Ethical Guidance for Section Members
Ethical Guidance for EPP Members
The EPP Leadership Council has adopted voluntary ethical guidelines for members of the EPP Section. The voluntary guidelines apply to those involved in processes not covered by the current “Model Standards of Conduct for Mediators” adopted by ACR, ABA and AAA. The document was developed over the past several years by the Ethics Committee of the EPP Section, comprised of both practitioners and other experts, and with input from the EPP Section members, solicited in the fall of 2010. The Leadership Council adopted the voluntary guidance on September 9, 2011.
You may download the document at: Ethical Guidance for Members of the Environment and Public Policy Section (click to download file).
Frequently Asked Questions
What ethical standards apply to EPP Section members?
Two sets of standards adopted by ACR apply to all section members. The first set is the Model Standards of Conduct for Mediators, which apply to members when they conduct mediations. The second set is the ACR Ethical Principles adopted in 2010.
Section members can also choose to adopt the Ethical Guidance for EPP Section Members, a set of principles and guidelines approved by the section Leadership Council in September 2011.
The section’s Ethics Committee has prepared a reference document with all three sets of ethical standards. You can download it by clicking here.
Why would a member want to adopt the Section’s voluntary Ethical Principles and Guidelines?
The Principles and Guidelines were specifically written with public policy work in mind. How do you deal with confidentiality obligations when you are also faced with sunshine laws? Can you take repeated jobs from the same government agency or does that create an appearance of bias? The guidance addresses these kinds of questions.
Also, the guidance includes a one-page summary that is useful in explaining your commitment to professional ethics to clients and participants. (It’s on page 24 of the downloadable reference document.
Do I need to sign up to adopt the voluntary Ethical Principles and Guidelines? What if I want to opt out?
The section has no plans to track who has adopted the guidance. If you adopt it, you are free to tell clients and colleagues or to advertise the fact. Or, you may simply use the guidance as a personal guide to conducting your practice.
If you do not wish to adopt the guidance, there is no need to opt out formally. The guidance is voluntary.
I have concerns about the guidance. What should I do?
If you have questions or suggestions about the guidance, please pass them on to the Leadership Council at environment.public.policy@gmail.com. The Section’s ethics point person can try to answer your questions informally. The Leadership Council will collect your suggestions for improvement for any future revision of the guidance.
Updated: October 11, 2011
