Standards of professional conduct
I.Professionalism
A. Independence and Objectivity. Consultants must use reasonable care and judgment to achieve and maintain independence and objectivity in their professional activities. Consultants must not offer, solicit, or accept any gift, benefit, compensation, or consideration that reasonably could be expected to compromise their own or another’s independence and objectivity.
B. Competence Building and Sharing. Consultants must strive to continually build, maintain and improve their competence. They have the duty to share their competence with colleagues and clients.
C. Misrepresentation. Consultants must not knowingly make any misrepresentations relating to Matine Consulting or their personal competence, experience, references, education or other professional activities.
D. Misconduct. Consultants must not engage in any professional conduct involving dishonesty, fraud, or deceit or commit any act that reflects adversely on their professional reputation, integrity, or competence.
II.Integrity of the consulting profession
A. Preservation of Confidentiality. Consultants must keep information about current, former, and prospective clients confidential unless:
a. The information concerns illegal activities on the part of the client or prospective client,
b. Disclosure is required by law, or,
c. The client or prospective client permits disclosure of the information.
B. Material Nonpublic Information. Consultants who possess material nonpublic information that could affect the position of a client must not act or cause others to act on the information.
III. Duties to clients
A. Loyalty, Prudence, and Care. Consultants have a duty of loyalty to their clients and must act with reasonable care and exercise prudent judgment. Consultants must act for the benefit of their clients and place their clients’ interests before their employer’s or their own interests.
B. Fair dealing. Consultants must deal fairly and objectively with all clients when providing consulting services.
C. Impact focus. When Consultants are in advisory relationship with a client, they must:
a. Make a reasonable inquiry into a client’s or prospective client’s context, goals, resources, and constraints prior to making any recommendation or action.
b. Judge the suitability of their recommendations and actions to ensure sustainable impact that meets the client’s written objectives, mandates, and constraints.
c. Reassess and update analysis, recommendations and actions regularly during the engagement.
IV.Duties to employers
V. Analysis, Recommendations, and Actions
A. Diligence and Reasonable Basis. Consultants must:
a. Exercise diligence, independence, and thoroughness in analyzing, making recommendations, and taking actions.
b. Have a reasonable and adequate basis, supported by appropriate research and investigation, for any analysis, recommendation, or action.
B. Communication with Clients and Prospective Clients. Consultants must disclose and thoroughly explain to clients and prospective clients their analysis, recommendations, and actions, while promptly disclosing any material limitations, risks or potential changes that might materially affect those recommendations and actions.
VI.Conflicts of interest
A. Avoidance of Conflicts. Consultants must make reasonable efforts to avoid any conflicts of interest that could reasonably be expected to impair their independence and objectivity, or interfere with respective duties to their clients, prospective clients, and employer.
VII.Responsibilities as Matine Consulting employees, interns, experts and partners
A. Relations with competing Consulting Professionals. Consultants must uphold the dignity, integrity, and reputation of the Consulting Profession and promote the values imbedded in the Code and Standards among its professionals. When in competition, Consultants must refrain from any practices or statements that could harm other consulting professionals.
B. Civil and Political Activities. Consultants are strongly encouraged to embrace civil activities that could accomplish positive impact on society. Consultants must not promote their political beliefs and activities in a manner that could be linked to Matine Consulting or to its Clients or harm its reputation, independence, and objectivity.
C. Conduct as Consultants. Employees, Interns and Experts and Partners must not engage in any conduct that compromises the reputation or the integrity of Matine Consulting or its Clients.