The Institute of IT Professionals (IITP) is a non-profit incorporated society in New Zealand. As New Zealand's
ICT professional body
A professional association (also called a professional body, professional organization, or professional society) usually seeks to advocacy, further a particular profession, the interests of individuals and organisations engaged in that professio ...
, the IITP exists to promote education and ensure a high level of professional practice amongst ICT professionals. Before July 2012, IITP was known as the New Zealand Computer Society Inc (NZCS).
Objects
The objects of the Institute of IT Professionals, as provided in the Institute's constitution, are to:
* develop the discipline of Information Technology in New Zealand.
* foster and promote the education, training and qualification of persons practising or intending to practice within the discipline in New Zealand.
* promote education by granting qualifications and grades of membership to members of the public in recognition of their proficiency within the discipline of Information Technology.
* promote proper conduct and set ethical standards for the discipline.
* develop or provide educational lectures, meetings, conferences and publications and to promote research within the discipline of Information Technology.
* take a public position on matters of concern to the Information Technology discipline and make submissions or advise government as appropriate.
* advance the education of the public of New Zealand in relation to Information Technology.
* promote any other related activities that are, in the opinion of the Institute, in the interests of the public or discipline.
Codes of Ethics
All IITP members must formally agree to a
Code of Ethics
Ethical codes are adopted by organizations to assist members in understanding the difference between right and wrong and in applying that understanding to their decisions. An ethical code generally implies documents at three levels: codes of bus ...
.
The IITP Code of Ethics is mostly concerned with non-discrimination, zeal, community, skills, competence, continuous development, consequences, and conflicts of interest, and contains the following 8 tenets:
# Good Faith – Members shall treat people with dignity, good faith and equity; without discrimination; and have consideration for the values and cultural sensitivities of all groups within the community affected by their work;
# Integrity – Members shall act in the execution of their profession with integrity, dignity and honour to merit the trust of the community and the profession, and apply honesty, skill, judgement and initiative to contribute positively to the well-being of society;
# Community-focus – Members’ responsibility for the welfare and rights of the community shall come before their responsibility to their profession, sectional or private interests or to other members;
# Skills – Members shall apply their skills and knowledge in the interests of their clients or employers for whom they will act without compromising any other of these Tenets;
# Continuous Development – Members shall develop their knowledge, skills and expertise continuously through their careers, contribute to the collective wisdom of the profession, and actively encourage their associates to do likewise;
# Informed Consent – Members shall take reasonable steps to inform themselves, their clients or employers of the economic, social, environmental or legal consequences which may arise from their actions;
# Managed Conflicts of Interest – Members shall inform their clients or employers of any interest which may be, or may be perceived as being, in conflict with the interests of their clients or employers, or which may affect the quality of service or impartial judgement;
# Competence – Members shall follow recognised professional practice, and provide services and advice carefully and diligently only within their areas of competence
Membership
The IITP has an estimated membership of approximately 3,500 individual members, plus around 120 Corporate Partners (businesses who have joined on behalf of their staff) resulting in an estimated representation of over 10,000 ICT professionals.
IITP provides for multiple membership levels depending on a member's stage of career and requirements.
Full membership
Professional membership is for those in the ICT profession who meet certain requirements in terms of experience and qualifications.
* Member (MIITP) is the full membership level
* Fellow (FIITP) is the very senior membership level
Associate membership
* Associate Member is a membership open to anyone who abides by the Institute's
Code of Ethics
Ethical codes are adopted by organizations to assist members in understanding the difference between right and wrong and in applying that understanding to their decisions. An ethical code generally implies documents at three levels: codes of bus ...
Honorary Fellowship
* Honorary Fellow (HFIITP) is a title conferred on a small number of individuals who have had a major impact on the sector, and is regarded as the highest honour in the ICT profession
Organisational membership
* Corporate Partner is for organisations wishing to align with and support the work of the IITP (includes significant benefits for staff)
* Educational Partner is for educational institutions wishing to align with and support the work of the IITP (includes significant benefits for staff)
Structure
The Institute of IT Professionals is a single nationwide non-profit incorporated society.
