CMA

1. Introduction

The Communications Management Association (CMA) meets the needs of professionals having a significant interest in the application, development and operation of telecommunications-based services. When individuals become members of, or are formally involved with, CMA they are expected to conduct themselves in a manner that will promote the aims and objectives of the Association. This Code of Conduct places no undue restrictions on freedom of speech or action but nevertheless it is a condition of membership or formal involvement.

2. Definitions

Member - A person who has been formally accepted to be included on the official Register of the Association.

Director - A member who has been formally elected or co-opted onto the Board of Trustees

Volunteer - A member who assists a Director or a leader of a Special Interest Group or Forum in the execution of duties but who is not a Director.

Employee - A person classified by statutory regulations as being employed by CMA.

Contractor - A person who is not an Employee but who carries out paid work on behalf of CMA, either as the employee of another company or as a self- employed person.

Inducements - For the purpose of this Code, inducements are defined as all gifts having a material value and which might be construed as a bribe. Items carrying an advertising logo are not normally classed as inducements.

Hospitality - Within this Code hospitality is defined as any entertainment or other, similar activity which could be considered as extravagant.

Individual recipients must decide what constitutes "hospitality" in the circumstances prevailing at the time. However, any entertainment which is clearly offered as a specific business incentive, designed to sway contractual decisions in favour of the host and to the detriment of his competitors, must be considered as "hospitality".

3. Integrity

a. Principles.

i. No-one should use CMA's name on a public platform to further his or her self-interest under the guise of being an official spokesman for CMA.

ii. No-one should publicly act counter to the Aims and Objectives of CMA, as set out in its Strategy and its Articles.

iii. CMA's integrity as a professional body should be safeguarded.

b. Ethical Considerations

i. Applicable to Directors, members, volunteers and employees of CMA:

(a) One of CMA's aims is to represent the views of users of telecommunications products and services in all appropriate debates. The publicity CMA obtains from such activity is well recognised, as is the powerful contribution a person speaking on behalf of CMA can make to a debate. Consequently, when speaking or writing on such subjects, no person in the above categories should purport to represent the views of CMA in public, without first obtaining approval from the Chairman or Director General.

(b) No person shall knowingly, through any public statement, written or spoken, unreasonably act in conflict with the aims and objectives of CMA. Furthermore, all persons involved with CMA are expected at all times to conduct themselves in a manner which will enhance the public standing of CMA.

(c) No person shall, while attending CMA organised, sponsored, or officially endorsed events, publicly sell, or promote the services or products of their employer, or if they are self-employed, their own services and products, without either:

- obtaining prior written approval from CMA, or:

- declaring publicly their particular self interest or the interest of their employer.

(d) No person shall publicly use their membership of CMA to sell, or promote the services or products of their employer, or if they are self-employed, their own services and products, in any way which is likely to denigrate the reputation and good standing of CMA.

(e) Any Director having an interest (which might prejudice his view) in a subject under debate within the Board or its sub-committees shall declare it in advance to the Chairman.

(f) No Director, nor his employer, shall be paid a salary, stipend or other sum (other than recovery of legitimate expenses) by CMA for work carried out on CMA's behalf.

(g) Paid work shall not be allocated to any member unless that work has first been put out to competitive tender. (For this purpose, an advertisement in the Association magazine shall be considered adequate). Exceptionally, where, for example, time is of the essence, the requirement to seek tenders may be waived by either the Chairman or the Director General, and in such cases the circumstances are to be notified by email to the Board.

(h) Any member who is in possession of information, knowing it to have been imparted under a Confidentiality Agreement signed on behalf of CMA by the Director General, shall respect the terms and conditions of that agreement as though he were himself a signatory.

(i) No person shall use information contained within the CMA Members' Handbook - whether in printed or electronic form - to market, sell, or promote the services or products of their employer, or, if they are self-employed, their own services or products, without obtaining prior written permission from the Chairman or the Director General.

(j) No person who is in a position to influence CMA's policy and practice through membership of a Special Interest Group or Forum shall materially benefit from any commercial arrangement that the group might enter into on behalf of CMA without obtaining prior written permission from the Chairman or the Director General.

ii. Applicable to CMA's Contractors

(a) Contractors should not link CMA with their public statements, or behaviour, in any way.

4. Inducements and Hospitality

a. Principles

i. No-one should accept a favour from an outside body which might be construed as a bribe.

b. Ethical Considerations

i. Section 4 of this Code relates only to CMA activities. All other activities are deemed to be covered by other Employers' Codes or Guidelines. CMA prefers that any invitations for hospitality by hosts or sponsors should be directed to individuals as employed by other Companies and not as CMA members:

(a) Employees or Contractors are specifically forbidden to accept any form of inducement relating to their CMA activities. Members may accept inducements relating to their CMA activities, provided they are specifically authorised. The Chairman is self-authorising in this respect.

(b) No personal costs incurred as a result of accepting hospitality may be charged to CMA.

5. Change of Status on Change of Employment

a. Principle

i. No Director or Volunteer should embarrass the Association by changing his employment status, and hence his suitability for volunteer work, without adequate warning.

b. Ethical Considerations

i. Occasionally a member engaged in voluntary activity of a commercially sensitive nature will know that a probability exists that he will change employer in the near future. In such cases he has a duty to consider fully the impact this will have on the reputation or goodwill enjoyed by the Association. CMA has no need to be made aware of the details of any proposed change of employment, but it is incumbent on the member concerned, if he believes that the Association might in some way be damaged, albeit slightly, to request the Chairman (or, if that is inappropriate, the Director General) for leave of absence from his CMA duties. No reason or detail need be given, and the request should merely state "leave of absence under the CMA Code of Conduct" for a specified period. The specified period should be long enough for the applicant to distance himself from any commercial sensitivities or activities which would otherwise put him in a privileged position, with respect to, for example, his proposed new employment.

ii. This requirement could arise in any area of CMA activity, but there is likely to be a higher risk to CMA's integrity as a user organisation, where, for example, a CMA member leaves the user community and joins a service provider.

6. Penalties

Should any person fail to uphold this code they may be denied membership of the Association. This decision will be at the absolute discretion of the Board but the member will be afforded an opportunity to defend his or her actions in accordance with the Disciplinary Guidelines in force at the time.