Practical Consultancy Ethics

Consultants - working for an organization but not as part of it - are particularly subject to commercial pressures from both their employers and their clients, never more so than when consulting on complex and costly IT engagements. A consultant's reputation is crucial to their professional capital, and they have to be able to make defensible decisions that protect this reputation whilst delivering value for the client. This means acting ethically, responsibly and commercially.

Practical Consultancy Ethics approaches the subject of ethics from the individual's perspective: the management or IT consultant who will need to make ethical decisions within their engagement. With clear-sighted identification of the ethical dilemmas that may arise at each stage of a consultancy project - from defining the problem to fit the solution, through to prioritizing competing stakeholder needs, and having access to confidential client information - and guidance on ethical and risk-reducing actions that consultants can take, the emphasis throughout is on improved decision-making. Enhanced with case studies showcasing real-life ethical pitfalls and featuring consultancy ethical dilemmas to challenge the reader, this is a uniquely practical guide to applying best ethical practice in consulting engagements.