Case: Max in the State Department

Summary of case

Max works in a large state department of alcoholism and drug abuse. The agency administers programs for individuals with alcohol and drug problems, and maintains a huge database of information on the clients who use their services. Some of the data files contain the names and current addresses of clients.

Max has been asked to take a look at the track records of the treatment programs. He is to put together a report that contains the number of clients seen in each program each month for the past five years, length of each client's treatment, number of clients who return after completion of a program, criminal histories of clients, and so on. In order to put together this report, Max has been given access to all files in the agency's mainframe computer. After assembling the data into a file that includes the clients' names, he downloads it to the computer in his office.

Under pressure to get the report finished by the deadline, Max decides he will have to work at home over the weekend in order to finish on time. He burns the information onto a CD and takes it home. After finishing the report he leaves the CD at home and forgets about it.

1.2.1 Public Interest

d) take into consideration the fact that your profession traverses many other professions, and has implications for other social systems and organisations;

g) endeavour to preserve the confidentiality and privacy of the information of others.

1.2.2 Quality of Life

a) recognise, in your work, the role that ICT can play to enhance the quality of life of people, particularly the disadvantaged or those with disabilities;

1.2.4 Competence

d) respect and protect your stakeholders' proprietary interests;