PftPI Public Launch

Thursday, May 20, 2009
9:30-10:30am

First Amendment Lounge
National Press Club
529 14th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20045

Since March 2007, 19 national and global organizations came together as Professionals for the Public Interest: Associations and Unions Defending Professional Integrity. Our common focus: defending professional integrity against external pressures in the interests of the public. We address that focus with our members, policymakers, and the public.

Our organizations include eight professional associations; 10 national unions; and the Department for Professional Employees, AFL-CIO (DPE). Collectively, we represent more than four million professionals. Their disciplines range from the sciences and engineering to human services. Each organization has endorsed a consensus statement, Defining Common Ground on Professional Integrity.

To date, the endorsing organizations are:

• Actors’ Equity Association
• American Association for the Advancement of Science
• American Chemical Society
• American Federation of Musicians
• American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees
• American Federation of Teachers
• American Library Association
• American Library Association-Allied Professional Association
• American Public Health Association
• Department for Professional Employees, AFL-CIO
• Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers-USA
• International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employes
• International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers
• National Association for the Education of Young Children
• National Association of Social Workers
• Office and Professional Employees International Union
• Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union
• United Steelworkers

Professionals for the Public Interest submitted the following to the Office of Science & Technology Policy on May 7, 2009. An additional document, Defining Common Ground on Professional Integrity was also submitted.

Office of Science and Technology Policy

Executive Office of the President

BY EMAIL scientificintegrity@ostp.gov

In response to the “Request for public comment” that the Office of Science and Technology Policy published at 74 Federal Register 18596 (April 23, 2009), the 19 national and global organizations that constitute Professionals for the Public Interest: Associations and Unions Defending Professional Integrity (PftPI) asked me to submit the consensus statement, “Defining Common Ground on Professional Integrity,” that each endorsed over the last year. It is included below.

The public launch of PftPI is scheduled for the First Amendment Lounge of the National Press Club, 9:30 to 10:30 am, Wednesday, May 20, 2009. On that day, the PftPI website, www.pftpi.org, will go live. It may provide additional resources as your office responds to President Obama’s March 9, 2009 memorandum on scientific integrity.

The organizations that endorsed “Defining Common Ground on Professional Integrity” are Actors’ Equity Association, American Association for the Advancement of Science, American Chemical Society, American Federation of Musicians, American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees; American Federation of Teachers, American Library Association, American Library Association-Allied Professional Association, American Public Health Association, Department for Professional Employees, AFL-CIO; Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers-USA, International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employes, International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers, National Association for the Education of Young Children, Office and Professional Employees International Union, Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union; National Association of Social Workers, United American Nurses, and United Steelworkers.

ON BEHALF OF Professionals for the Public Interest,

Paul E. Almeida
President
Department for Professional Employees, AFL-CIO

815 16th Street, NW, 7th Floor
Washington, DC  20006
202-638-0320 extension 112
Fax 202-628-4379
palmeida@aflcio.org

Professional workers typically possess a large body of specialized knowledge and skills, engage in ongoing professional development and use independent judgment.  In exchange for compensation, they provide services in both the public and private sectors.

Organizations representing professions establish standards and ethical guidelines for professionals in carrying out their duties and responsibilities.  Integrity is a central and defining element of professionalism.

From that starting point, a coalition of organizations representing professional workers—professional associations and unions—sought to define professional integrity and identify key challenges confronting it.

The coalition first examined how individuals behave professionally and identified the top three elements defining personal professional integrity.  Areas of concern include professional standards, the pursuit of knowledge and work contributing to the common good.

The three most important elements under professional standards are respect for professional and ethical conduct; accepting responsibility for continuing professional development; and respect for peers, employers, clients, research subjects and the public.

Under pursuit of knowledge, key areas include articulating responsibilities and openly exchanging ideas and information; reporting data and research honestly and transparently; and debating approaches based on the best available research and evidence.

Contributing to the common good entails a commitment to the broader context of one’s work, including society at large; ethically responsible conduct in one’s work; and accountability.

In addition to the personal-integrity challenges professionals confront, professions as a whole face challenges.  One of the principal among these is pressure from external forces.  Professional workers can find themselves being asked to compromise or ignore professional standards; to put personal or public safety at risk; and to alter, downplay or withhold research data or findings.

The misuse of science, research and evidence in policymaking is another major challenge to professional integrity.  This can be manifested by misrepresenting research or scientific information when disseminating reports, communications or other public items; by suppressing, censoring or impeding access to information; and by excluding diverse evidence-based perspectives from research dialogues and discourse.

Limitations on professional autonomy and ability to meet and respect professional standards were also identified as key challenges.  These limitations can appear in the form of inadequate staffing and resources; a lack of appropriate mechanisms to address misconduct, including ineffective whistleblower protections; and policies or procedures that prevent or restrict appropriate research and evidence-based practices.