1. Ethics in IT Consulting
Taishaun Owens
IS 578
Project Presentation

2. Why Ethics?
• As a Consultant, I am required to provide my clients with a
solution to their IT needs.
• Daily me and my co-workers are asked by clients to do things
that is not supported within my line of work.
• As a requirement and in my own belief to the do the right
thing I follow the ethics code set before me but as the clients
can become convincing being ethical is not utilized properly
throughout the company. This is where Ethics come in as to
what’s right and what’s not as being a consultant.

3. IT Consultingand Ethicswhy it’s important
• According to Bob Nelson & Peter Economy “Ethics are
important for anyone in business. They’re particularly
important to consultants because of the high level of trust
that organizations grant them and because of the access that
many consultants have to the confidential and proprietary
inner workings of the firms that employ them.”
• A Consultant must be able to gain the trust of a client to
access information and provide an accurate solution. In order
to perform this task ethics play an important role on how
effective the consultant will be in IT consulting.

4. Ethics to follow in IT Consulting
• Account for your time accurately and honestly.
• Serve clients with integrity, competence, and objectivity.
• Keep client information and records of client engagements
confidential.
• Use proprietary client information only with the clients
permission.
• Accept only engagements for which we are qualified by your
experience and competence.
• Charge fees and expenses that are reasonable, legitimate, and
commensurate with the services delivered.
• Respect the property rights of your clients.

5. Ethics to follow in IT Consulting
• It’s important to follow the ethics listed. This is just some of
the ethics consultants must follow. Depending on the business
need whether its IT, business, or management consulting
there will be a more extensive list of ethics each consultant
must adhere to.
• Following the ethics required ensures that consultants are
doing what is right by the clients served. It also provides the
client with a ease of mind that the consultant is taking into
consideration the level of trust and access provided to
complete the task required successfully.

6. How Ethics apply to my position
• As a consultant daily me and my co-workers are asked to
provide services that aren’t our level of expertise which leads
me to the ethics rule quoted by AMCF “We will assign staff
staff to client engagements in accord with their experience,
knowledge, and expertise.”
• Many times were not following this ethical rule. We are
providing services to clients where we may not be extremely
knowledgeable causing issues to arise with the client and us as
consultants.
• In order to be ethical it is our requirement to be able to inform
the client our level of expertise and provide a reference to
someone who may have the knowledge of what the client is
requesting.

7. HowcanEthicsimprovetheIT Consultingenvironment
• Ethics can improve the IT consulting environment by providing
consultants with a standard of rules that must be followed to
protect the client, consultant and the IT consulting firm.
• Clients are provided with a sense of security that their
information will not be shared with 3rd parties, information
will be accessed on a need basis.
• Consultants will be impartial and provide accurate solutions to
the client.
• Costs are calculated based on services provided and to the
satisfaction of the client.

8. What can be done to ensure Ethics
is practiced in IT Consulting
• Ethical standards updated annually to ensure that consultants
are in compliance
• Consultants are aware of their role in IT Consulting and what
ethics to follow.
• Clients being informed of the services provided by the
consultant
• Communication between consultants and clients performed
regularly to ensure that the Ethics required are being
performed

9. Is Ethics in IT Consulting really a must
• Yes it is without Ethics IT Consulting firms would not be able to
operate in an accurate manner
• The success rate would go down within the IT Consulting firm
due to many factors:
• Inexperienced consultants
• Advice for client would be based on what the
consultant think
• Billing would be based on what the consultant
feel the fee should be
• Information could be shared with 3rd parties
without clients permission
• Law suits or penalties can be applied due to
unethical acts

10. Ethics in IT summary
• Ethics is important to all areas of consulting
• It’s a code that provides stability to how each consulting firm
must operate
• It provides a ease of mind to the consultant and the client
• Ethics allows the client to know that the level of trust is high
with the consultant and that their information is accessed
when needed.
• Ethics allows the consultant to provide knowledge based on
the level of expertise.
• Without Ethics no consulting firm would be successful there
may be more debt than actual revenue occurring within the IT
firm.