Professional Standards of Practice

I've been in IT for a number of years - I met my first computer in 1956. I have a long-standing commitment to acting professionally. It's the right thing to do, and it makes long-term business sense. I have long been a member of IT "professional" associations. But I never felt that I was really an IT professional.

That's changing, and ITIL is one of the key reasons why. This piece lays out my view of a profession, and explains why Standards of Practice are the essential ingredient in the establishment of a profession.

The challenge of any profession is to establish membership criteria so that the public can have confidence in trusting its members. Members of the profession are required to be trustworthy - the professional society holds them to that commitment. Trust is the key. I want clients to see me as trustworthy.

There are two aspects of being trustworthy. First, the public must trust the intentions of the professional. Second, the public must trust the competence of the professional. With intentions and competence assured, it's easy for the public to trust members of the profession.

Intentions are covered by a Code of Professional Ethics.

• I will serve the interests of my clients, and the community generally, as matters of no less priority than the interests of myself or my colleagues.
• I will not knowingly lay claim to a level of competence I do not possess and will do my best to exercise competence at least to the level claimed.
• I will act with complete loyalty when entrusted with private or confidential information by an employer, client or colleague.
• I will act with impartiality when undertaking to give independent advice and will fully disclose any potential conflicts of interest.
• I will continue my professional development throughout my career, and will provide opportunities for the professional development of my colleagues.

The threat of professional censure makes it easier for the public to trust the intentions of a professional who has committed to such a Code.

The challenge in IT has been that we did not have any practical way to provide assurance of the competence of IT professionals. Having a Ph.D. doesn't do it - I should not be trusted to be professionally competent just because there is a Ph.D. after my name. It's not what you know. It's what you know how to do. And having a Ph.D. doesn't guarantee that I know how to do much of anything.

The missing ingredient has been Standards of Practice. A profession can hold its members to a standard of competence only when there are accepted Standards of Practice. Until recently, there were few accepted Standards of Practice in IT. Reasonable standards have existed for some time, but we are only now seeing social convergence on accepted Standards of IT Practice.

ITIL has led the way, establishing a Standard of Practice for the delivery of IT Services. CMMI and Agile provide needed alternative Standards of Practice for the development of IT Services. There are emerging accepted Standards of Practice in areas such as quality (ISO 9000) and control (CobiT).

It's been a long time coming, but we're getting close to a real IT profession. And ITIL is a key Standard of IT Practice which makes an IT profession possible.

reprinted from

with permission
September, 2003