The IT profession
28 February 2013
© Aberystwyth University and Frank Bott
1
Examples of professions
vets
solicitors
► doctors
► nurses
► dentists
► architects
► accountants
► clergymen
► officers in the armed forces
► teachers
►
►
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© Aberystwyth University and Frank Bott
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What makes a profession?
the profession is organised into one or more professional
bodies;
► substantial education and experience are necessary to
practise the profession;
► the professional bodies themselves decide the nature of
this education and experience, and, more generally, control
entry to the profession;
► the professional body lays down standards of conduct and
good practice and polices them;
► (the profession may have a monopoly over certain titles
and/or certain activities.)
►
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© Aberystwyth University and Frank Bott
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Some professional bodies
► Royal
College of Veterinary Surgeons
► Law Society
► Institute of Chartered Accountants in
England and Wales
► Institution of Civil Engineers
► General Medical Council
28 February 2013
© Aberystwyth University and Frank Bott
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IT Professional Bodies (UK)
► British
Computer Society (BCS)
► The Institution of Engineering and
Technology (IET) (formerly the IEE –
Institution of Electrical Engineers
► Institute for the Management of Information
Systems (IMIS – formerly the IDPM, the
Institute of Data Processing Management)
► Association of Computing Professionals
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© Aberystwyth University and Frank Bott
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USA and Worldwide
►
Association for Computing Machinery (ACM)
 academic and research;
 publishes Communications of the ACM and a wide range of learned
journals.
►
Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) – has
within it the IEEE Computer Society
 industrially oriented but not for user organisations;
 publishes Computing and Software and a wide range of specialised
journals;
 runs many conferences worldwide;
 operates a software engineering qualification scheme.
28 February 2013
© Aberystwyth University and Frank Bott
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What the BCS does (1)
► code
of conduct and its enforcement
► education
 professional examinations
 accreditation of courses
► advancement
of knowledge
 specialist groups
 Computer Journal
 conferences
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© Aberystwyth University and Frank Bott
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Code of Conduct
(sample clauses)
You shall
► only undertake to do work or provide a service
that is within your professional competence.
► NOT misrepresent or withhold information on the
performance of products, systems or services . . .
or take advantage of the lack of relevant
knowledge or inexperience of others.
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© Aberystwyth University and Frank Bott
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What the BCS does (2)
► continuing






professional development
local branches
Computer Bulletin
CITP and CEng
SFIAplus
ISEB
revalidation
► maintenance
of professional standards of
practice
► advice to parliament and government.
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© Aberystwyth University and Frank Bott
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BCS Membership Structure
28 February 2013
© Aberystwyth University and Frank Bott
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Reservation of title
Certain titles can only be used by members of
certain bodies or, in some cases, by registered
professionals:
Examples:
►
►
in England and Wales, only members of the Law Society
can call themselves solicitors;
in the UK only those registered with the Architects
Registration Board are allowed to use the title ‘architect’.
28 February 2013
© Aberystwyth University and Frank Bott
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Reservation of function
Certain tasks can only be undertaken by members of
certain bodies or, in some cases, by registered
professionals:
Examples:
►
►
►
auditing of public companies in the UK can only be done by members
of one of the six approved professional bodies;
doctors in the NHS must be registered with the General Medical
Council;
in order to practise as a solicitor, you must hold a practising certificate
issued by the Law Society.
28 February 2013
© Aberystwyth University and Frank Bott
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Should the development of
critical software be reserved?
► London
Ambulance System
► Therac 25
► Toyota anti-lock braking system
► EDS and the Child Support Agency
How do we decide what is a critical system?
Would it help to insist that developers were
properly qualified?
28 February 2013
© Aberystwyth University and Frank Bott
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Engineering in the USA
In the USA, the title ‘engineer’ and/or the engineering
function are to some extent reserved.
Generally in the USA, any company that includes the word
‘engineering’ in its name must have a registered (licensed)
engineer on its staff and engineering work must be carried
out under the control of a registered engineer.
To become a registered engineer, you need a degree in
engineering and then you have to take and pass two eighthour public exams!
There are, however, many exceptions. There is a lot of
controversy over the use of the term ‘software engineering’.
28 February 2013
© Aberystwyth University and Frank Bott
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Engineering in mainland Europe
The title of “Engineer” is generally reserved for those
who have a degree in an engineering subject. The
degree is generally the equivalent of a UK master
degree. “Engineer” is often used as a courtesy title
in speech.
In certain countries, such as Spain, engineering
functions are reserved for qualified engineers.
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© Aberystwyth University and Frank Bott
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The IT industry
can be divided into three parts:
► IT suppliers – companies that provide IT products
and services (Microsoft, your local computer shop,
etc.)
► embedded systems suppliers – companies whose
products include significant IT (manufacturers of
aircraft, cars, mobile phone handsets, etc.)
► users – organisations that use IT (nowadays
almost all organisations)
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© Aberystwyth University and Frank Bott
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UK Engineering Council (ECUK)
An umbrella body to which some 35 bodies
(including the BCS and the IET) representing
different engineering professions belong.
Main functions are:
 to set standards for registration of engineers at three levels
(chartered engineers, incorporated engineers, and engineering
technicians);
 maintain registers
 act as a mouthpiece for the profession as a whole
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© Aberystwyth University and Frank Bott
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Why join a professional body?
many companies value MBCS and MIET;
► as a route to CEng and hence EurIng. Essential for senior
posts in some European countries and in certain industries
and valuable more widely;
► as a route to becoming a registered engineer in the USA;
► networking, particularly through local branch and specialist
group membership;
► keeping up to date;
► making a contribution.
►
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© Aberystwyth University and Frank Bott
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