Membership of the Ethics Committee

The ITAA Board of Directors, on the recommendation of the ITAA Director Operations in consultation with the President, appoints the committee chair/s. The Ethics Committee chairperson/s nominate candidate members for the committee, and these may then be ratified by the Board of Directors. Where possible, all fields of specialization within TA will be represented. The committee will consist of at least six (6) members. The terms of office for committee members will be for three (3) years. Because of the specialized nature of the work of this committee, members may be reappointed for successive terms. Decision-making processes will follow the ITAA guidelines for the conduct of association committee meetings (See the ITAA Procedures Manual). The membership of the Ethics Committee will include no more than three Board of Directors (BoD) Members. Those individuals will absent themselves from any Board matters where ethical issues of relevance are discussed. The Director Operations will not be a member of the Ethics Committee. The Co-Chairs will meet regularly with the Director Operations to give an overview of general matters in the Ethics committee. No confidential information concerning any issues of concern that have been raised or any specific details of formal inquiries will be discussed during those meetings.

FUNCTIONS OF THE ETHICS COMMITTEE

An Educational function

Focused on providing stimulating opportunities to promote awareness and understanding of ethical principles and values, and may involve educational workshops, members to develop ethical thinking and decision-making skills. It encourages members to contemplate what it means to live by the Principles of the ITAA Code and how to apply that to our daily work as well as our personal lives. Examples could include open webinars for all members and short articles in the Script

A Remedial function

This is about “ethical review” or “ethical assessment”. The Ethics Committee is responsible for providing a constructive structure and process for hearing ‘Ethical Issues of Concern’ in a fair and sound manner and that those impacted have the opportunity to learn from their experience. This is a collaborative and humanistic approach to addressing ethical concerns, focusing on dialogue and reflection rather than punishment or control. The aim of this approach is collaboration and participation, encouraging everyone to take responsibility for ethical decision-making and contributing to a culture of shared ethical values. This is the emphasis of the procedures laid out in this manual. Where appropriate ITAA documentation will be amended.

The committee will establish, oversee, review, and mandate inquiries into alleged conduct that contravenes the ITAA Code of Ethics, in line with the Procedures identified in

The ITAA Ethics Committee can serve as a consultant body to other TA organisations to develop and/or revise ethical procedures. It can also serve as a consultant on the request of another TA organisation to resolve disputed ethics decisions within that organisation. The ITAA Ethics Committee will not serve as an appeals body for other TA organisation members.

The committee will review the ITAA Code of Ethics from time to time and interpret it to the membership and the public.

Advisory Opinions

The President, Executive Committee, Board of Directors, and Committee Chairpersons may consult with the Ethics Committee on matters arising in the management of the ITAA.

The Ethics Committee, at its discretion, may choose to give an advisory opinion about an ethical issue raised by a member of the association, but it is not required to do so. Any such opinion will be confined to matters concerning the ethics process and whether an inquiry about alleged ethical contraventions would be appropriate matters for the ITAA Ethics Committee to consider. An advisory opinion will be given only when actual and not hypothetical question/s have been asked. To mitigate ambiguity and ensure clarity, such opinions will be rendered only in writing and only in response to a written request.

Jurisdiction

The Code of Ethics is binding on members of the ITAA in all membership categories.

Jurisdiction Over Resigned Members

The association also has jurisdiction over resigned members in relation to an issue of ethical concern being raised that occurred during the period of membership, provided the concern is received within one (1) year of the date of resignation.