3.3.6: Implications of ICT

1. 3.3.6: Implications of ICT Professional bodies: Pros and Cons

2. This presentation aims to: • Help you understand how to explain the advantages and disadvantages of belonging to a professional bodies (e.g. BCS).

3. Introduction • In the last few lessons you have looked at: • What a professional body is • What kinds of activities do professional bodies undertake • What you now need to understand is what pros and cons there are when you sign up to a professional body.

4. Advantages  • Some of which include: • Recognition of experience • Career development opportunities • Member discussions • Knowledge and information services • Financial benefits

5. Recognition of experience  • Organisations who sign up to a professional body can include the professional body’s logo on their documentation to prove membership. • This gives them a degree of respect within their industry. • Organisations can also have email addresses which include the professional body’s extension. • This provides instant recognition. • For example, my school email address uses the Leicestershire suffix  @boscol.leics.sch.uk

6. Career development  • Members have access to help when seeking a new job. • They can get ‘insider information’ about possible jobs in other organisations which are also members. • A bonus of this is that they know that jobs they are applying for also follow the same code of conduct. • Possibility of some free training sessions are available. • Individuals can upload CVs to the professional body’s website where employees can look at them and ‘head hunt’.

7. Member discussions  • Members can participate in discussion forums about topics that relate to them. • Members can join focus groups or interest groups allowing them to meet with like minded people. • Online and face-to-face conferencing can take place.

8. Knowledge & info services  • Members can keep up to date in their industry through online publication written by industry experts such as: • Books • Journals • Magazines • Newsletters • Members have access to market research which is carried out by the professional body on behalf of the members.

9. Financial benefits  • Discounts on training courses, hardware and software. • Free legal helplines for advice on problems that could result in legal battles. • Professional bodies can often provide advice and discounts on indemnity insurance for those who work freelance or own their own company. • Indemnity • 1. (Business / Insurance) compensation for loss or damage; reimbursement • 2. (Business / Insurance) protection or insurance against future loss or damage

10. Disadvantages  • Some of which include: • Cost of membership • Restricted by code of conduct • Work-life balance can be effected

11. Cost of membership  • Usually quite expensive and usually paid annually (every year). • It is important to weight up the costs against the benefits!

12. Restricted by code of conduct  • Although the code of conduct is morally and ethically correct… • It can hinder progress. • This means that an organisation that is not restricted by the same code of conduct can gain an advantage over those member organisations by following unethical procedures.

13. Work/Life balance  • Those individuals who abide by the code of conduct may have to take on extra responsibilities. • This can be in the form of: • Ensuring they keep their knowledge and skills up to date. • Ensuring the work with clients more closely. • Working within the environmental guidelines. • All these additional things can have an impact on the amount of work they have to do compared to those who don’t follow the code of conduct…and perhaps get paid more for it too!

14. Questions • Describe two reasons why an ICT professional would want to join a professional body. • [4 marks] • Describe two disadvantages of ICT professionals belonging to a professional body. • [4 marks] • Explain the advantages to a teacher of belonging to the BCS. • [6 marks] • Describe the disadvantages to a self-employed programmer of belonging to the BCS. • [6 marks]