SIST-TS CEN/TS 17834:2022
(Main)European Professional Ethics Framework for the ICT Profession (EU ICT Ethics)
European Professional Ethics Framework for the ICT Profession (EU ICT Ethics)
This document will provide an “European Professional Ethics Framework for the ICT Profession (EU ICT Ethics)” to support the vision of establishing a profession for the ICT workforce. It will thereby offer the possibility to coalesce other ethics focused initiatives around a common structure.
This ethics framework will be directly linked to EN 16234-1. It will incorporate the structural concept of EN 16234-1 and, in a comparable way, describe a blueprint of what is required and what competencies, skills and knowledge are needed to identify and address the ethical challenges that ICT professionals face in their work.
Therefore it will extend the ethics principles already described in the "Transversal Aspects of the e-Competence Framework" in such a way that concrete requirements and procedures can be defined and implemented in the respective context on the basis of the roles, methods and processes defined in the framework.
The Scope therefore is to crystalize ‘ICT Professional Ethics” into a manageable, structure “European Professional Ethics Framework for the ICT Profession” and to provide guidance on practical application provided by a methodology and application guide that will support the establishment of codes of ethics.
Europäischer berufsethischer Rahmen für den IKT-Beruf (EU ICT Ethics)
Evropski okvir poklicne etike za poklic IKT (etika EU IKT)
Ta dokument bo zagotovil evropski okvir poklicne etike na področju informacijske in komunikacijske tehnologije (IKT) (»European Professional Ethics Framework for the ICT Profession (EU ICT Ethics)«) in s tem pripomogel k uresničitvi vizije o vzpostavitvi poklica za delovno silo na področju informacijske in komunikacijske tehnologije. Zaradi tega bodo lahko druge pobude, osredotočene na etiko, temeljile na skupni strukturi.
Ta etični okvir bo neposredno povezan s standardom EN 16234-1. Vključeval bo strukturno zasnovo iz standarda EN 16234-1 in primerjalni opis temeljnih zahtev in usposobljenosti, veščin ter znanj, ki so potrebni za opredelitev in obravnavo etičnih izzivov, s katerimi se pri svojem delu srečujejo strokovnjaki na področju informacijske in komunikacijske tehnologije.
V njem bodo etična načela, ki so že opisana v poglavju o presečnih vidikih krovnega seznama e-usposobljenosti (»Transversal Aspects of the e-Competence Framework«), razširjena tako, da bo na podlagi vlog, metod in postopkov, določenih v tem krovnem seznamu, mogoče opredeliti in izvajati konkretne zahteve oziroma postopke v ustreznem kontekstu.
Cilj je torej poklicno etiko na področju informacijske tehnologije izoblikovati v t.i. evropski okvir poklicne etike na področju informacijske in komunikacijske tehnologije ter s priročnikom o metodologiji in uporabi, ki bo podpiral vzpostavitev etičnih kodeksov, zagotoviti smernice za njegovo praktično uporabo.
General Information
Standards Content (Sample)
SLOVENSKI STANDARD
SIST-TS CEN/TS 17834:2022
01-oktober-2022
Evropski okvir poklicne etike za poklic IKT (etika EU IKT)
European Professional Ethics Framework for the ICT Profession (EU ICT Ethics)
Europäischer berufsethischer Rahmen für den IKT-Beruf (EU ICT Ethics)
Ta slovenski standard je istoveten z: CEN/TS 17834:2022
ICS:
03.100.30 Vodenje ljudi Management of human
resources
35.020 Informacijska tehnika in Information technology (IT) in
tehnologija na splošno general
SIST-TS CEN/TS 17834:2022 en,fr,de
2003-01.Slovenski inštitut za standardizacijo. Razmnoževanje celote ali delov tega standarda ni dovoljeno.
---------------------- Page: 1 ----------------------
SIST-TS CEN/TS 17834:2022
---------------------- Page: 2 ----------------------
SIST-TS CEN/TS 17834:2022
CEN/TS 17834
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATION
SPÉCIFICATION TECHNIQUE
July 2022
TECHNISCHE SPEZIFIKATION
ICS 03.100.30; 35.020
English Version
European Professional Ethics Framework for the ICT
Profession (EU ICT Ethics)
Europäischer berufsethischer Rahmen für den IKT-
Beruf (EU ICT Ethics)
This Technical Specification (CEN/TS) was approved by CEN on 17 July 2022 for provisional application.
The period of validity of this CEN/TS is limited initially to three years. After two years the members of CEN will be requested to
submit their comments, particularly on the question whether the CEN/TS can be converted into a European Standard.
CEN members are required to announce the existence of this CEN/TS in the same way as for an EN and to make the CEN/TS
available promptly at national level in an appropriate form. It is permissible to keep conflicting national standards in force (in
parallel to the CEN/TS) until the final decision about the possible conversion of the CEN/TS into an EN is reached.
