CODE OF CONDUCT

Principle

Description

Principle of use

Participants will actively use benchmarking activity within their organisations to inform and improve the quality of services for the benefit of service users. Unless disclosure is required under the Official Information Act (1982) or other legal provision, or as part of the agreed publication process of the KPI data set by the Programme, information from the KPI Programme will not be used by any individual or organisation for purposes other than those intended or without prior permission from the participants.

Principle of collaboration

All participants will promote positive relationships within the group. This will be demonstrated by the provision of mutual support and the creation of a safe environment that enables shared learning from good practice to take place.

Principle of reciprocity

Participant organisations will be willing to provide and share the same amount of detail that they receive, through participating in benchmarking activity.

Principle of confidentiality

Participants will treat benchmarking activity as confidential to the participants involved.

Information about the benchmarking forums and/or the participants must not be communicated outside the forums without prior consent from all relevant parties, unless disclosure is required under the Official Information Act (1982) or other legal provision, or as part of the agreed publication process of the KPI data set by the Programme.

Principle of preparation

Participants will demonstrate a commitment to the benchmarking process with adequate preparation during each step in the process.

These principles apply to the entire participating organisation, not just the individuals attending the benchmarking forums. These principles also apply to the National Regional Alliance Programme team, facilitators, evaluators, scribes and other individuals who may attend benchmarking forums and/or receive information about the forums.

Principle of transparency

The benchmarking forums will operate best when participants are able to be open with one another, where differences are acknowledged and respected and where the process is amenable to external scrutiny. In the spirit of transparency, following the agreed publication process, the KPI data set will be published in the public section (for all non-test streams) of the KPI website.

Principle of leadership

All participants do have an important role to play as leaders within each of their own organisations, as key informants to the process of benchmarking and as champions for the Programme in the wider mental health and addiction sector.

Principle of communication

There will be regular communication with the sector about the benchmarking process taking place. Participants will agree what to share in order to foster interest in and understanding of the work and the benefits for the sector.