Guidelines for professional conduct

The following are the guidelines to be observed by all IPRN members for professional conduct between them and are conditional for all members

Conduct of business

  1. Openness and honesty shall mark conduct between all members and a member's 'word' shall be their 'bond'. This means that, having undertaken to do something, even verbally, it will actually be done.
  2. To avoid misunderstanding, all transactions involving payment must be confirmed in writing.
  3. If a member finds it impossible to undertake an assignment, this must be stated immediately and, if applicable, another consultancy in the country concerned should be recommended.
  4. A member who has undertaken an assignment for another member shall be paid within 30 days of rendering an invoice, irrespective of whether the commissioning member has been paid by their client. Members may vary this rule by mutual agreement.
  5. The terms on which the assignment is undertaken must be agreed in writing at the time of commissioning: what exactly is included; whether the client or the commissioning member shall be invoiced; the terms on which the transaction is being agreed; the currency for payment.
  6. The member receiving a commission may pay an optional, negotiated percentage of up to 10% of the fee element involved in the job, for each and every client, to the commissioning member, if this is agreed in writing between them at the time of commissioning. However, it is recommended that the commissioning member be reimbursed by the client for the management of a multi-country campaign and the introduction to other members, to ensure transparency and probity.
  7. Notification should be given to the General Secretary/Administrator that work has been/is being done between member agencies so that some indication of progress of work through the Network can be monitored.

Annual general meeting

  1. All IPRN policy is set by the Annual General Meeting and implemented between meetings by the General Secretary/Administrator and the Chairman. From time to time it is necessary for the General Secretary/Administrator to request information, to circulate questionnaires or similar material and members should respond promptly.
  2. Every member shall pay an annual subscription. Payment shall be made within 60 days of the date of the invoice by cheque or draft drawn on a UK bank in Pounds Sterling (£). Subscriptions shall cover the financial year of IPRN - 1st January to 31st December.
  3. New members must attend the first AGM / Conference after their date of joining, to present their Agency Credentials to the membership.
  4. All members must (business allowing) make every effort to attend the AGM / Conference each year or at least every other year.
  5. All members agree to conform to the Constitution of the IPRN and motions passed at conference/s.
  6. All members will use their best endeavours to submit a full case history to the Project of the Year competition at the conference each year.

Liaison

  1. All members are strongly encouraged to e-mail all other members regularly with information on new clients they have won within that month as well as a brief description of the intended campaign for the members information.

Response to other members

  1. All members must respond within 48 hours to any enquiry from another member, either with the information requested or to indicate if, how or when that information can be supplied.
  2. All members agree to provide such information requested by another member free, at no charge or, if costs will be incurred obtaining that information, to inform the member of that cost and the timescale involved within the same 48 hours.
  3. All members agree to acknowledge new business enquiries, either from the administrative office or individual members within 48 hours. Subsequently they agree to use their best endeavours to progress such requests within the timescale and in the form requested, or otherwise keep the enquirer fully and regularly informed of their ability to assist the network or member to progress such new business enquiries.

Competition

  1. In every case, all information exchanged between members shall be held in strict confidence and not disclosed to any other person, unless with the agreement of the member providing the information. No member may use such information for their own personal ends or gain.
  2. No member should be a member of another competing network though, while certain members do have some loose and unrestricted professional connections, any such associations must be cleared through the General Secretary, who shall consult all other members if there is any doubt.
  3. No member may approach any client of another member without express permission of the member concerned, and the reason for such an approach being fully disclosed.

Problems and mediation

  1. If the member is in anyway aggrieved or dissatisfied by the response or working activities of any other member they should report this immediately in writing to the General Secretary/Administrator who will enquire into the situation and report back to the member and to the Chairman and Administrative Committee for adjudication under the Articles of Association and Conference Motions.
 

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