CEN members are the national standards bodies of Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia,
Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway,
Poland, Portugal, Republic of North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Türkiye and
United Kingdom.
EUROPEAN COMMITTEE FOR STANDARDIZATION
COMITÉ EUROPÉEN DE NORMALISATION
EUROPÄISCHES KOMITEE FÜR NORMUNG
CEN-CENELEC Management Centre: Rue de la Science 23, B-1040 Brussels
© 2022 CEN All rights of exploitation in any form and by any means reserved Ref. No. CEN/TS 17834:2022 E
worldwide for CEN national Members.
---------------------- Page: 3 ----------------------
SIST-TS CEN/TS 17834:2022
CEN/TS 17834:2022 (E)
Contents
European foreword . 5
Introduction . 6
1 Scope . 7
2 Normative references . 8
3 Terms and definitions . 8
4 Structure of the Professional Ethics Framework .10
4.1 Introduction . 10
4.2 Basic Definitions . 10
4.2.1 How to define ICT professional ethics . 10
4.2.2 EN 16234-1 (e-CF) definitions of ICT and ICT professional . 10
4.2.3 CEPIS definition of ICT professionals. 11
4.2.4 IFIP and ACM definition of ICT professionals . 11
4.2.5 Professionalism in related e-Skills projects . 11
4.2.6 ICT professional ethics in related e-Skills projects . 11
4.2.7 Professional ethics . 12
4.2.8 ICT Professional ethics . 13
4.3 The history of the EC and European values in terms of ethics . 13
4.3.1 Introduction . 13
4.3.2 Human dignity . 13
4.3.3 Freedom . 14
4.3.4 Democracy . 14
4.3.5 Equality . 14
4.3.6 Rule of law . 14
4.3.7 Human rights. 14
4.4 European values of ICT ethics - prior research and policy work . 14
4.5 Framework content and structure . 17
4.6 ICT Professional Ethical Responsibilities . 20
4.7 Language and the Ethics Framework . 21
4.8 Standards and frameworks, the liaison with ethics . 22
5 Ethical theories, models and frameworks in ICT fields .23
5.1 Introduction . 23
5.2 Exploitation of theories, models and frameworks . 24
5.2.1 Ethical theories and models . 24
5.2.2 Ethical frameworks . 24
5.2.3 Methodology and scope . 25
5.2.4 Ethics reflection from theory to ICT practice, the role of Case Studies cases . 25
5.3 Challenges and solutions to real settings implementation . 46
5.3.1 ICT related challenges . 47
5.3.2 Strengths and weaknesses of the implementation process . 47
5.3.3 Effective components of the framework . 47
5.3.4 Professionalism and organisational ethics . 48
2
---------------------- Page: 4 ----------------------
SIST-TS CEN/TS 17834:2022
CEN/TS 17834:2022 (E)
6 ICT professional ethics as part of competence and knowledge. 48
6.1 Introduction . 48
6.2 How to use with EN 16234-1 (e-CF) . 49
6.3 How to use with CWA 16458 (EU Role Profiles) . 49
6.4 How to use with other ethics codes. 50
6.5 How to use with tools/methods . 50
7 Taking the framework into the organisation: context, culture and leadership . 50
7.1 Introduction . 50
7.2 What is the value proposition? . 51
7.3 The five main ICT business areas and their connection to EN 16234-1 (e-CF) . 52
7.4 Organisational steps to implement ICT ethics within an organization . 53
7.5 Implementation of the framework in the daily life of an organisation . 54
7.5.1 Leadership and Organizational structure . 54
7.5.2 Implementation method . 55
8 Implementation: ICT Ethics framework (ICTEF) in practice . 56
8.1 ICTEF implementation guidelines . 56
8.2 Guidelines for code of ethics implementation . 56
8.2.1 Drafting Code of Ethics . 57
8.3 Guidelines for Ethics Committee/Ethics Board Implementation . 60
8.3.1 Scope . 60
8.3.2 Independence . 61
8.3.3 Transparency . 61
8.3.4 Composition . 61
8.3.5 Ethics Committee - Tasks . 62
8.4 Guidelines for the Ethical Dialogue . 62
8.5 Guidelines for Ethics Canvas . 63
8.6 Guidelines to use ICT Ethics framework in an ICT Professional body . 65
8.7 Procedures. 65
8.7.1 Internal procedure to trigger ICT ethics issues . 66
8.7.2 Public procedure to trigger ICT ethics issues. 66
8.8 Register . 67
8.9 Ethics by design tools . 67
8.9.1 The life cycle of technology: The entire value chain . 67
8.9.2 Ethical Operating System OS Toolkit (Ethical OS Toolkit) . 68
8.10 How to use with other frameworks . 69
9 How to use ICT Professional Ethics Framework in education and training. 70
10 Assessment of the development and engagement with ICT ethics . 71
10.1 Introduction . 71
10.2 Ethics assessment in ICT Professionalism. 71
3
---------------------- Page: 5 ----------------------
SIST-TS CEN/TS 17834:2022
CEN/TS 17834:2022 (E)
10.2.1 European initiatives of e-competences’ assessment . 72
10.2.2 Specific indicators of ethics performance in ICT professional environments . 74
10.2.3 Design of a Life Cycle Readiness Assessments . 80
10.3 The benefit of digital toolkits for ICT ethics competences and skills’ assessment . 81
10.4 Specific ICT Use case development as a “proof of concept” for assessment toolkits . 82
10.4.1 Use Cases for assessment . 82
11 Ethics in ICT Professional roles .86
11.1 Benefits of thinking ethically in ICT professional environments . 86
11.2 ICT profiles aligned to ethical attitudes: factors affecting this alignment . 87
Annex A (informative) Overview of EN 16234-1 (e-CF) competences compared with Berlin
Declaration ethics values .89
Bibliography .98
4
---------------------- Page: 6 ----------------------
SIST-TS CEN/TS 17834:2022
CEN/TS 17834:2022 (E)
European foreword
This document (CEN/TS 17834:2022) has been prepared by Technical Committee CEN/TC 428 “ICT
Professionalism and Digital Competences”, the secretariat of which is held by UNI.
Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be the subject of
patent rights. CEN shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.
Any feedback and questions on this document should be directed to the users’ national standards body.
A complete listing of these bodies can be found on the CEN website.
According to the CEN/CENELEC Internal Regulations, the national standards organisations of the
following countries are bound to announce this Technical Specification: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria,
Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland,
Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Republic of
North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey and the United
Kingdom.
5
---------------------- Page: 7 ----------------------
SIST-TS CEN/TS 17834:2022
CEN/TS 17834:2022 (E)
Introduction
The current document, the European Professional Ethics Framework for the ICT Profession (EU ICT
Ethics), provides a foundation for defining practical guidelines to improve ethics for different
organisations across all technical areas. In addition, it provides a basis for aligning existing guidelines and
initiatives and establishing comparisons to support the vision of an ICT professional workforce. It offers
the possibility to coalesce other ethics focused initiatives around a common structure.
Professional ethics is an essential component of any profession; mutual understanding leads to improved
outcomes and differentiates professions from jobs. A professional ICT workforce across European society
and industry (founded on the four building blocks of ICT professionalism: Professional Ethics; Education
and training; Bodies of Knowledge; Competences) will support and enhance the exchange of ICT
resources and services throughout Europe and internationally.
This document is related to EN 16234-1 e-Competence Framework (e-CF) – A common European
Framework for ICT Professionals in all sectors – Part 1: Framework and incorporates its structural
concept. It describes a blueprint of requirements and highlights connections to the competences, skills
and knowledge required to identify and address the ethical challenges that ICT professionals face in daily
activities.
This strong association with the EN 16234-1 (e-CF) naturally extends to the ethics principles described
in the Transversal Aspects of the EN 16234-1 (e-CF) and enables ethics related requirements and
procedures to be defined and implemented in the context of specific ICT professional roles and
environments.
This document organises Professional Ethics into a manageable structure and provides guidance on
practical use through a methodology and application guide to support implementation through a range
of methods and contexts. It also provides a platform for universities and vocational training institutions
to design and improve ICT ethics courses specifically for ICT professionals. This makes qualification
attainment more transparent in European internal markets and, in addition, it offers input into
accreditation processes provided by relevant national ICT professional bodies.
The European Professional Ethics Framework for the ICT Profession benefits all ICT Professionals and all
stakeholders reliant upon the capability of ICT Professionals. This includes wider society and a trusted,
ethical and professional ICT workforce that contributes to enabling the goal of an economically vibrant,
socially just and sustainable Europe.
The document is based on a fixed structure, which is intended to ensure the uniformity of such CEN
documents and their reliable placement in the context of other standards, specifications and reports.
The following recommendations are given to support the readability of the document.
• Newbie / Beginner: If new to the topic of professional ethics and for example an ICT professional
or a manager in an organisation primarily interested in the basic aspects, it is recommended to
first read Clauses 4.3 and 4.4 as an introduction. Then read Clause 5.2.4 and especially the Case
Studies in Clause 5.2.5 before reading Clause 5 in total and the rest of the document from the start.
• ICT Ethics in the European Context: If interested in the embedding of the Framework in the
European context, then read Clause 4.4 before reading the rest of Clause 4 in context.
• Ethics and organisational culture: If interested in the connection between organisational
culture and ICT ethics and want to know how you can implement this topic in your organisation,
it is recommended to jump directly to Clause 7.
• Practical application: If already on the way to take some practical first steps in the field of ICT
professional ethics in an organisation and you are interested in practical help and tools, it is
recommended to jump directly to Clause 8.