Within the Institute are five branches based on geographic location, being
Auckland
Auckland (pronounced ) ( mi, Tāmaki Makaurau) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. The most populous urban area in the country and the fifth largest city in Oceania, Auckland has an urban population of about ...
,
Wellington
Wellington ( mi, Te Whanganui-a-Tara or ) is the capital city of New Zealand. It is located at the south-western tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Remutaka Range. Wellington is the second-largest city in New Zealand by metr ...
,
Canterbury
Canterbury (, ) is a cathedral city and UNESCO World Heritage Site, situated in the heart of the City of Canterbury local government district of Kent, England. It lies on the River Stour.
The Archbishop of Canterbury is the primate of ...
,
Waikato
Waikato () is a local government region of the upper North Island of New Zealand. It covers the Waikato District, Waipa District, Matamata-Piako District, South Waikato District and Hamilton City, as well as Hauraki, Coromandel Peninsul ...
/
Bay of Plenty
The Bay of Plenty ( mi, Te Moana-a-Toi) is a region of New Zealand, situated around a bight of the same name in the northern coast of the North Island. The bight stretches 260 km from the Coromandel Peninsula in the west to Cape Runaw ...
, and
Otago/
Southland Southland may refer to:
Places Canada
* Dunbar–Southlands, Vancouver, British Columbia
New Zealand
* Southland Region, a region of New Zealand
* Southland County, a former New Zealand county
* Southland District, part of the wider Southland Re ...
. The IITP also encompasses a number of Specialist Groups in topics such as
Software Testing
Software testing is the act of examining the artifacts and the behavior of the software under test by validation and verification. Software testing can also provide an objective, independent view of the software to allow the business to apprecia ...
and
Computer Security
Computer security, cybersecurity (cyber security), or information technology security (IT security) is the protection of computer systems and networks from attack by malicious actors that may result in unauthorized information disclosure, t ...
. IITP branches and specialist groups are staffed by volunteers.
The Institute is governed by a National Council made up of the IITP President, Deputy President, and five Councillors, with each councillor being appointed by one of the branches of the Institute.
The Institute maintains a fully staffed operational head office in
Wellington
Wellington ( mi, Te Whanganui-a-Tara or ) is the capital city of New Zealand. It is located at the south-western tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Remutaka Range. Wellington is the second-largest city in New Zealand by metr ...
and is managed by a Chief Executive who also sits on Council in a non-voting capacity.
Advocacy
IITP is regarded as the voice of the ICT profession in New Zealand and undertakes significant advocacy on behalf of the profession and wider sector.
IITP is represented on most ICT-related advisory groups, panels and public ICT-related boards in New Zealand, and was a founding member of the
Digital Development Council, a body set up by the New Zealand Government to help achieve New Zealand's digital potential.
The Institute is engaged with government (both ministerial and official level), industry and academia and works as a catalyst and conduit for these three important sub-sectors to work together in the interests of the overall ICT Sector, both in the area of ethics and professional practice as well as to solve issues such as the current ICT skills shortage and drop in tertiary ICT enrolments.
IITP also takes an active interest in educational issues and in 2008 completed a detailed analysis of ICT-related
NCEA ''Achievement Standards'' in secondary schools
and outlined a number of significant and serious problems with these standards.
The Institute also promotes digital literacy.
Certification
In 2009 the Institute released an internationally aligned ICT
professional certification in New Zealand, the
Information Technology Certified Professional (ITCP) qualification.
Events
The IITP runs numerous events throughout New Zealand, but predominantly in
Auckland
Auckland (pronounced ) ( mi, Tāmaki Makaurau) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. The most populous urban area in the country and the fifth largest city in Oceania, Auckland has an urban population of about ...
,
Wellington
Wellington ( mi, Te Whanganui-a-Tara or ) is the capital city of New Zealand. It is located at the south-western tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Remutaka Range. Wellington is the second-largest city in New Zealand by metr ...
,
Christchurch
Christchurch ( ; mi, Ōtautahi) is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand and the seat of the Canterbury Region. Christchurch lies on the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula on Pegasus Bay. The Avon Rive ...
,
Hamilton and
Dunedin
Dunedin ( ; mi, Ōtepoti) is the second-largest city in the South Island of New Zealand (after Christchurch), and the principal city of the Otago region. Its name comes from , the Scottish Gaelic name for Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. Th ...
