Code of Conduct Anyone?
Qualified IT professionals have to abide by the BCS Code of Conduct which in turn needs to meet Engineering Council requirements.
I quote the fist clause
"Public Interest
You shall:
a) have due regard for public health, privacy, security and wellbeing of others and the environment.
b) have due regard for the legitimate rights of Third Parties*.
c) conduct your professional activities without discrimination on the grounds of sex, sexual orientation, marital status, nationality, colour, race, ethnic origin, religion, age or disability, or of any other condition or requirement
d) promote equal access to the benefits of IT and seek to promote the inclusion of all sectors in society wherever opportunities arise."
I think a) and b) set a pretty high bar for anyone who signs off a project that causes loss or harm to members of the public, users or indeed their employer.
Of course many work without a qualification but employers who fail to ensure their staff are adequately qualified could find it difficult to defend a case of negligence. "What proportion of your staff have a professional qualification?", "And the rest we presume are amateurs - we rest our case m'lud"
There got that off my chest.