Board Brief 2015-12
Professional Standards and Ethics Committee Interim Report
To:
NCMA Board of Directors
From:
PY15 Professional Standards and Ethics Committee
Subject:
Interim Report of the Professional Standards and Ethics Committee
Date:
November 2, 2014
Executive Summary
The purpose of this Board Brief is to provide a status of the goals, major activities and
accomplishments of the Professional Standards and Ethics Committee (PSE) for period July –
October 2014.
PSE PY14 Committee Goals, Actions and Status
The Committee met face-to-face during the 2014 World Congress and conducted meetings via
conference calls for the months of September and October. The committee will conduct its
November meeting at GCMS.
Committee Members
Debra Scheider, Chair
 Allie Stanzione
 Rodney Matsushima
 Jonene Johanson
 Sean Garcia
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Charlie Chadwick
Danielle Mattei
Angela Styles
Mike Fischetti
Accomplishments / Goals Status
Priorities:
1. Conduct review/benchmark Association’s Code of Ethics
a. Committee announced review in Ethics Corner article for NCMA magazine.
Charlie Chadwick conducted extensive comparison of NCMA Code of Ethics
against other organizations. Charlie drafted attached “Gap Analysis” article
containing the results of this analysis. Committee concurs with his conclusion
that NCMA would be better served to rewrite the current Code of Ethics. PSE
found positive and negative attributes:
b. Positives
i. Provides the type of aspirational elements and obligation to the public and
profession found in the best of professional association codes
ii. Brevity is an attractive element
c. Negatives
i. Fails to distinguish clearly between foundational values and specific
matters of compliance
ii. Extreme brevity results in some loss of impact and usefulness
Scheider, Deb
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Board Brief 2015-12
Professional Standards and Ethics Committee Interim Report
d.
e.
f.
g.
iii. Depth of coverage issues; fails to address topics generally found in other
association codes
Recommendations:
i. NCMA should create a new code rather than revise the existing code.
ii. The new code should consider the gaps noted in the analysis
iii. The new code should use a similar structure (not necessarily identical) to
the most effective codes noted in the review
iv. The new code should have a layout suitable for printing from the web site
as a desk reference
PSE has been through two rounds review of revised code
Revised Code of Ethics and Gap Analysis attached for reference
Recommended next step is to conduct focus group to critique Code prior to
publication online for comment
2. Collaborate with Strategic Planning and Education Committees to develop vision for
NCMA in 2020. Education + certification + accreditation + ? Programs
a. PSE working Certification Program review prior to this analysis.
5. Placement of the Contract Management Function in organizations
a. Sean Garcia drafted analysis. PSE agreed there is no ideal placement in
organization, but there are ideal attributes of successful contract organizations.
Sean refining analysis for publication.
6. Continue Ethics Corner articles in NCMA magazine
a. Solicited articles at BOA meeting at WC.
7. Certification Program Review
a. How it works today
b. How we might need to evolve it in the coming years to stay on the leading edge.
c. Committee receiving briefing on NCMA programs from Chuck Woodside at
November meeting prior to reviewing external organizations.
8. Recommendation for action if someone breaks the Standard of Conduct
a. Jonene & Danielle asked to develop recommendations at national and chapter
level. Project just starting.
9. ERC Survey
a. NCMA will be partnering with the Ethics Resource Center (ERC) on an ethics
related survey of the NCMA membership.
b. National Business Ethics Survey (NBES) is an ERC longitudinal study of ethics
issues in the general US population
Scheider, Deb
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Board Brief 2015-12
Professional Standards and Ethics Committee Interim Report
c. NCMA will collaborate with ERC on developing a supplemental set of questions
on ethics issues in the acquisition process to accompany the NBES core questions
d. ERC will conduct survey on anonymous basis and do initial data analysis
e. NCMA will do additional analysis for issues unique to acquisition profession,
make recommendations and collaborate on summary report (jointly issued by
NCMA and ERC)
f. NCMA using a small team divided between more senior individuals and CMLDP
alumni; Charlie Chadwick serving as team lead
g. Target is to complete survey, analysis and issue report by World Congress 2015
Recommendation
This Board brief is provided for information only.
Respectfully submitted,
Debra Scheider, CPCM, Fellow
Chair, NCMA Professional Standards & Ethics
Scheider, Deb
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