All Association members share a devotion to high professional standards and best practices. This is made concrete by the fact that every member at every level - from student to CMC - must agree to abide by this stringent Code of Professional Conduct.

Purpose
The purpose of this Code is to identify those professional obligations that serve to protect the public in general, and the client in particular. The Code is also designed to identify clearly the expectations of members with respect to other members and the profession.

Definitions
"Council" is the Council or Board of any provincial or regional institute of Certified Management Consultants affiliated with the Canadian Association of Management Consultants (CAMC).
"Member" is any individual registered and in good standing with a provincial or regional Institute of Certified Management Consultants in Canada.

Responsibilities to the Public
Legal: A member shall act in accordance with the applicable legislation and laws.
Representation: A member shall make representation on behalf of provincial, regional, or national institute members only when authorized.
Public Protection: A member shall be liable for suspension or expulsion from membership where that member has behaved in a manner unbecoming to the profession, as judged by Council.

Responsibilities to the Profession
Knowledge: A member shall keep informed of the applicable Code of Professional Conduct and the profession's Common Body of Knowledge.
A member shall strive to keep current with developments in any area of the profession where specific expertise is claimed.
Self-Discipline: A member shall recognize that the self disciplinary nature of the profession is a privilege and that the member has a responsibility to merit retention of this privilege. Therefore, a member shall report to Council unbecoming professional conduct by another member.
Responsibilities For Others: A member shall ensure that other management consultants carrying out work on the member's behalf are conversant with, and abide by, the applicable Code of Professional Conduct.
Image: A member shall behave in a manner that maintains the good reputation of the profession and its ability to serve the public interest.
A member shall avoid activities that adversely affect the quality of that member's professional advice.
A member may not carry on business that clearly detracts from the member's professional status.

Responsibilities to Other Members
Review of A Member's Work: A member who has been requested to review critically the work of another member shall inform that member before undertaking the work.

Responsibilities to the Client
Due Care: A member shall act in the best interest of the client, providing professional services with integrity, objectivity, and independence.
A member shall not encourage unrealistic client expectations.
Business Development: A member shall not adopt any method of obtaining business that detracts from the professional image of the Institute or its members.
Competence: A member shall accept only those assignments that the member has the knowledge and skill to perform.
Informed Client: A member shall, before accepting an assignment, reach a mutual understanding with the client as to the assignment objectives, scope, workplan, and costs.
Fee Arrangement: A member shall establish fee arrangements with a client in advance of any substantive work and shall inform all relevant parties when such arrangements may impair or may be seen to impair the objectivity or independence of the member.
A member shall not enter into fee arrangements which have the potential to compromise the member's integrity or the quality of services rendered.
Conflict: A member shall avoid acting simultaneously for two or more clients in potentially conflicting situations without informing all parties in advance and securing their agreement to the arrangement.
A member shall inform a client of any interest that may impair or may be seen to impair professional judgment.
A member shall not take advantage of a client relationship by encouraging, unless by way of an advertisement, an employee of that client to consider alternate employment without prior discussion with the client.
Confidentiality: A member shall treat all client information as confidential.
Objectivity: A member shall refrain from serving a client under terms or conditions that impair independence and a member shall reserve the right to withdraw from the assignment if such becomes the case.

Statements of Interpretation
For some time, the Institutes in Canada have perceived a need to flesh out the meaning of the Code by providing a companion set of guidelines to help members interpret each Section of the Code.

The Ontario Institute (ICMCO) launched a lengthy project, beginning in 1992, to create such guidelines. The extensive work was carried out under the aegis of its Discipline Committee, chaired by Anne Patterson, CMC. Interpretations were drafted by Committee members, by volunteers, or by a panel of selected senior members of our profession. The drafts were tested with the individual panel members, and reviewed by the Discipline Committee.
The Statements have now been reviewed by all other Institutes in Canada. At its October 1994 meeting, the Board of Directors of ICMCC formally approved the Statements of Interpretation for ratification and adoption by every Member Institute. Further amendments were approved by the Board in October 1996.

The Statements of Interpretation furnish guidelines to help CMCs and Prospective Members understand the requirements of the Code. The Statements elaborate on, and are more specific than, the related Section of the Code. They should assist Members in determining how to apply the Code to particular circumstances - and so to act knowledgeably in compliance with it.

With the passage of time, the evolution of professional thought and the gaining of experience with the Code will produce a need for added or modified Interpretations.