The Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire-based Telecommunications Industry Association has declared war on telecommunications consultancy cowboys. The Association, a national telecommunications trade organisation for manufacturers, suppliers, operators and consultants, has launched a Registered Telecommunications Consultancy Scheme, supported by a code of conduct, to regulate telecommunications consultancies. Until now, says the Association, there have been no guidelines or professional standards for such consultancies, leaving clients with no means of verifying quality in advance. The new scheme should give users the confidence of choosing a consultancy that is committed to industry-defined professional values, backed by vigorous rules and complaints procedures, said the Associationn’s managing director Alan Cobb. Companies wishing to become Telecomunications Industry Association Registered Consultancies will have to obey the principles outlined in the code of conduct. These include Accepting only those assignments that they are qualified to undertake; confirming in writing the objectives, scope of work, responsibilities and fees payable for each assignment; disclosing any conflicts of interest; and refusing any form of inducement, commission or payment which could impair objectivity. This last provision is perhaps the most significant. Until now, it has not been possible for users to know if a consultancy received commissions for recommending equipment, said Chris Croft, chairman of the the Associationn’s consultancy group. The new code specifically outlaws this practice. The Telecommunications Users’ Association welcomed the code. Its executive chairman, Bill Mieran said that self regulation initiatives such as [this] must be the way forward in order to protect customers’ interests and rid the industry of unwanted elements and misleading advice. The users’ group says it will now be looking for the code of conduct concept to be adopted in other parts of the telecommunications industry. The code has been dev eloped over the last year by members of the Associationn’s Telecommunications Consultancy Sector Interest group, with support from consultancies and law firms including Bell IT Services Ltd, Clifford Chance, Challenger Communications and Oasis Ltd.
