NABE Board Endorses Professional Conduct Guidelines

The NABE Board of Directors has approved Professional Conduct Guidelines for the first time, completing an initiative of last year’s board under Chris Varvares, who served as NABE president from 2008-2009.

In his annual report to members, published in NABE News last August, Varvares urged that the organization have its own guidelines “that establish standards for its members and the broader profession.”  He appointed an ad hoc committee, chaired by Doug Duncan, chief economist of Fannie Mae.

According to board member Ellen Hughes-Cromwick, who served as NABE president from 2007-2008, the new guidelines “establish a `baseline’ for what NABE leaders consider to be important `rules of the road’ in how we use data, do analysis, undertake managerial responsibilities as well as other activities—with high quality and integrity.”

Following are the guidelines approved by the board:

NABE Professional Conduct Guidelines

As professionals using business economics in a variety of sectors – industrial, retail, financial services, media, academia, consulting, and government – we recognize the importance of several key operating principles in our conduct and relationships with employees, clients, and other colleagues.

Relationships

It is important to us that we exercise balance, transparency, and honesty in our professional relationships in a way that does not exceed the reasonable boundaries of what our profession can offer on subject matters.

Practices and Methods

We uphold the principle of using data which are known to be good measures of the subject matter and which are represented as accurately and fairly as possible.  We strive to use the best practices and methods when using data to describe and analyze subject matters on behalf of our clients and peers.

Communications

We intend to ensure that all communications—written and verbal—accurately represent the data and sound practices which are part of the field of business economics.  This includes appropriate attribution for work done by others .

Management

For those with management responsibilities, we seek to advance the future of the profession, aiding the development of our staff members' own careers, striving to inculcate them with our professional values, and taking advantage of opportunities for NABE service and other comparable activities.

Honest Engagement

We resolve to never compromise on the use of scientific objectivity.  When engaging others, we will speak out against such compromises when apparent.

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