Cod. Prof. Conduct.
CODE OF PROFESSIONAL CONDUCT
Approved in the extraordinary General Assembly meeting of January 27th, 1995
(replaces the Deontological Code of 1987)
1 - INTRODUCTION
The Consultancy member firms of APPC commit themselves and all their staff to respect and properly apply this CODE OF PROFESSIONAL CONDUCT, whose dispositions are aimed at the achievement of the highest level of performance, particularly in what regards the quality and impartiality of the Consultants' work, their responsibilities towards society and the fairness of competition and co-operation between them.
2 - RESPONSIBILITIES AND DUTIES TO THE PROFESSION
2.1 - Consultants may only undertake to provide services for which they possess the necessary competence and capacity, by themselves or in association with other Consultants, always seeking to lift up the dignity, the professional standing and the reputation of their profession.
2.2 - Consultants must be remunerated solely by way of fees or other form of compensation paid by the Client. No direct or indirect benefit shall be received from any other party without the Client's written consent.
2.3 - Consultants must maintain accounts separate from any other company or entity with which they have some kind of involvement, so that all costs whether direct or indirect are brought into account. Such costs must be fully reflected in the fees or other form of payment charged by the Consultant to the Client.
2.4 - Where Consultants are invited to compete with each other or do so on their own initiative, they must act fairly.
2.5 - Consultants must not injure the professional reputation of any other Consultant. They must, however, on instruction from a Client, express objective technical opinions in any report which they have been commissioned to present or before any court or tribunal.
2.6 - Consultants must not intervene in other Consultants' work nor attempt to replace them, without their consent.
2.7 - Consultants must not seek work by methods incompatible with the dignity and respect of their profession, abstaining from attempting to damage the professional standing of other Consultants.
2.2 - Consultants must be remunerated solely by way of fees or other form of compensation paid by the Client. No direct or indirect benefit shall be received from any other party without the Client's written consent.
2.3 - Consultants must maintain accounts separate from any other company or entity with which they have some kind of involvement, so that all costs whether direct or indirect are brought into account. Such costs must be fully reflected in the fees or other form of payment charged by the Consultant to the Client.
2.4 - Where Consultants are invited to compete with each other or do so on their own initiative, they must act fairly.
2.5 - Consultants must not injure the professional reputation of any other Consultant. They must, however, on instruction from a Client, express objective technical opinions in any report which they have been commissioned to present or before any court or tribunal.
2.6 - Consultants must not intervene in other Consultants' work nor attempt to replace them, without their consent.
2.7 - Consultants must not seek work by methods incompatible with the dignity and respect of their profession, abstaining from attempting to damage the professional standing of other Consultants.
3 - RESPONSIBILITIES AND DUTIES TO CLIENTS
3.1 - Consultants must provide services in an impartial way and solely aimed at the legitimate interests of the clients, to whom they shall be completely loyal.
3.2 - Consultants must keep the highest level of competence and capacity, taking full account of scientific and technical improvements in their fields of expertise.
3.3 - Consultants must immediately inform Clients of any occasional limitations that may affect any liability they propose to assume or have previously assumed.
3.4 - Consultants must not reserve, in a permanent way, the exclusivity of their services to any client.
3.5 - Consultants must define, or cause to be defined, their services, terms and remuneration as clearly, accurately and completely as possible, so that their remuneration reflects the full broadness and specialization of their work.
3.6 - Consultants' responsibilities and benefits must not be transferred to another party without the Client's written approval.
3.7 - Consultants must not disclose, without their Client's permission, business or technical secrets that they have obtained in the execution of their services for that Client, nor use such information against their Client's interests.
3.8 - Consultants must inform the Client, as soon as it becomes apparent, of any shareholding, direct or indirect connection with any contractor, builder, manufacturer, supplier, other commercial interest or government which might be thought by the Client to influence their professional impartiality.
3.9 - If a Consultant is asked to intervene in any conflict involving one of his clients, he shall do so with loyalty and impartiality, keeping himself strictly within his competencies and capabilities.
3.2 - Consultants must keep the highest level of competence and capacity, taking full account of scientific and technical improvements in their fields of expertise.
3.3 - Consultants must immediately inform Clients of any occasional limitations that may affect any liability they propose to assume or have previously assumed.
3.4 - Consultants must not reserve, in a permanent way, the exclusivity of their services to any client.
3.5 - Consultants must define, or cause to be defined, their services, terms and remuneration as clearly, accurately and completely as possible, so that their remuneration reflects the full broadness and specialization of their work.
3.6 - Consultants' responsibilities and benefits must not be transferred to another party without the Client's written approval.
3.7 - Consultants must not disclose, without their Client's permission, business or technical secrets that they have obtained in the execution of their services for that Client, nor use such information against their Client's interests.
3.8 - Consultants must inform the Client, as soon as it becomes apparent, of any shareholding, direct or indirect connection with any contractor, builder, manufacturer, supplier, other commercial interest or government which might be thought by the Client to influence their professional impartiality.
3.9 - If a Consultant is asked to intervene in any conflict involving one of his clients, he shall do so with loyalty and impartiality, keeping himself strictly within his competencies and capabilities.
4 - RESPONSIBILITIES AND DUTIES TO SOCIETY
4.1 - Consultants must respect and properly apply all laws, regulations, technical rules, codes of practice, etc, appropriate to their profession or speciality. When they are performing their activity abroad, they must obey the regulations in observance in those countries where they are providing their services, respecting and applying this CODE in case there are no local applicable regulations.
4.2 - Consultants must respect the dignity, culture, religion and customs of the people in whose area they work.
4.3 - Consultants must recognise and accomplish their duties to society, environment and the demands associated with the need for a sustainable development. If tasks appear to be contrary to the general interest the Consultant must make the Client aware and must endeavour to persuade him to alter them.
4.4 - Consultants shall respect the personal and professional dignity of their professional colleagues and of all other parties with whom they have professional relations.
4.2 - Consultants must respect the dignity, culture, religion and customs of the people in whose area they work.
4.3 - Consultants must recognise and accomplish their duties to society, environment and the demands associated with the need for a sustainable development. If tasks appear to be contrary to the general interest the Consultant must make the Client aware and must endeavour to persuade him to alter them.
4.4 - Consultants shall respect the personal and professional dignity of their professional colleagues and of all other parties with whom they have professional relations.
5 – GENERAL DISPOSITIONS
5.1 - Unless there is any contractual stipulation stating the contrary, the copyright of all the documents prepared by the Consultants during their work remains their property.
5.2 - Apart from any civil liability the Consultant may have to assume before those whose interests he may have damaged, the violation of the rules of this CODE OF PROFESSIONAL CONDUCT may give rise to disciplinary liability before APPC.
5.2 - Apart from any civil liability the Consultant may have to assume before those whose interests he may have damaged, the violation of the rules of this CODE OF PROFESSIONAL CONDUCT may give rise to disciplinary liability before APPC.