6
---------------------- Page: 8 ----------------------
SIST-TS CEN/TS 17834:2022
CEN/TS 17834:2022 (E)
1 Scope
This document contains basic information and fundamental considerations on embedding ICT in
European values. It includes concepts and structures for using the framework and practical suggestions
for the concrete implementation of organisational and individual aspects as scoped by the European ICT
Professionalism framework and its basic underlying references.
The scope of occupations associated with Information and Communication Technology is very wide and
therefore, to define a boundary, this document is based upon the target audience of the EN 16234-1 “e-
Competence Framework (e-CF) – A common European Framework for ICT Professionals in all sectors –
Part 1: Framework”.
Beneficiaries and users of this document include educational institutions embracing universities and
VET, public and private, certification providers, industry, including HR departments, large companies and
SMEs, and the ICT professional community.
An extended benefit of a common ethics framework is the enhanced perception of ICT as a ‘professional’
career. The overall attractiveness of employment within ICT from the perspective of potential employees
will be improved by the establishment of a recognised ICT Profession in which ethics play a significant
role.
EN 16234-1 (e-CF) is the starting point and guiding document for this technical publication, being closely
connected with the other deliverables and references for a shared European language for ICT
professional development.
7
---------------------- Page: 9 ----------------------
SIST-TS CEN/TS 17834:2022
CEN/TS 17834:2022 (E)
2 Normative references
The following documents are referred to in the text in such a way that some or all of their content
constitutes requirements of this document. For dated references, only the edition cited applies. For
undated references, the latest edition of the referenced document (including any amendments) applies.
EN 16234-1:2019, e-Competence Framework (e-CF) – A common European Framework for ICT
Professionals in all sectors – Part 1: Framework
CEN/TS 17699:2022, Guidelines for developing ICT Professional Curricula as scoped by EN16234-1 (e-CF)
3 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this document, the following terms and definitions apply.
ISO and IEC maintain terminological databases for use in standardization at the following addresses:
• IEC Electropedia: available at http://www.electropedia.org/
• ISO Online browsing platform: available at http://www.iso.org/obp
3.1
Information and Communication Technology (ICT)
digital computers and internet (communication) systems, including software, hardware and
networks
[SOURCE: EN 16234-1:2019, definition 3.1]
3.2
Information and Communication Technology (ICT)
cross sector of enterprises, including manufacturers, product suppliers or
service providers relating to the ICT field
[SOURCE: EN 16234-1:2019, definition 3.2]
3.3
ICT professional
person having the competence to plan, build, run, enable and/or manage ICT and having a professional
ICT qualification and/or ICT occupational experience; they include both employees of ICT companies and
ICT employees of organisations in all other sectors; they are all in the scope of this document
[SOURCE: EN 16234-1:2019, definition 3.3]
3.4
competence
demonstrated ability to apply knowledge, skills and attitudes for achieving observable results
[SOURCE: EN 16234-1:2019, definition 3.5]
8
---------------------- Page: 10 ----------------------
SIST-TS CEN/TS 17834:2022
CEN/TS 17834:2022 (E)
3.5
knowledge
body of facts which can be applied in a field of work or study (know what to do)
[SOURCE: EN 16234-1:2019, definition 3.6]
3.6
skill
ability to carry out managerial or technical activities and tasks, and this may be cognitive or practical
(know how to do it)
[SOURCE: EN 16234-1:2019, definition 3.7]
3.7
attitude
representing the human element of an e-competence and reflecting the way a Person integrates
knowledge and skills and applies them in a contextually appropriate manner
[SOURCE: EN 16234-1:2019, definition 3.8]
3.8
transversal aspects
cross-cutting topics that are relevant to all competences defined by the EN 16234-1 (e-CF); each
transversal aspect is provided by a title and a generic description that may be applied, dependent upon
context by, ‘being aware of’ or ‘behaving proactively’ with regard to the transversal aspect description;
awareness and proactivity influence attitude linking with knowledge and skills as applied in the
definition of competence in EN 16234-1 (e-CF)
[SOURCE: EN 16234-1:2019, definition 3.9]
3.9
behavioural skills
interactive skills used to successfully engage with situations in the workplace, they may refer to work
quality, social interaction or emotion. Examples include, communication, empathy, attention to detail and
integrity
[SOURCE: EN 16234-1:2019, definition 3.10]
3.10
learning level
level indicating a grading and may be represented by a formal qualification; they generally derive from
an education system or indicate a grading in a taxonomy of intellectual or learning behaviours (like
memorising, applying, interpreting) and have a relationship with proficiency levels but are to be
distinguished from these
[SOURCE: EN 16234-1:2019, definition 3.12]
9
---------------------- Page: 11 ----------------------
SIST-TS CEN/TS 17834:2022
CEN/TS 17834:2022 (E)
4 Structure of the Professional Ethics Framework
4.1 Introduction
This clause provides an overview of the key components of the ICT Professional Ethics Framework.
