The Alliance of Independent Compliance Management Consultancies or AICMC

is an invitation only membership.

In a world of regulatory compliance consultancies springing up and collapsing with every economic wave, clients are experiencing frightening and worrying levels of service and sometimes, due to  liquidation or other catastrophe, can no longer access consultants that they thought were serving them well. Often these “temporary” and “costs efficient” solutions prove to be expensive and ineffective in the longer term.

We want clients to understand the importance of professional qualifications, Senior Management experience and Commercial Establishment alongside a rigorous set of standards, will serve them better for the long term and provide a wealth and breadth of knowledge and relevant expertise to the position.

The AICMC work under a through Charter and members must adhere to each and every point consistently.

The Alliance of Independent Compliance Management Consultancies (AICMC) was created to bring a minimum standard to regulatory compliance consultancies providing a degree of comfort and providing a high level of trust to their clients.

AICMC Members will meet and seek to excel the following standards to maintain accreditation. Members shall also be expected to adhere to, understand and observe this charter, any amendment to it, and any other codes which shall be incorporated into this charter, and to remain up to date with the content and recommendations of any guidance or practice papers issued by the their professional bodies or this Alliance, and shall have a duty to conform to good practice as expressed in such guidance or practice papers.

Professionalism

Each member will;

1. be responsible for their own Continuous Professional Development (CPD) and provide to their client’s on demand evidence of appropriately completed CPD for the previous year as a minimum or a link to their Institute’s directory, showing that they have maintained their status through completion of CPD.
2. accept responsibility for their own professional actions and decisions, rectifying issues as soon as possible, informing the client of any likely impact to them and taking all reasonable steps to mitigate any loss/harm.
3. apply professional high standards of relevance, accuracy and timeliness in the information and advice they provide to stakeholders, ensuring adequate liability insurance is held and terms of reference are established for all work and commitments.
4. ensure each regulatory consultant is qualified to at least QCF (or equivalent) level 4 and can verify this with the appropriate certificates.
5. if teams of contractors are to be used the lead consultant must be qualified as above as a minimum. Specialist consultants will also be of Chartered Status.
6. disclose any personal interest which may affect your decisions.
7. provide access to the firm’s key decision maker/Director/Partner/Owner throughout every project and ensure that person’s full contact details are provided on all quotations.
8. aim to provide a written quotation within 3 working days, unless stated otherwise.
9. as communications often provide commercially sensitive information, communicate through a secure environment or encrypted service.

Ethical Standards

Each member shall;

1. honour confidences received or given in the course of professional activity, safeguarding commercial secrets and not seeking personal advantage from any confidential, proprietary, commercially sensitive and/or abuse  personal information, disclosing it to those entitled to receive it under the UK Data Protection Act 2018 (as amended).
2. establish, maintain and develop business relationships based on confidence, trust and respect.
3. exhibit and role model professional and personal integrity and honesty at all times.
4. demonstrate and promote sensitivity for the customs, practices, culture and personal beliefs of others.
5. provide quotations for work with clear, defined values and benefits with associated costs. Ensure that there are no ‘hidden’ extras. If quotes are required on a per diem basis, an estimate of the time should be provided with a costs cap clearly stated or a set time-scale to reopen discussions if further work may be required.
6. endeavour an upskilling of the firm’s staff where necessary.

General Conduct

Each member shall;

1. take all reasonable care that professional duties are conducted without causing offence on the grounds of gender, race, religion, disability or any other form of discrimination or unacceptable reference.
2. any complaints received will be formally addressed and investigated; records appropriately kept for Alliance inspection on demand.
3. in all cases, endeavour to respond to any enquiry within 3 hours.
4. be in business for a minimum of 10 years.
5. operate with a minimum of two persons.
6. financially liquid with no medium (2 yrs+) or long term debts or leveraging.
7. refrain from using self-serving platitudes in their marketing.

 

Each member shall not;

engage in any practice nor be seen to conduct themselves in any manner detrimental to the reputation of the AICMC or the reputation and interests of the regulatory compliance management profession.