ISPE Codes of Conduct

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INFORMATION SHEET
ISPE Codes of Conduct
As an international individual membership Society seeking to build understanding and achieve results
in a collaborative manner with people from all over the world, ISPE’s Board of Directors adopted two
Codes of Conduct in 2012. They are:
Member Code of Conduct. This brief document states the conduct that is expected of all
individual Members as a condition of ongoing involvement with the Society. The Code is
comprised of four statements of ISPE values and seven statements concerning the conduct of
an individual within the Society. Acknowledging the Member Code of Conduct is a condition of
membership for 2013 and beyond.
Volunteer Code of Conduct. This longer document states the conduct that is expected of
Volunteers who work together on ISPE projects. The Code is comprised of four values
statements (repeated from the Member Code of Conduct) and several sections of expectations
related to the conduct of individuals acting as volunteers. The document also explains how
violations of the Code will be addressed. Signing the Code is a condition of volunteering for
ISPE.
Frequently Asked Questions about the Volunteer Code of Conduct
1. Why is this Code necessary? As an International organization with Members from more than
90 countries, ISPE believes it is important to proactively set the tone for how professionals
coming from a wide variety of cultures and backgrounds can expect to be treated – and how
they should treat one another – as they work together to advance the mission of ISPE.
2. Who has to sign this document? Anyone who wishes to volunteer for ISPE at the
International or Chapter level in an ongoing role. As the lead volunteers for ISPE, all Members
of the Board of Directors have signed the document.
3. This seems rather “American” in tone and content. Why is the Board imposing such an
American tradition on the entire Society? Having a Code of Conduct is a best practice for
International organizations because it builds understanding between people of many cultures.
For other examples you can review:
a. The Drug Information Association Code of Conduct
b. International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies Volunteer Guidelines
(see pages 25-28)
c. Foundation for International Medical Relief of Children Volunteer Code of Conduct
d. HELP International Volunteer Code of Conduct
4. Is this a legal document? No, it is a covenant or agreement between you, your fellow ISPE
Member Volunteers, and the ISPE organization as a whole. Whatever laws are relevant to
ISPE’s operations in the jurisdictions in which it does business still apply. But many issues don’t
rise to the level of legal questions. They are, nevertheless, problematic for Members and
Volunteers if there is not a shared understanding of what is acceptable within the Society. Too
often in the past when someone has engaged in conduct that others found troublesome, the
erring person has either said, “Well, that seems perfectly acceptable [to me/in my country]” or “I
didn’t know what I did was wrong. Where is it written?” This Code is intended to be the
document that both sets the tone about what is desired and acceptable conduct between fellow
Volunteers as well as to provide the answer when “where is it written?” is asked.
5. What if I sign the Code and then change my mind about volunteering?
Signing the Code does not require anyone to volunteer. It means if you want to volunteer, you
can do it. Signing the Code is a pre-requisite for volunteering, just as having a license is a prerequisite to drive an automobile in most countries. Similarly, refusing to sign the Code means
you are not authorized to volunteer in ISPE’s name – just as refusing to obtain a driver’s license
means you are not authorized to operate an automobile on public roads in most countries
6. My company requires that all documents be reviewed by the legal department. What if
the legal department doesn’t want me to sign it? Recall that you are an ISPE member as an
individual, regardless of how your dues are paid. ISPE has no company memberships.
This Code of Conduct is between you as an individual responsible for your own conduct, other
such individuals, and the Society as a whole. Hence, it should not require review by your
company’s legal department. In a similar way, when you fly on company business, you usually
have to agree to the airlines’ “Contract of Carriage.” You are agreeing to the rules in this
Contract as an individual when you buy the ticket – you don’t ask your company’s legal team to
approve the airline Contract.
7. Can the text of the Code be altered? Suggestions for changes to the document can be
submitted to the ISPE Board of Directors for consideration in updates to the Code. Please direct
these suggestions to Karleen Kos, Vice President of Member and Industry Services, via email
kkos@ispe.org. Individualized changes have not been approved by the Board of Directors.
8. I feel rather insulted by being asked to sign this. I am volunteering my time and I don’t
feel appreciated seeing this long list of rules. We certainly regret it if you feel that way. ISPE
highly values all of its Volunteers, and the Board wants everyone to have a good volunteer
experience. That is why this Code has been instituted – to ensure that all Volunteers have the
same understanding of how we will work together and treat one another. The Code is not
intended to be a list of rules; it is intended to be a pledge between people regarding how they
will treat one another and the products of their shared work.
9. There are several references to the ISPE Staff in this document. Are they signing a Code
of Conduct? The staff is bound by a Code of Conduct that is shared with them at the time of
their employment. It is more extensive than this document.
10. How often does this document have to be signed? Although we originally thought the
document would be re-signed annually, we now expect that signing it once will be sufficient for
all Volunteers who have a continuous role with ISPE. It will not be necessary to sign the Code
again unless there are material changes to it at some point in the future.
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