Firstly, it provides some definitions and contextual information on the history of the European
Community and European values in terms of ethics; further it explains the more recent Berlin Declaration
[1] on Digital Society and Value-based Digital Government and other international contributions on ICT
and ethics. It then provides Table 3 showing how these foundational documents can be adapted and
refined to develop clear ethical guidance for ICT professionals by articulating the nature of ICT
professional ethical obligations into more detailed ethical knowledge items (EKIs).
4.2 Basic Definitions
4.2.1 How to define ICT professional ethics
This requires definition firstly of ethics and then of the ICT profession. Ethics is generally understood as
normative value-based activity or discussion i.e. what should be done, what is the ‘right’ thing to do, what
values should be used to guide action? It is not purely descriptive. Ethics is often quite closely connected
to regulations and the law e.g. the General Data Protection Regulation reflects the ethical value placed on
privacy and the ethical disapproval of the misuse of personal data. Ethics, though, is distinct from the law
as it includes personal conscience and values. The law can only imperfectly capture these and can indeed
contradict them in some cases. It is possible for the law to be unethical (e.g. racial segregation is unethical
but it has been legal in the past). Claiming a law is unethica
...
SLOVENSKI STANDARD
kSIST-TS FprCEN/TS 17834:2022
01-maj-2022
Evropski okvir poklicne etike za poklic IKT (etika EU ICT)
European Professional Ethics Framework for the ICT Profession (EU ICT Ethics)
Europäischer berufsethischer Rahmen für den IKT-Beruf (EU ICT Ethics)
Ta slovenski standard je istoveten z: FprCEN/TS 17834
ICS:
03.100.30 Vodenje ljudi Management of human
resources
35.020 Informacijska tehnika in Information technology (IT) in
tehnologija na splošno general
kSIST-TS FprCEN/TS 17834:2022 en,fr,de
2003-01.Slovenski inštitut za standardizacijo. Razmnoževanje celote ali delov tega standarda ni dovoljeno.
---------------------- Page: 1 ----------------------
kSIST-TS FprCEN/TS 17834:2022
---------------------- Page: 2 ----------------------
kSIST-TS FprCEN/TS 17834:2022
FINAL DRAFT
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATION
FprCEN/TS 17834
SPÉCIFICATION TECHNIQUE
TECHNISCHE SPEZIFIKATION
March 2022
ICS 03.100.30; 35.020
English Version
European Professional Ethics Framework for the ICT
Profession (EU ICT Ethics)
Europäischer berufsethischer Rahmen für den IKT-
Beruf (EU ICT Ethics)
This draft Technical Specification is submitted to CEN members for Vote. It has been drawn up by the Technical Committee
CEN/TC 428.
CEN members are the national standards bodies of Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia,
Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway,
Poland, Portugal, Republic of North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey and
United Kingdom.
Recipients of this draft are invited to submit, with their comments, notification of any relevant patent rights of which they are
aware and to provide supporting documentation.
Warning : This document is not a Technical Specification. It is distributed for review and comments. It is subject to change
without notice and shall not be referred to as a Technical Specification.
EUROPEAN COMMITTEE FOR STANDARDIZATION
COMITÉ EUROPÉEN DE NORMALISATION
EUROPÄISCHES KOMITEE FÜR NORMUNG
CEN-CENELEC Management Centre: Rue de la Science 23, B-1040 Brussels
© 2022 CEN All rights of exploitation in any form and by any means reserved Ref. No. FprCEN/TS 17834:2022 E
worldwide for CEN national Members.
