The Institute provides practical guidance to assist registrants in applying the fundamental principles of intelligence ethics to the workplace. The guidance includes direct references to the code of ethics and its articles, a resource that is best used to develop an awareness of a registrants obligations. For further information on specific cases a registrant may wish to contact the Institute directly.
Intelligence professionals frequently encounter ethical dilemmas they may need help in resolving. Training provides a number of frameworks for resolving these problems beginning with identifying the issues and actors involved and ending with monitoring and reviewing the outcome. After understanding the environment and defining the issues it is important to consider what fundamental ethical principles are involved by referring to corporate policy, the code of ethics and examples of common cases. Alternate courses of action may mitigate, reduce or remove the ethical conflict, but whatever course of action is decided, it should be recorded and monitored.
The fundamental principles of the code have been provided here. As can be seen from the following material, a principle-based approach to ethics is preferred for a number of reasons. Rules can have adverse or unintended consequences. They can be manipulated or misinterpreted and at the core of every intelligence officers work is professional judgment, something that should never be replaced by procedure, policy or regulation.
A principle-based approach avoids the exclusive prohibition arguments as each scenario is assessed by independent review on a case by case basis. Every circumstance can be a little different and deserves to be treated on its own merits. Also, generalising a code, makes it applicable in a number of scenarios, including those that didn’t exist when the code was written. This approach reflects reality by removing absolutes. A code is also shorter and easier to remember than a rulebook and avoids legalistic compliance.
Professional analysts and collectors are also bound by the principles of covert research ethics. Including but not limited to confidentiality, integrity, anonymity, consent, permission, approval, appeal and reporting.
