Professional Issues in Information Systems Practice

Rationale:

In order to function effectively, professional Information Systems Engineers need not only appropriate technical knowledge, skills and experience, but also abroad understanding of the context in which they will be expected to work. This does not mean that they must become experts in these areas (although those who go on to assume substantial management responsibilities may later need to acquire professional knowledge and expertise in some of them).

Aim:

• To understand the context - ethical, social, legal, financial and organisational - in which professional Information Systems Engineers work

Objectives:

• Show an understanding of the role of professional codes of conduct and apply them to specific situations
• Understand the nature and legal standing of a range of organisations
• Understand the range of functions that exist in an organisation, the need for organisational structure and the characteristics of various types of structure
• Understand and read, at a basic level, a balance sheet, a profit and loss account, and a cash flow statement
• Understand and calculate, in simple cases, the basic information needed for day-to-day financial management
• Understand the main pieces of legislation that apply to the profession and recognise situations to which they are relevant
• Understand the mechanisms used to protect computer software and the reasons for such protection

Prior Knowledge Expected:

Candidates are expected to be familiar with the material covered in the Certificate syllabuses and to have an appreciation of current affairs such as may be obtained by regular reading of a serious newspaper or news magazine.

Content:

1 PROFESSIONAL INSTITUTIONS

• The role of professional institutions and their characteristics: established by Royal Charter, self-governing, controlling entry to the profession and maintaining discipline; reservation of title and reservation of function. Some familiarity with the best-known professional institutions (e.g. those governing the law, medicine and accounting) will be expected.
• The development and structure of the engineering profession; the roles of the Engineering Council and the professional engineering institutions. Regulation of the engineering profession outside the UK.
• The British Computer Society and its membership structure; branches and specialist groups.

2 ORGANISATIONS AND THEIR STRUCTURE

• Limited companies and the roles of directors and members; the advantages of limited company status for commercial organisations. Other legal forms of organisation.
  The concept of delegation and specialisation. Management structures: structure by function, by product, by market sector, and by region.

3 FINANCE

• The financial structure of companies. The requirements for financial disclosure imposed by statute and by stock exchanges. Capital items and depreciation. The balance sheet, the profit and loss account, and cash flow statement.

4 MANAGEMENT ACCOUNTING

• Costing: direct and indirect costs; fixed and variable costs; overheads, corporate and divisional. Treatment of overheads in costing. Costing of labour. Costing (as opposed to estimating) of IT projects. The effect of cost and other factors on the pricing of software.
• Cash flow and its importance; cash flow forecasts, the need for working capital.
  Discounted cash flow analysis and its use in the assessment of capital projects.
  Simple budgeting.

5 LEGAL OBLIGATIONS

• The Data Protection Acts 1984 and 1998, the Computer Misuse Act 1990, the Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998, the Electronic Commerce (EC Directive)
• Regulations 2002, and the Freedom of Information Act 2000. Relevant provisions of the Consumer Protection Act 1987, the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, the Disability Discrimination Act 1995, and the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000.

6 INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

• The concept of intellectual property; software, documentation and designs as intellectual property. The mechanisms available to protect intellectual property. The Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. The EC directive on the Legal Protection of Computer Programs, 91/250.

7 THE INTERNET

• The application of the law relating to issues such as privacy, defamation, and intellectual property rights to the Internet.

8 PROFESSIONAL CODES OF CONDUCT AND THEIR LIMITATIONS

• Professional Codes of Conduct, their strengths and weaknesses. The BCS Code of Conduct and its application in practice.

9 HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGEMENT

• The statutory framework of employment. Contracts of employment. Legal issues arising from outsourcing.
• The SFIAplus™ (Skills Framework for the Information Age) model; continuing professional development.
• Recruitment and selection. Equal opportunities practices. Human resources planning.
• The effect of information systems on jobs. Job design: specialisation, rotation, enlargement and enrichment. Job evaluation.
• Appraisal and Management by Objectives. Continuing professional development.
  Remuneration schemes, planning and control.