CIPScene November 2004

Message from the President

Professionalism means many things to different people. "Professionalism" in the simplest terms is a sense of integrity, honesty, and the adherence to a code of ethics, conduct or standards.

there are many sports posters and motivational posters at keyposters.

The Canadian Information Processing Society (CIPS) is an organization that truly represents the above and offers a professional certification of individual IT practitioners. The primary tangible product that CIPS offers is the Information Systems Professional (I.S.P.) designation - an internationally recognized designation for IT professionals involved in the design and delivery of information systems/processes. This designation provides employers with a foundation for evaluating an IT professional on education and experience.

However, I often get asked "why should I join CIPS when I do not have the academic background or work experience to become an I.S.P.?" My response is simple, CIPS is much more than the I.S.P. designation - Professionalism is the foundation of our organization. CIPS members are bound by a Code of Ethics and Standards of Conduct that define our profession, and protect public interest.

I believe as we set personal goals within our profession, the I.S.P. designation should be seen as an indication of your commitment to a high standard of excellence in the IT profession, however belonging to an association like CIPS, in itself is seen as representative of a strong level of professionalism. More than ever, employers, customers and the public are demanding trustworthy, competent, and ethical IT Professionals. CIPS is the only organization that can truly enable professionalism in our industry, given its 46 year history and a membership base of over 8,000 IT workers in Canada.

Rob Tait
President
CIPS Ottawa