.
As well as around 20 local events a month, the Institute began a monthly nationwide Innovators of ICT event series in August 2008, taking notable and successful entrepreneurs such as
Rod Drury and
Don Christie
Don, don or DON and variants may refer to:
Places
*County Donegal, Ireland, Chapman code DON
*Don (river), a river in European Russia
*Don River (disambiguation), several other rivers with the name
*Don, Benin, a town in Benin
*Don, Dang, a vill ...
on a speaking trip to the five cities above to promote innovation and "thinking outside the square" to New Zealand's development and ICT community.
History
The Institute was founded as the New Zealand Data Processing and Computer Society Inc in October 1960 in Wellington, New Zealand and changed its name to New Zealand Computer Society Inc in 1967.
Honorary Fellowships
The IITP occasionally confers the title of
Honorary Fellow of the IITP
An honorary position is one given as an honor, with no duties attached, and without payment. Other uses include:
* Honorary Academy Award, by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, United States
* Honorary Aryan, a status in Nazi Germany ...
(HFIITP) on an individual who has made a significant contribution to the ICT sector in New Zealand over a period of time, or the Institute itself over many years.
HFIITP recipients include former Minister of ICT Hon
David Cunliffe
David Richard Cunliffe (born 30 April 1963) is a New Zealand management consultant and former politician who was Leader of the New Zealand Labour Party and Leader of the Opposition from September 2013 to September 2014. He was Member of Parl ...
and ICT entrepreneur
Rod Drury. There are currently 25 Honorary Fellows.
International Relationships
The IITP is a full member of the
International Federation for Information Processing
The International Federation for Information Processing (IFIP) is a global organisation for researchers and professionals working in the field of computing to conduct research, develop standards and promote information sharing.
Established in 196 ...
(IFIP), an international umbrella organisation originally set up by
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...
, and
South East Asia Regional Computer Confederation
South is one of the cardinal directions or compass points. The direction is the opposite of north and is perpendicular to both east and west.
Etymology
The word ''south'' comes from Old English ''sūþ'', from earlier Proto-Germanic ''*sunþaz ...
(SEARCC).
The Institute also works with other professional bodies around the world, such as the
Australian Computer Society
The Australian Computer Society (ACS) is an association for information and communications technology professionals with over 48,000 members Australia-wide. According to its Constitution, its objectives are "to advance professional excellence ...
and the
British Computer Society.
See also
*
Australian Computer Society
The Australian Computer Society (ACS) is an association for information and communications technology professionals with over 48,000 members Australia-wide. According to its Constitution, its objectives are "to advance professional excellence ...
(ACS)
*
British Computer Society (BCS)
*
Canadian Information Processing Society
CIPS (Canadian Information Processing Society) is the professional association of IT professionals in Canada. Since 1958 CIPS has helped strengthen the Canadian IT industry by establishing standards and sharing best practices for the benefit of ind ...
(CIPS)
*
Computer Society of Southern Africa
The Computer Society of South Africa is a representative association for ICT practitioners and professionals throughout South Africa.
The Computer Society of South Africa focuses its activities, events and publications in five primary areas:
* I ...
(CSSA)
*
Association for Computing Machinery (ACM)
*
IEEE Computer Society
The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) is a 501(c)(3) professional association for electronic engineering and electrical engineering (and associated disciplines) with its corporate office in New York City and its operation ...
(IEEE CS)
*
Institution of Analysts and Programmers
The Institution of Analysts and Programmers is a professional body that represents those working in Systems Analysis, Design, Programming and implementation of computer systems both in the United Kingdom and internationally. Established in 1972 ...
(IAP)
*
International Federation for Information Processing
The International Federation for Information Processing (IFIP) is a global organisation for researchers and professionals working in the field of computing to conduct research, develop standards and promote information sharing.
Established in 196 ...
(IFIP)
*
Information technology industry in New Zealand
References
External links
IITP official websiteITCP certification official website
{{authority control
Organizations established in 1960
Engineering societies based in New Zealand
Information technology in New Zealand
Information technology organizations based in Oceania
1960 establishments in New Zealand