1. G061 - Professional Bodies

2. Learning objectives: By the end of this topic you should be able to:
describe the purpose & activities of professional bodies
explain the advantages and disadvantages of belonging to a professional body;

3. What are Professional Bodies?
a formal group that oversees an area of an industry
an organisation that serves the needs of ICT professionals
e.g. BCS - British Computing Society

4. Purpose & activities of a Professional Body
assist with career development
run training courses
run examinations
jobs newsletters
knowledge & information services
to keep members up to date with developments
produce publications & newsletters
run conferences
put members in touch with each other
produce glossary of terms
define standards for conduct for members
advise government

5. Benefits that membership brings:
ability to share expertise amongst fellow professionals
access to up-to-date information through periodicals
training courses on new issues
regular briefings on specific interests
providing for standardised qualification framework
recognised qualification  trust in the qualification
legal protection in case of data loss/misconduct allegations
books on specific issues produced by people you can trust
meetings with colleagues  lack of isolation
discounts on software & hardware

6. Drawbacks that membership brings:
cost of membership
can be expensive (recurring annual cost)
do benefits outweigh the cost?
code of conduct can restrict the way that members conduct themselves
competitors may behave unethically
may lose out on contracts
need to attend conferences & read new publications
strain on work-life balance