CILIP Ethics Review

Member Network/Other Organisations Workshop: Instructions for Facilitator

Thank you for facilitating an Ethics Review Workshop. This briefing explains:

  • How to prepare for the workshop
  • The programme for each workshop
  • The information required by CILIP post workshop

Introductory note

The guidance below has made the following assumptions:

(1)The workshop will last for 60 minutes. If you are able to provide more time (e.g. 90 mins) we suggest you increase the time spent discussing key issues/challenges and appraising the existing Ethical Principles

(2) It will be a plenary session. In the event that you divide participants into two or more tables, you will need to ensure that a feedback form recording the key issues/challenges, and one recording the critique of existing Principles (see below), is completed for each table. You will also need to consider adding more time for feedback from the tables.

How to prepare for the workshop

Participants should be sent a link to the short briefing about the Ethics Review, which includes a message from Dawn Finch (former CILIP President 2016 and Chair of the CILPI Ethics Committee), an overview of the CILIP Ethics Review, the desired outputs the Workshop and the existing CILIP Ethical Principles

Please ask participants to read this briefing, especially the Ethical Principles, in advance. They are welcome to explore other pages on the Ethics Review section (under Research) of the CILIP website

The programme for each workshop

Each workshop should last approximately 60 minutes. The programme is as follows:

Prior to Workshop /
  • Ensure sign-up sheets are completed by participants
  • printed copies of the workshop briefing are available
  • Slides (if to be used) are set up for use

10 minutes / Welcome
Outline of the Ethics Review
  • Ethical Principles/Code of Professional Practice put together for new CILIP in 2005
  • But what is awareness /relevancy of provision for today
  • Changes in profession, technology, user expectation
  • Big conversation as to type of Ethical Framework needed for future
  • Programme includes survey, workshops (CILIP, Member Network, other), Social media conversation
  • Plan to launch new ethical framework at CILIP conference in Brighton next year
You may find Dawn Finch’s blog on the Ethics Review useful for background information:

Purpose of the Workshop
  • Testing awareness of Ethical Principles/Code of Professional Practice
  • Looking at issues facing us as profession or in workplace – will use issues identified as framework to assess relevance of ethical provision be that a new ethical framework or revision to existing Ethical Principles/Code
  • Informing participants of next steps in Ethics Review
/ Chair and/or Facilitator
5 minutes / Honesty Moment
Show of hands as to whether:
  • Participants knew of the Ethical Principles and/or Code of Professional Practice
  • Participants have used the Ethical Principles and/or Code of Professional Practice in their work
/ Chair/Facilitator to call for vote by show of hands
This should be counted and recorded on the Vote Result template
20 minutes
(for workshops longer than 60 mins, increase time) / Discussion on issues/challenges in workplace or profession/sector.
You may wish to look at issues in your area of specialist interest as well as the sector/profession more generally
[Note: Ethics Committee want the review to be issue-led so that resulting Ethical Framework will be grounded in professional practice rather than be the result of a theoretical exercise. The existing Ethical Principles will be evaluated against the issues framework that will be developed from the workshops and survey] / Chair/Facilitator to introduce
You may wish to appoint separate scribe to note discussion and record the issues identified. If possible there should be agreement on the issues to be sent to the Ethics Review Team at CILIP
If there is more than an hour for the workshop then the time for this discussion could be increased
20 minutes
(for workshops longer than 60 mins, increase time) / Critical appraisal of the existing Ethical Principles
Ask Workshop to:
  • Identify 3 most important Principles
  • Any Ethical Principle that could be dropped
  • Any area that is missing from the Ethical Principles
/ Chair/Facilitator to introduce
Again you may wish to appoint a scribe to note discussion and record the answers
5 minutes / Thank you and Next Steps
  • Series of longer workshops planned by CILIP, Member Networks and others
  • Please fill in Survey
  • Social media conversation will take place later in the year
  • Hope to have new Ethical Framework to launch at CILIP Conference in Brighton in 2018

After Workshop / Please email (within a couple of weeks of the event) the following to :
  • Sign-on sheet
  • Voting return (as to who knew about Ethical Principles and has used them)
  • List of big issues/challenges facing the sector
  • Critical Appraisal of ethical Principles comments

July 2017Contact us at: