Always be honest with everyone on the project.
9. If you find that another person has done something to damage the PMP credential in any way, you must report them to PMI.

Points to Remember - Other Topics:

Introduction to Projects & Project Management
Relationship Between Knowledge Areas & Process Groups
Project Integration Management
Project Scope Management
Project Time Management
Project Cost Management
Project Quality Management
Human Resource Management
Project Communication Management
Project Risk Management
Project Procurement Management

Important Terms and Definitions - Ethics & Professional Responsibilities

The good news is – This is the last chapter in our PMP Exam Prep Series. Let us cover the important terms & definitions and wrap up our PMP Preparation!!!

• Abusive manner - Conduct that hurts another person either physically or emotionally, such as creating feelings of exploitation, manipulation, fear, or humiliation.
• Fairness - An act of making decisions and behaving impartially and objectively, free from favoritism, competing self-interest, and prejudice.
• Honesty - The policy of understanding the truth based on facts and acting in a truthful manner both in communication and in conduct.
• Project management practitioner - Any individual who, as part of the project management profession, participates in an activity that contributes to the management of a project, program, or portfolio.
• Respect - A behavior of showing high regard for yourself, the people you are dealing with, and the resources entrusted to you.
• Responsibility - An act of taking ownership for the decisions you make or fail to make, the actions you take or fail to take, and the consequences that result.

Prev: Summary - Ethics & Professional Responsibilities

Summary - Ethics & Professional Responsibility

Let us quickly summarize what we learnt in this section on Professional Responsibility.

• As a PMP, you must practice project management with professionalism i.e., with professional responsibility which includes following the rules and policies of the certification process and of the organization for which you are managing the project.
• The key to professionalism is individual integrity based on honesty, truth, and openness.
• Professionalism requires that you interact with your client and with the project stakeholders with mutual dignity and respect and show respect to diversity of cultures and beliefs.
• If you encounter an unprofessional situation, rather than ignoring it, you deal with it honestly, openly, and truthfully.
• Your professional responsibility as a PMP also demands that you continue enhancing your professional competence and contributing to the project management knowledge base.
• Keep in mind that while honesty, truth, and openness are essential elements of individual integrity regardless of where you are, the definitions of right versus wrong, acceptable versus unacceptable, and to some extent ethical versus unethical might vary across cultures.
• Sometimes you will need to think hard to do the right thing when faced with tricky situations. For example, just because bribery is a common and acceptable practice in a country, that does not make it the right thing to do, especially if it is illegal.
• When you are not sure which option is the right one, investigate whether it is legal and ethical in that country.
• With individual integrity, you follow the Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct by PMI, which is founded on four fundamental values: fairness, honesty, respect, and responsibility.

Prev: Ethics & Professional Conduct

Next: Important Terms & Definitions

Chapter 100: Big Picture of Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct

In the previous few chapters, we have covered the important aspects of being professional and ethical. Let us now summarize our discussion into a big picture. The formal name for the standard for ethical and professional behavior issued by PMI is the Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct. According to this standard, the four pillars that make the foundation of professional conduct are fairness, honesty, respect, and responsibility. These four values are identified by PMI as the most important to the global project management community.

They are explained below:

Value	Aspirational Standard	Mandatory Standard
Fairness	1. Constantly examine and correct yourself if necessary to ensure impartiality and objectivity. 2. Demonstrate transparency in your decision-making process. 3. Provide equal access to information for those who are authorized to have the information. 4. Make opportunities equally available to all qualified candidates.	1. Conflict of interest. Fully disclose any real or potential conflict of interest. Do not get involved in decision making and do not attempt to influence the outcome without such disclosure to all the affected stakeholders. 2. Apply the official rules without bias driven by favoritism and prejudice. 3. Do not use bribery, favoritism, or nepotism in dealing with people, such as hiring or firing, rewarding or punishing, and awarding or denying contracts. 4. Do not discriminate against people based on age, disability, gender, nationality, race, religion, or sexual orientation.
Respect	1. Listen to others including those with whom you disagree, in an attempt to understand them. 2. In a professional manner, directly approach those individuals with whom you have a disagreement or a conflict. 3. Stay professional even if the person you are dealing with is being unprofessional. 4. Be knowledgeable about and respectful to the norms and customs of other people.	1. Do not use any form of power, such as expertise, status, or position, to influence a decision or other people’s actions in order to benefit at their expense. 2. Negotiate in good faith. 3. Do not act toward other people in an abusive manner. 4. Respect the property rights—including intellectual property rights—of other individuals and organizations.
Honesty	1. Always try to find the facts, be truthful in presenting the facts, and create an environment in which others feel safe to tell the truth. 2. Provide accurate information in a timely manner. 3. Make commitments and promises in good faith.	1. Do not engage in or condone behavior designed to deceive others, such as making false or misleading statements, presenting incomplete facts, providing information without context, and withholding information. 2. Do not engage in attaining personal gain at the expense of others through improper means, such as dishonesty.
Responsibility	1. Base your decisions and actions on the best interests of the environment, public safety, and society as a whole. 2. Accept only those assignments that are consistent with your background, including your qualifications, skills, and experience. And when you accept an assignment, deliver what you promised. 3. Accept responsibility for your mistakes (errors and omissions) and accountability for the consequences. Also, report errors caused by others to the appropriate party. 4. Protect proprietary or confidential information that has been entrusted to you during your assignment. 5. Hold yourself and others accountable to the Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct by PMI.	1. Know and comply with the policies, rules, regulations, and laws that govern your work activities. 2. Report any unethical or illegal conduct to an appropriate party, such as management and those affected by the conduct. 3. The ethical complaints you make must be substantiated by facts. 4. Report violations of PMI’s Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct to the appropriate body for resolution. 5. Pursue disciplinary action against an individual who retaliates against a person because that person raised ethical concerns.

To Summarize:

• Fairness is the act of making decisions and behaving impartially and objectively, free from favoritism, competing self-interest, and prejudice.
• Honesty is the policy to understand the truth based on facts and act in a truthful manner, both in communication and in conduct.
• Respect is the behavior of showing high regard for yourself, the people you are dealing with, and the resources entrusted to you. Resources entrusted to you may include human resources, money, and natural and environmental resources.
• Responsibility is an act of taking ownership for the decisions you make or fail to make, the actions you take or fail to take, and the consequences that result.

These values are not only good human and professional duties, but also help in developing a good business. For example, an environment of respect fosters trust, confidence, and mutual cooperation that lead to performance excellence. In an environment where diverse perspectives and views are encouraged and valued, better solutions will be designed, which will increase the chances of project success.

As shown in the table above, each of these four values is exercised in two dimensions: aspirational and mandatory. The aspirational standard describes the conduct that we strive to uphold in the practice of project management. The mandatory standard establishes firm requirements and in some cases limits or prohibits practitioner behavior. Practitioners who do not conduct themselves in accordance with these standards will be subject to disciplinary procedures before PMI’s Ethics Review Committee.

Trivia
It is easy to confuse aspirational with optional. An aspirational standard is called aspirational because adherence to this standard is not an easy task. That being said, you are expected to comply with this standard as a professional: It is not optional.

The Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct by PMI applies to anyone who meets at least one of the following criteria:

• Is a member of PMI
• Holds a PMI certification or has applied to start the certification process
• Serves PMI as a volunteer

Let us wrap up this chapter by saying Honesty is the best policy.


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Next: Summary - Ethics & Professional Responsibility