Ethics
Our work affects public decisions, organisations and communities. Ethics has to be part of the work.
Ethics
“Our work affects public decisions, organisations and communities. Ethics has to be part of the work.”
Research, political advice, policy work and data analysis can influence decisions that affect many people. For us, ethics is therefore not a separate statement on the website. It shapes which assignments we accept, how we collect and interpret evidence, how we handle confidential information and what we are prepared to recommend.
Six Commitments
Integrity
Give advice we can defend
A client is paying for judgement, not agreement. If the evidence points away from a preferred strategy, we say so and explain why.
Transparency
Explain how we reached a conclusion
Research and recommendations should make the underlying method visible: the data used, the assumptions made, the analytical approach and the limits of what can be concluded.
Independence
Do not let the fee determine the finding
Client relationships do not change the result of an analysis. Findings are reported according to the evidence, including when they are inconvenient for the client.
Impartiality
Separate analysis from allegiance
Political, institutional or commercial preferences should not distort the analysis. In electoral work, we do not represent competing interests in the same contest at the same time.
Confidentiality
Protect information entrusted to us
Client data, strategy documents, research findings and other confidential material are used only for the agreed engagement and handled according to applicable legal and professional obligations.
Public interest
Consider who lives with the consequences
Legality is the minimum standard, not the only one. We also consider whether an assignment asks us to mislead, suppress participation, damage democratic processes or knowingly work against the interests of communities affected by the decision.
Conflict of interest policy
We do not simultaneously represent competing interests in the same electoral, policy or commercial matter. We do not produce research designed to mislead or accept assignments that require us to misrepresent evidence, evade lawful processes or undermine democratic participation. Where a potential conflict exists, we disclose it and, when it cannot be managed properly, decline the engagement.
What this looks like in practice
We tell clients when the evidence does not support a proposed strategy, and explain the basis for that view.
For research released publicly, we disclose the relevant methodology, including sample size, fieldwork dates, sampling approach and analytical methods.
Training in political and public work includes the ethical and legal boundaries relevant to the subject, not only techniques for effectiveness.
When we make a material mistake, we correct it and explain what changed and why.