About NPA: The NPA Code of Ethical Integrity

In 2024, the NPA took a look at the NPA Code of Ethics, last updated in 2007, with a critical eye. The NPA is pleased to announce an updated code of ethics for the next generation: the NPA Code of Ethical Integrity.

Network Professional Association
Code of Ethical Integrity

Revision adopted 6/17/2024

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Preamble

This Code of Ethics sets forth the principles and practices of professional conduct to be observed by the members of the Network Professional Association.

The Network Professional Association (NPA) Code of Ethics is designed to uphold the highest standards of integrity, professionalism, and ethical behavior among IT and networking professionals. This code reflects the evolving landscape of technology and society, emphasizing the need for responsible and ethical conduct in all professional activities.

The Code

To sustain and advance the integrity, honor, and values of the IT/Networking profession, I shall:

1. Integrity and Honesty

• Transparency in Communication: Ensure all communications are clear, truthful, and accurate. Misrepresentation or omission of critical information is unethical and unacceptable.
• Honesty in Communications: Report data, findings, and information truthfully. Disclose both pertinent information and known limitations. Fabrication, falsification, or intentional omission undermines the credibility of the profession.
• Accuracy in Communications: Provide accurate and timely information to consumers, clients, and employers about the IT/Networking profession and services offered. Do not claim false competence or seek to take advantage of the lack of knowledge of others.

2. Accountability and Responsibility

• Professional Accountability: Take responsibility for your actions and decisions. Own up to mistakes and take corrective measures promptly.
  
• Commitment to Excellence: Strive for excellence in all professional endeavors. Continually update skills and knowledge to remain competent in the field.
  
• Promote Integrity: Exemplify and promote appropriate standards of professional behavior among peers and coworkers.

3. Respect and Fairness

• Respect for All: Treat all colleagues, clients, and stakeholders with respect and dignity, regardless of their background or status.
• Equity and Inclusion: Promote fairness and inclusivity in the workplace. Ensure equal opportunities and avoid discrimination or bias.
• Strict Impartiality: Act with strict impartiality when giving independent advice to an employer, client, customer, or vendor. Should advice given be potentially influential to one's personal benefit, full and detailed disclosure to all relevant interested parties shall be made at the time the advice is provided.

4.   Privacy and Confidentiality

• Data Protection: Safeguard the privacy and confidentiality of personal and sensitive information. Adhere to all relevant data protection laws and regulations.
• Responsible Data Use: Use data responsibly and ethically. Avoid misuse or unauthorized access to information.
• Right to Privacy: Have special regard for the potential effects of network computing systems on individuals' rights to privacy.

5. Professional Conduct

• Ethical Decision-Making: Make decisions based on ethical principles, considering the impact on all stakeholders and society at large.
• Conflict of Interest: Disclose any potential conflicts of interest and avoid situations where personal interests could compromise professional judgment.
• Confidential Relationships: Recognize and respect relationships between employers and their clients, customers, partners, and vendors, keeping private any information acquired during the practice of the profession.

6. Continuous Learning, Innovation and Education

• Lifelong Learning: Commit to ongoing professional development. Stay abreast of the latest technological advancements and ethical standards through education and training.
• Mentoring and Teaching: Contribute to the interchange of technical/professional information as a teacher and/or mentor.
• Fostering Innovation: Encourage and support innovative practices that contribute to the advancement of the field while maintaining ethical integrity.

7. Social Responsibility

• Positive Impact: Use professional skills to contribute positively to society. Support initiatives that promote digital literacy, accessibility, and the ethical use of technology.
• Environmental Stewardship: Consider the environmental impact of professional activities and strive to adopt sustainable practices.
• Avoid False Impressions: Do not express opinions outside one's area of professional competence without appropriate qualification. Do not allow an unqualified opinion to be taken as fact without objection.

8. Collaboration and Community

• Professional Collaboration: Work collaboratively with peers to achieve common goals. Share knowledge and resources to advance the profession.
• Community Engagement: Engage with the professional community to foster a culture of ethics and integrity. Participate in dialogues and initiatives that promote ethical standards.
• Protect The Reputation: Do not deliberately destroy or diminish the value or effectiveness of the IT/Networking profession through action or omission.

9. Compliance with Regulatory Authorities

• Adherence to Laws and Regulations: Ensure all professional activities comply with relevant local, national, and international laws and regulations governing IT and networking practices.
• Reporting and Documentation: Maintain accurate and complete records as required by regulatory authorities and report any violations or non-compliance promptly to the appropriate entities.
• Honor Ownership: Respect intellectual property rights, including copyrights, patents, and trademarks held by employers, customers, clients, and vendors.

10. Personal Ethics and Integrity

• Consistent Ethical Behavior: Uphold ethical principles consistently in both professional and personal conduct, demonstrating honesty, fairness, and integrity in all interactions.
• Moral Courage: Exhibit the courage to make ethical decisions even when faced with personal or professional pressure, ensuring that integrity is always maintained.
• Conflict of Interest: Do not knowingly enter into a legal or contractual relationship with any party whose interests conflict or are likely to conflict with your personal interests without advance disclosure to, and approval by, all parties involved.

11. Artificial Intelligence

• Acknowledgement of Use: Provide appropriate acknowledgment and attribution when using artificial intelligence and do not represent such use as one's own work.
• Responsible Development and Deployment: Ensure that artificial intelligence applications are developed and deployed in ways that are transparent, fair, and respectful of user privacy and human rights.
• Bias Mitigation and Accountability: Actively work to identify and mitigate biases in AI systems, ensuring accountability and maintaining trust in AI applications.

12. Ethics in the Association

• Certification: One shall not attempt to obtain certification by fraud or deception.
• Material Fact: One shall not misstate a material fact, or make a statement of material fact, in any application or statement of representation of qualifications to the Network Professional Association for membership or any leadership position.
• Commitment: One shall strive to honor all commitments made to the Network Professional Association, provide appropriate notice, and propose reasonable alternatives when unable to do so.

Conclusion:

By adhering to this Code of Ethics, IT/Networking professionals are committed to upholding the highest standards of ethical conduct, thereby enhancing the credibility and integrity of themselves and their profession. This code serves as a guiding framework, empowering professionals to make ethical decisions and contribute positively to the ever-evolving landscape of technology and society.

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Discipline and Revocation

The NPA Board of Directors, on behalf of the Network Professional Association, may revoke any Membership or Certificate which has been awarded by it in the event that the recipient violates the above NPA Code of Ethical Integrity, or engages in conduct that discredits or disgraces the Association or the network computing profession.

The NPA Board of Directors has created a set of policies and procedures for handling such revocation. These procedures detail the grounds for revocation, the due process requirements of a revocation proceeding, the hearing process with ample opportunity for both sides to present facts and arguments and an appeal process.