---------------------- Page: 3 ----------------------
kSIST-TS FprCEN/TS 17834:2022
FprCEN/TS 17834:2022 (E)
Contents
European foreword . 5
Introduction . 6
1 Scope . 7
2 Normative references . 8
3 Terms and definitions . 8
4 Structure of the Professional Ethics Framework .10
4.1 Introduction . 10
4.2 Basic Definitions . 10
4.2.1 How to define ICT professional ethics . 10
4.2.2 EN 16234-1 (e-CF) definitions of ICT and ICT professional . 10
4.2.3 CEPIS definition of ICT professionals. 11
4.2.4 IFIP and ACM definition of ICT professionals . 11
4.2.5 Professionalism in related e-Skills projects . 11
4.2.6 ICT professional ethics in related e-Skills projects . 11
4.2.7 Professional ethics . 12
4.2.8 ICT Professional ethics . 13
4.3 The history of the EC and European values in terms of ethics . 13
4.3.1 Introduction . 13
4.3.2 Human dignity . 13
4.3.3 Freedom . 14
4.3.4 Democracy . 14
4.3.5 Equality . 14
4.3.6 Rule of law . 14
4.3.7 Human rights. 14
4.4 European values of ICT ethics - prior research and policy work . 14
4.5 Framework content and structure . 17
4.6 ICT Professional Ethical Responsibilities . 20
4.7 Language and the Ethics Framework . 21
4.8 Standards and frameworks, the liaison with ethics . 22
5 Ethical theories, models and frameworks in ICT fields .23
5.1 Introduction . 23
5.2 Exploitation of theories, models and frameworks . 24
5.2.1 Ethical theories and models . 24
5.2.2 Ethical frameworks . 24
5.2.3 Methodology and scope . 25
5.2.4 Ethics reflection from theory to ICT practice, the role of Case Studies cases . 25
5.3 Challenges and solutions to real settings implementation . 46
5.3.1 ICT related challenges . 47
5.3.2 Strengths and weaknesses of the implementation process . 47
5.3.3 Effective components of the framework . 47
5.3.4 Professionalism and organisational ethics . 48
2
---------------------- Page: 4 ----------------------
kSIST-TS FprCEN/TS 17834:2022
FprCEN/TS 17834:2022 (E)
6 ICT professional ethics as part of competence and knowledge. 48
6.1 Introduction . 48
6.2 How to use with EN 16234-1 (e-CF) . 49
6.3 How to use with CWA 16458 (EU Role Profiles) . 49
6.4 How to use with other ethics codes. 50
6.5 How to use with tools/methods . 50
7 Taking the framework into the organisation: context, culture and leadership . 50
7.1 Introduction . 50
7.2 What is the value proposition? . 51
7.3 The five main ICT business areas and their connection to EN 16234-1 (e-CF) . 52
7.4 Organisational steps to implement ICT ethics within an organization . 53
7.5 Implementation of the framework in the daily life of an organisation . 54
7.5.1 Leadership and Organizational structure . 54
7.5.2 Implementation method . 55
8 Implementation: ICT Ethics framework (ICTEF) in practice . 56
8.1 ICTEF implementation guidelines . 56
8.2 Guidelines for code of ethics implementation . 56
8.2.1 Drafting Code of Ethics . 57
8.3 Guidelines for Ethics Committee/Ethics Board Implementation . 60
8.3.1 Scope . 60
8.3.2 Independence . 61
8.3.3 Transparency . 61
8.3.4 Composition . 61
8.3.5 Ethics Committee - Tasks . 62
8.4 Guidelines for the Ethical Dialogue . 62
8.5 Guidelines for Ethics Canvas . 63
8.6 Guidelines to use ICT Ethics framework in an ICT Professional body . 65
8.7 Procedures. 65
8.7.1 Internal procedure to trigger ICT ethics issues . 66
8.7.2 Public procedure to trigger ICT ethics issues. 66
8.8 Register . 67
8.9 Ethics by design tools . 67
8.9.1 The life cycle of technology: The entire value chain . 67
8.9.2 Ethical Operating System OS Toolkit (Ethical OS Toolkit) . 68
8.10 How to use with other frameworks . 69
9 How to use ICT Professional Ethics Framework in education and training. 70
10 Assessment of the development and engagement with ICT ethics . 71
10.1 Introduction . 71
10.2 Ethics assessment in ICT Professionalism. 71
3
---------------------- Page: 5 ----------------------
kSIST-TS FprCEN/TS 17834:2022
FprCEN/TS 17834:2022 (E)
10.2.1 European initiatives of e-competences’ assessment . 72
10.2.2 Specific indicators of ethics performance in ICT professional environments . 74
10.2.3 Design of a Life Cycle Readiness Assessments . 80
10.3 The benefit of digital toolkits for ICT ethics competences and skills’ assessment . 81
10.4 Specific ICT Use case development as a “proof of concept” for assessment toolkits . 82
10.4.1 Use Cases for assessment . 82
11 Ethics in ICT Professional roles .86
11.1 Benefits of thinking ethically in ICT professional environments . 86
11.2 ICT profiles aligned to ethical attitudes: factors affecting this alignment . 87
Annex A (informative) Overview of EN 16234-1 (e-CF) competences compared with Berlin
Declaration ethics values .89
Bibliography .98
4
---------------------- Page: 6 ----------------------
kSIST-TS FprCEN/TS 17834:2022
FprCEN/TS 17834:2022 (E)
European foreword
This document (FprCEN/TS 17834:2022) has been prepared by Technical Committee CEN/TC 428 “ICT
Professionalism and Digital Competences”, the secretariat of which is held by UNI.
This document is currently submitted to the Vote on TS.
5
---------------------- Page: 7 ----------------------
kSIST-TS FprCEN/TS 17834:2022
FprCEN/TS 17834:2022 (E)
Introduction
The current document, the European Professional Ethics Framework for the ICT Profession (EU ICT
Ethics), provides a foundation for defining practical guidelines to improve ethics for different
organisations across all technical areas. In addition, it provides a basis for aligning existing guidelines and
initiatives and establishing comparisons to support the vision of an ICT professional workforce. It offers
the possibility to coalesce other ethics focused initiatives around a common structure.
