The Institute of British Organ Building

The Accredited Business Members of the IBO are all trained and experienced professional organ builders, examples of whose work in the areas for which they are accredited have been examined at regular intervals by fellow professionals and found to be satisfactory. Their membership of the IBO confirms their commitment to furthering the high ideals of the Institute, to advancing and sharing their knowledge and experience of their work, and to confirming the high standing that membership implies by providing a service of artistry, competence and integrity to the clients that they serve.

The particular facilities, styles, areas of specialisation and strengths naturally vary from member to member and are indicated by the IBO Register. The IBO exists to encourage and extend those strengths wherever it can. It also provides an arbitration service to which enquiries and complaints may be addressed if work falling short of the high standard expected of the membership is suspected.

Alongside this requirement for practical competence and care, IBO members are expected to observe the code of ethics for professional conduct that follows. These provisions are principally guidelines rather than rules, but many reflect the requirements of the law as well as the ethical standards to which members should aspire, and are listed for the guidance of members as well as for the information of members’ clients.

1.1 Standards: Members should seek to raise the standards of technical knowledge, practical skill and responsible training applied both in their own business and in the work of fellow members.

1.2 Competence: Members should demonstrate in their work a consistent level of technical knowledge, practical skill and care compatible with that which should reasonably be expected of professional pipe organ builders of good standing, and which is implied by their membership of the Institute and regulated by its Rules & Bye Laws.

1.3 Public awareness: By their professional conduct and demeanour members should seek to promote, confirm and extend public respect, appreciation and understanding of the organ, organ building and all those who work in the craft and associated arts.

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2.1 Law, Human Rights: Members should uphold and not knowingly violate the law, and should uphold human rights, in the pursuit of their profession.

2.2 Professional Judgement: Members’ experienced and uncompromised professional judgement should take precedence over any other motives in the pursuit of their work and in the service of their clients.

2.3 Honesty: Members should be candid and truthful in all their professional dealings including correspondence, proposals, contracts and advertising. In writing or making any public statements or opinions about specific or general issues, members should make clear any personal or financial interests or affiliations, and disclose the source of any payments made for such statements by interested parties.

2.4 Gifts, inducements: A member should not offer nor send any payment or gift, solicited or otherwise, to any person connected with, or who might have influence over, a current or prospective project in which that member might have a business interest, with the intent of influencing that person’s judgement or putting that person under any obligation however slight. Members should similarly not accept any payment or gifts which may be intended to influence their judgement or the conduct of their business in any respect.

2.5 Fraud: Members should not engage in conduct involving fraud or disregard for the rights of others, and should not collude with or assist a client in conduct that the member knows or should reasonably know to be fraudulent, misleading or illegal.

2.6 Specialist Advice: Members should not put forward and sign as their own any reports, proposals, drawings or other professional work related to prospective or current projects, over which they do not have direct professional knowledge, understanding and control, unless (if they are related to specialist knowledge or consultancy) they are prepared to recommend and later take responsibility for such material as if they had such knowledge and control. Otherwise such material should be properly credited, with an appropriate disclaimer.

2.7 Insurance: To safeguard both their own and their clients’ interests, members are required to hold and maintain appropriate Public Liability insurance for work on site, and insurance for goods in transit and held in trust.

2.8 Environment: In matters such as their choice of materials, use of energy resources, and disposal of unwanted goods, members should respect and help conserve their inherited environment.

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3.1 Competence: Members should in every respect serve their clients in a competent and timely fashion, and should only offer or perform their services when they, their colleagues, employees and sub-contractors are properly qualified by training or experience for the specific areas of work required for the project that they are being invited or employed to undertake.

3.2 Out-sourced components and labour: Wherever appropriate members should indicate sources of sub-contracted electrical/electronic systems, mechanical parts, pipework etc and respond openly to clients’ enquiries regarding the relative merits of different suppliers. Sub-contracting major proportions of contracts to outside labour should also be acknowledged, regardless of contractual provisions.

3.3 Resources: Members should not intentionally or irresponsibly mislead clients with regard to the scope of a member’s capabilities, experience and facilities, nor with regard to the results that can reasonably be expected from the employment of the member or use of specified procedures or materials, new or existing.

3.4 Regulations: Members should take into account applicable laws, regulations, technical standards and codes in performing their professional services, seeking and relying upon the advice of others appropriately qualified in such areas where necessary.

3.5 Licences, permissions: Members should not undertake work where they know or suspect that the client has not obtained any necessary, faculties, licences or permissions, and although it is not the member’s responsibility to obtain such permissions, wherever they are aware of such a need they should alert their clients to it.

3.6 Disregard of laws and regulations: If, during the course of dealings with a client, a member or member’s employee becomes aware of the client or employer having decided to violate or ignore any law, regulation or code against the member’s advice, and which in the member’s view will compromise the outcome or safety of the project, the member should immediately bring this to the client or employer’s attention. Employers should not discourage nor take retribution on employees correctly reporting such concerns.

3.7 Contract Variations: Members should not diverge from agreed schemes of work, nor materially alter the extent and aims of a project, without the client’s consent in writing.

3.8 Confidentiality: Except where this conflicts with the law or with the provisions of 3.2, 3.4 and 3.6 above, or where the parties involved agree to disclosure, members, their colleagues and employees should respect the confidentiality of information, dealings or proceedings that become known to them in the course of their business activities, both where they have been specifically asked to respect such confidences and also where common sense dictates that confidentiality would reasonably be expected.

3.9 Conflict of Interests: In seeking or undertaking a project, members should always disclose to clients any matters which may be interpreted as risking a significant conflict of interests with regard to the project, and having disclosed such matters should rigorously avoid allowing those conflicts to bear adversely upon the obligations to the client. Such conflicts may include business or personal association with other parties involved, and financial obligations or interests which may affect member’s judgement or conflict with their obligation to satisfy the best interests of the client. If the client, having been informed about or having discovered such a potential conflict, objects to it, then the member should be ready either to discontinue the conflict or connection, or withdraw from the project. Members should not accept payment or other compensation from more than one party in any project or dispute unless that is openly known to, and agreed by, all parties involved.

3.10 Advice: If invited to serve as an independent consultant or to offer advice in a project or in any matters relating to a project, or to act as an arbiter in a dispute, a member should immediately disclose any interests as encompassed by 3.9 above, and must always render any advice or judgement impartially.

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4.2 Price fixing: Members should be aware that price fixing is illegal, and must not become involved in any negotiation or mutual agreement with competitors regarding costs quoted for any competitive tender, even if encouraged to do so by the client or client’s advisor.

4.3 Advertising: In advertising or in speaking or writing to clients or others, members should pursue their own cause on its merits. They should not attempt to gain advantage by unfavourable comments about the work or reputation of fellow professionals.

4.4 IBO applications: Members should not support nor contest an application for membership of the IBO with statements or recommendations that they know to be misleading, nor deliberately conceal any information that may be directly relevant to such an application and subsequent membership.

4.5 Supporting IBO standards: Members should not withhold information leading to a reasonable belief that another member may have violated this Code or substantially failed to maintain other standards expected of IBO membership, but should report that information to the Board via the Administrator in order that appropriate enquiries may be pursued with the member concerned.

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