Accepting the Ethical Responsibilities
Associated with the Contract Management
Profession –
Are you prepared to handle Ethical Dilemmas?
Copyright © 2013 by United Space Alliance, LLC.
Penny L. White
November 20, 2013
Copyright © 2013 by United Space Alliance, LLC.
Ethics Briefing
Let’s talk about Ethics!
What is Ethics?
What is the Contract
Management Code of Ethics?
How would you Handle these
Ethical Dilemmas?
• Case Studies / Discussion
Copyright © 2013 by United Space Alliance, LLC.
Ethics Briefing
Page 1
What is ethics?
Copyright © 2013 by United Space Alliance, LLC.
Ethics Briefing
Page 2
Ethics Defined
Merriam-Webster
• “The principles of conduct governing an individual or a group;
a guiding philosophy.”
World English Dictionary
• “A moral principle or set of moral values held by an individual
or group.”
BusinessDictionary.com
• “The basic concepts and fundamental principles of decent
human conduct. It includes the study of universal values such
as essential equality of all men and women, human or natural
rights, obedience to the law of land, concern for health and
safety and it, increasingly also for the natural environment.”
Copyright © 2013 by United Space Alliance, LLC.
Ethics Briefing
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Food for Thought
“Conscience is the inner voice that warns us
somebody may be looking.”
• H.L. Mencken
“You've got to be brave and you've got to be bold.
Brave enough to take your chance on your own
discrimination - what's right and what's wrong, what's
good and what's bad.”
• Robert Frost
“Moral courage is a more rare commodity than
bravery in battle or great intelligence.”
• Robert F. Kennedy
“Real integrity is doing the right thing, knowing that
nobody's going to know whether you did it or not.”
• Oprah Winfrey
Copyright © 2013 by United Space Alliance, LLC.
Ethics Briefing
Page 4
What is the Contract
Management Code of Ethics?
Copyright © 2013 by United Space Alliance, LLC.
Ethics Briefing
Page 5
Introduction
The Contract Management Code of Ethics
Each member of the contract management profession (“the
profession”) accepts the obligation to continuously improve one’s
professional knowledge and job performance in the field of contract
management, and to abide by the letter and spirit of the ethical
standards set forth below.
Each member of the profession shall:
Copyright © 2013 by United Space Alliance, LLC.
Ethics Briefing
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Standard One
Strive to attain the highest
professional standard of job
performance, to exercise
diligence in carrying out one's
professional duties, and to serve
the profession to the best of
one’s ability.
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Standard Two
Conduct oneself in such a
manner as to bring credit upon
the profession, as well as to
maintain trust and confidence in
the integrity of the contract
management process.
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Standard Three
Avoid engagement in any
transaction that might conflict or
appear to conflict with the proper
discharge of one's professional
duties by reason of a financial
interest, family relationship, or
any other circumstances.
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Standard Four
Comply with all laws and
regulations that govern the
contract management process in
the jurisdictions in which one
conducts business, including
protection of competitionsensitive and proprietary
information from inappropriate
disclosure.
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Standard Five
Keep informed of developments
in the contract management field,
utilizing both formal training and
ad hoc means, to continuously
increase knowledge, skill, and
professional competence.
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Standard Six
Share one’s knowledge and
experience openly to contribute
to the development of other
professionals, improve
performance quality, and
enhance public perception of the
profession.
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Standard Seven
Not knowingly influence others to
commit any act that would
constitute a violation of this code.
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Standard Summary
The Professional Standards and Ethics Committee
of the NCMA Board of Directors has as one of its
goals the enhancement of the awareness of and
commitment to the Contract Management Code of
Ethics.
The members of the committee share suggestions
and best practices for how to reinforce this
fundamental part of effective acquisition—a strong
code of ethics that helps generate conversation
around this important topic.
Copyright © 2013 by United Space Alliance, LLC.
Ethics Briefing
Page 14
ETHICAL DILEMMAS… HOW
WOULD YOU RESPOND?
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Page 15
Case Study 1
Good Friends: A Case Study in Contracting Ethics and Integrity
Group 1
•
•
•
Read the Case Study and discuss the questions.
Continue with Scenario 1 and discuss questions.
Read and discuss the Case Study conclusion.
Questions:
– What would you do?
– What should the contracting officer report and to whom? Why?
– For Scenario 1, discuss the integrity and ethics issues.
- What laws, if any, have been broken?
- Discuss how one’s moral compass can be affected by such factors as
one’s relationships with others, financial difficulties, or perceptions that
misconduct and improper business practices are tolerated in one’s
profession.
Copyright © 2013 by United Space Alliance, LLC.
Ethics Briefing
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Case Study 1
Good Friends: A Case Study in Contracting Ethics and Integrity
Group 2
•
•
•
Read the Case Study and discuss the questions.
Continue with Scenarios 2 and 3 and discuss questions.
Read and discuss the Case Study conclusion.
Questions:
– What would you do?
– What should the contracting officer report and to whom? Why?
– For Scenarios 2 and 3, discuss the integrity and ethics issues.
- What laws, if any, have been broken?
- Discuss how one’s moral compass can be affected by such factors as
one’s relationships with others, financial difficulties, or perceptions that
misconduct and improper business practices are tolerated in one’s
profession.
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Case Study 2
Mission First: A Case Study in Contracting Ethics and Integrity
Group 3
•
Read the Case Study and discuss the questions.
Questions:
– Identify the contracting ethics and integrity issues that are presented in this
case.
– Describe WHAT you would do and WHY you would do it.
– Describe WHY it is important for members of the acquisition community to
have a shared sense of professional integrity.
-
Discuss how one’s moral compass can be affected by such factors as
one’s relationships with others, financial difficulties, or perceptions that
misconduct and improper business practices are tolerated in one’s
profession.
Copyright © 2013 by United Space Alliance, LLC.
Ethics Briefing
Page 18
Case Study 3
The Plum Assignment: A Case Study in Contracting Ethics and Integrity
Group 4
•
Read the Case Study and discuss.
Questions:
– What ethics and integrity issues are presented in this case?
– Discuss how one’s moral compass can be affected by such factors as
one’s relationships with others.
– What lessons learned can be gained for the person in this case study?
Compile a list.
Copyright © 2013 by United Space Alliance, LLC.
Ethics Briefing
Page 19
Ending Thoughts
“If you don't know where you are going, you'll end up
someplace else.”
• Yogi Berra
“Our deeds determine us, as much as we determine our
deeds.”
• George Eliot
“There is no such thing as a minor lapse of integrity.”
• Tom Peters
“Values are like fingerprints. Nobody's are the same, but
you leave 'em all over everything you do.”
• Elvis Presley
“Whoever is careless with the truth in small matters
cannot be trusted with important matters.”
• Albert Einstein
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Ethics Briefing
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