Professional ethics is an essential component of any profession; mutual understanding leads to improved
outcomes and differentiates professions from jobs. A professional ICT workforce across European society
and industry (founded on the four building blocks of ICT professionalism: Professional Ethics; Education
and training; Bodies of Knowledge; Competences) will support and enhance the exchange of ICT
resources and services throughout Europe and internationally.
This document is related to EN 16234-1 e-Competence Framework (e-CF) – A common European
Framework for ICT Professionals in all sectors – Part 1: Framework and incorporates its structural
concept. It describes a blueprint of requirements and highlights connections to the competences, skills
and knowledge required to identify and address the ethical challenges that ICT professionals face in daily
activities.
This strong association with the EN 16234-1 (e-CF) naturally extends to the ethics principles described
in the Transversal Aspects of the EN 16234-1 (e-CF) and enables ethics related requirements and
procedures to be defined and implemented in the context of specific ICT professional roles and
environments.
This document organises Professional Ethics into a manageable structure and provides guidance on
practical use through a methodology and application guide to support implementation through a range
of methods and contexts. It also provides a platform for universities and vocational training institutions
to design and improve ICT ethics courses specifically for ICT professionals. This makes qualification
attainment more transparent in European internal markets and, in addition, it offers input into
accreditation processes provided by relevant national ICT professional bodies.
The European Professional Ethics Framework for the ICT Profession benefits all ICT Professionals and all
stakeholders reliant upon the capability of ICT Professionals. This includes wider society and a trusted,
ethical and professional ICT workforce that contributes to enabling the goal of an economically vibrant,
socially just and sustainable Europe.
The document is based on a fixed structure, which is intended to ensure the uniformity of such CEN
documents and their reliable placement in the context of other standards, specifications and reports.
The following recommendations are given to support the readability of the document.
• Newbie / Beginner: If new to the topic of professional ethics and for example an ICT professional
or a manager in an organisation primarily interested in the basic aspects, it is recommended to
first read clauses 4.3 and 4.4 as an introduction. Then read clause 5.2.4 and especially the Case
Studies in clause 5.2.5 before reading clause 5 in total and the rest of the document from the start.
• ICT Ethics in the European Context: If interested in the embedding of the Framework in the
European context, then read clause 4.4 before reading the rest of clause 4 in context.
• Ethics and organisational culture: If interested in the connection between organisational
culture and ICT ethics and want to know how you can implement this topic in your organisation,
it is recommended to jump directly to clause 7.
• Practical application: If already on the way to take some practical first steps in the field of ICT
professional ethics in an organisation and you are interested in practical help and tools, it is
recommended to jump directly to clause 8.
6
---------------------- Page: 8 ----------------------
kSIST-TS FprCEN/TS 17834:2022
FprCEN/TS 17834:2022 (E)
1 Scope
This document contains basic information and fundamental considerations on embedding ICT in
European values. It includes concepts and structures for using the framework and practical suggestions
for the concrete implementation of organisational and individual aspects as scoped by the European ICT
Professionalism framework and its basic underlying references.
The scope of occupations associated with Information and Communication Technology is very wide and
therefore, to define a boundary, this document is based upon the target audience of the EN 16234-1 “e-
Competence Framework (e-CF) – A common European Framework for ICT Professionals in all sectors –
Part 1: Framework”.
Beneficiaries and users of this document include educational institutions embracing universities and
VET, public and private, certification providers, industry, including HR departments, large companies and
SMEs, and the ICT professional community.
An extended benefit of a common ethics framework is the enhanced perception of ICT as a ‘professional’
career. The overall attractiveness of employment within ICT from the perspective of potential employees
will be improved by the establishment of a recognised ICT Profession in which ethics play a significant
role.
EN 16234-1 (e-CF) is the starting point and guiding document for this technical publication, being closely
connected with the other deliverables and references for a shared European language for ICT
professional development.
7
---------------------- Page: 9 ----------------------
kSIST-TS FprCEN/TS 17834:2022
FprCEN/TS 17834:2022 (E)
2 Normative references
The following documents are referred to in the text in such a way that some or all of their content
constitutes requirements of this document. For dated references, only the edition cited applies. For
undated references, the latest edition of the referenced document (including any amendments) applies.
EN 16234-1:2019, e-Competence Framework (e-CF) – A common European Framework for ICT
Professionals in all sectors – Part 1: Framework
FprCEN/TS 17699:2021, Guidelines for developing ICT Professional Curricula as scoped by EN16234-1 (e-
CF)
3 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this document, the following terms and definitions apply.
