Fundamentals & Ethics of Information Systems IS 201 Chapter 8 Continuous Professional Development Chapter 8 – Continuous professional development Slide 1

Learning Objectives Understand the need for continuous professional development Identify professional societies in IS Outline the need for certification and licensing for IS professional carreer Chapter 8 – Continuous professional development Slide 2

Chapter Overview Introduction Professional Societies Certification and licensing Professional conduct Summary Chapter 8 – Continuous professional development Slide 3

1. Introduction Information Technology (IT) is changing everyday New technical skills of IS professionals become old soon IS professionals need to be aware and up-to-date of the latest technologies and innovations in the IS and IT fields Need for professional ethics and continuous professional development Chapter 8 – Continuous professional development Slide 4

Continuous Professional Development (Cont.) Industry and government devote significant resources to the training of software engineers The ACM and IEEE-CS promote and support professional development through Publications Conferences Workshop tutorials Chapter 8 – Continuous professional development Slide 5

Improve Yourself Focus on professional development Opportunities conferences, training, certification, degree Successful people never stop learning about profession, industry, career path at minimum read industry trade journals and books Invest in yourself Chapter 8 – Continuous professional development Slide 6

Be Prepared Never stop growing/expanding your network Update your resume Stay active outside of work – volunteering Gain additional work experience Chapter 8 – Continuous professional development Slide 7

2. Professional Societies Two very active societies provide mature support for the Information Systems profession: Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) IEEE Computer Society (IEEE-CS) Chapter 8 – Continuous professional development Slide 8

Professional Societies (Cont.) Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) (http://www.acm.org/) Founded in 1947, ACM has 75, 000 members and has the objective of advancing the skills of computing professionals and students worldwide. The ACM has 34 “special interest groups” (SIGs). The Special Interest Group on Management Information Systems (SIGMIS) promotes best-practice and research in the management of information systems and technologies and the use of these systems and technologies. Chapter 8 – Continuous professional development Slide 9

Professional Societies (Cont.) IEEE Computer Society (IEEE-CS) (http://computer.org/) Founded in 1946, with nearly 100,000 members, it is the largest of the 36 societies of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). The Computer Society's vision is to be the leading provider of technical information and services to the world's computing professionals Chapter 8 – Continuous professional development Slide 10

3. Certification and Licensing Certification is a voluntary process administered by a profession. Why certification is an asset for Information Systems related careers? A student having a certification is more marketable and earn higher salaries Certification give employers a criterion for selecting the most capable employee to recruit Employees who update their knowledge and skills through certification are more valuable employees because of the strength they bring to the job Chapter 8 – Continuous professional development Slide 11

Certification programs Currently there are many certification programs for various computing technologies in software, hardware, networking, system analysis and design. Most of the certifications are brand name certifications: Oracle SAP Cisco Java/Sun Microsoft Novell Chapter 8 – Continuous professional development Slide 12

Licensing Licensing is a process administered by a governmental authority to allow IS professionals to practice in their fields. Licensing requires in general: Competency in IS Body Of Knowledge Competency in professional issues related to IS Code of ethics Adhere to risk management guidelines Personal and professional responsibility Commitment to professional ongoing development Chapter 8 – Continuous professional development Slide 13

4. Professional Conduct Professional competence and integrity Social implications Organization and leadership Chapter 8 – Continuous professional development Slide 14

Professional Competence and Integrity Continue to upgrade my professional knowledge and skills, and shall maintain awareness of technological developments, procedures and standards, which are relevant to my field. Only offer to do work or provide a service within my professional competence and shall not claim any level of competence that I do not possess; any professional opinion which I am asked to give shall be objective and reliable. Chapter 8 – Continuous professional development Slide 15

Social Implications Increase my awareness of issues affecting the IT profession and its relationship with the community Ensure that within my chosen fields, I have knowledge and understanding of relevant legislation, regulations and standards and that I comply with such requirements. Chapter 8 – Continuous professional development Slide 16

Organisation and Leadership Keep myself and subordinates informed of new technologies, practices, legal requirements and standards as are relevant to my duties Encourage my colleagues, employees and students to continue their own professional development, and ensure that subordinates are: trained in order to be effective in their duties to qualify for increased responsibilities. Chapter 8 – Continuous professional development Slide 17

Organisation & Leadership Create opportunities for members of the organization to learn the principles and limitations of IT and systems Accept professional responsibility for my work and for the work of my subordinates and associates under my direction Chapter 8 – Continuous professional development Slide 18

5. Summary Continuous Professional Development Professional Societies Certification and licensing Professional conduct Chapter 8 – Continuous professional development Slide 19