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Text Box: An STC Code of Ethics Issue By HENRY BAIRD The news from Washington, D.C. these past months that many members of Congress are likely to be affected by disclosures that they have received gifts of various sorts inappropriately, in exchange for votes, should be a lesson for us all. We Are Like Members of Congress The parallel between the alleged Abramoff excess and our own situations as consultants is obvious: We as representatives of our clients’ interests may be subject to influence by vendors seeking to curry favor toward their products, in relation to a particular opportunity. Pop Quiz If you had to answer just “Yes” or “No,” how would you respond to the following six questions? I/we routinely accept non-bid-related, non-monetary favors from vendor representatives. Yes / No I/we never accept any non-monetary favors, bid-related or not. Yes / No I/we accept only paid travel and hotel to vendor product conferences, not in relation to any pending bid. Yes / No I/we would accept lunch paid for by a vendor at a time of a pending bid. Yes / No I/we would accept lunch paid for by a vendor unrelated to any pending bid. Yes / No I/we would accept a golf outing, sailing trip, or baseball game with a vendor unrelated to any pending bid. Yes / No One difficulty with these questions is the requirement that you respond

STC LINES

A Quarterly Publication of The Society of Telecommunications Consultants

HENRY BAIRD, Telecom Directions, LLC - EDITOR

ROBERT HARRIS, Communications Advantage, Inc. - ASSOCIATE EDITOR

MELISSA SWARTZ, Swartz Consulting, LLC - ASSOCIATE EDITOR

CATHY CIMAGLIA, STC Administrator - DISTRIBUTION

About the STC

The Society of Telecommunications Consultants is an international organization of voice and information technology professionals who serve clients in business, industry, service organizations and government. For over 25 years STC consultants have delivered independent and ethical telecommunications expertise. This objective guidance and support enables clients of STC consultants to benefit from the efficient and effective use of voice and data communications technologies.

with a concrete yes or no, when the questions themselves may involve shades of gray.

For example, if you answered no to the second question because you do not accept any non-monetary favors, does this include refusing one of Larry Kollie’s cool, write upside-down pens? Or what about a prize drawing at an STC conference networking event? So if it’s a matter of degree or scale, where do you draw the line?

Two passages from the STC Code of Ethics may help a bit:

¨ No member . . . shall be placed in a position where the member’s interest is, or may be, in conflict with duty to the client. (Item 3)

¨ . . . No member shall accept fees, commissions, or any other valuable consideration in connection with those services from anyone other than the member’s client. (Item 7)

This is exactly the problem now faced by many members of Congress. When does going out to lunch translate directly to a duty

conflict or become “connected” with a project? There is often no black or white guideline, just a black or white decision to accept or refuse a favor.

The bottom line here is that the STC Code of Ethics does not tell us how to act. Rather it provides guidelines for us to use as reference points.

As members of Congress are now demonstrating, association with what appears to be a source of influence abuses can have the effect of impropriety, even if none of the “favors” received tie directly to a vote.

STC members, who of course operate outside the realm of mone-tary favors, must constantly be on guard against even the appearance of impropriety. These are ongoing judgments we must make.

How Do You Compare?

Back in August of 2001, STC consultants were asked these same six questions. A total of 49 consul-tants responded, as shown on the following chart:

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