ISO and IEC maintain terminological databases for use in standardization at the following addresses:
• IEC Electropedia: available at http://www.electropedia.org/
• ISO Online browsing platform: available at http://www.iso.org/obp
3.1
Information and Communication Technology (ICT)
digital computers and internet (communication) systems, including software, hardware and
networks
[SOURCE: EN 16234-1:2019, definition 3.1]
3.2
Information and Communication Technology (ICT)
cross sector of enterprises, including manufacturers, product suppliers or
service providers relating to the ICT field
[SOURCE: EN 16234-1:2019, definition 3.2]
3.3
ICT professional
Person having the competence to plan, build, run, enable and/or manage ICT and having a professional
ICT qualification and/or ICT occupational experience; they include both employees of ICT companies and
ICT employees of organisations in all other sectors; they are all in the scope of this document
[SOURCE: EN 16234-1:2019, definition 3.3]
3.4
competence
demonstrated ability to apply knowledge, skills and attitudes for achieving observable results
[SOURCE: EN 16234-1:2019, definition 3.5]
8
---------------------- Page: 10 ----------------------
kSIST-TS FprCEN/TS 17834:2022
FprCEN/TS 17834:2022 (E)
3.5
knowledge
a body of facts which can be applied in a field of work or study (know what to do)
[SOURCE: EN 16234-1:2019, definition 3.6]
3.6
skill
ability to carry out managerial or technical activities and tasks, and this may be cognitive or practical
(know how to do it)
[SOURCE: EN 16234-1:2019, definition 3.7]
3.7
attitude
representing the human element of an e-competence and reflecting the way a Person integrates
knowledge and skills and applies them in a contextually appropriate manner
[SOURCE: EN 16234-1:2019, definition 3.8]
3.8
transversal aspects
cross-cutting topics that are relevant to all competences defined by the EN 16234-1 (e-CF); each
transversal aspect is provided by a title and a generic description that may be applied, dependent upon
context by, ‘being aware of’ or ‘behaving proactively’ with regard to the transversal aspect description;
awareness and proactivity influence attitude linking with knowledge and skills as applied in the
definition of competence in EN 16234-1 (e-CF)
[SOURCE: EN 16234-1:2019, definition 3.9]
3.9
behavioural skills
interactive skills used to successfully engage with situations in the workplace, they may refer to work
quality, social interaction or emotion. Examples include, communication, empathy, attention to detail and
integrity
[SOURCE: EN 16234-1:2019, definition 3.10]
3.10
learning level
level indicating a grading and may be represented by a formal qualification; they generally derive from
an education system or indicate a grading in a taxonomy of intellectual or learning behaviours (like
memorising, applying, interpreting) and have a relationship with proficiency levels but are to be
distinguished from these
[SOURCE: EN 16234-1:2019, definition 3.12]
9
---------------------- Page: 11 ----------------------
kSIST-TS FprCEN/TS 17834:2022
FprCEN/TS 17834:2022 (E)
4 Structure of the Professional Ethics Framework
4.1 Introduction
This clause provides an overview of the key components of the ICT Professional Ethics Framework.
Firstly, it provides some definitions and contextual information on the history of the European
Community and European values in terms of ethics; further it explains the more recent Berlin Declaration
[1] on Digital Society and Value-based Digital Government and other international contributions on ICT
and ethics. It then provides Table 3 showing how these foundational documents can be adapted and
refined to develop clear ethical guidance for ICT professionals by articulating the nature of ICT
professional ethical obligations into more detailed ethical knowledge items (EKIs).
4.2 Basic Definitions
4.2.1 How to define ICT professional ethics
This requires definition firstly of ethics and then of the ICT profession. Ethics is generally understood as
normative value-based activity or discussion i.e. what should be done, what is the ‘right’ thing to do, what
values should be used to guide action? It is not purely descriptive. Ethics is often quite closely connected
to regulations and the law e.g. the General Data Protection Regulation reflects the ethical value placed on
privacy and the ethical disapproval of the misuse of personal data. Ethics, though, is distinct from the law
as it includes personal conscience and values. The law can only imperfectly capture these and can indeed
contradict them in some cases. It is possible for the law to be unethical (e.g. racial segregation is unethical
but it has been legal in the past). Claiming a law is unethical in terms of flouting commonly, even if not
necessarily universally agreed, ethical values of, for example, equality is not in itself a legal defence if one
breaks the law though it would count as a valid ethical position. Law also has the power of state sanction
which ethical guidelines generally do not or only in quite a weak form. In terms of professional ethics this
varies quite considerably between professions. A doctor can be struck off the medical register and no
longer allowed to practise but an IT professional cannot.
The ICT Profession must then also be defined followed by an elaboration of how this can be defined in
terms of ethical aspects. The following clause reiterates the definition in the EN 16234-1 (e-CF) and
includes additional detail from CEDEFOP, CEPIS. CEDEFOP and CEPIS are included as additional
important contributors to discussion on ICT skills and professionalism within the European context.
...
Questions, Comments and Discussion
Ask us and Technical Secretary will try to provide an answer. You can facilitate discussion about the standard in here.