Teaching Paper: Developing Ethics Frameworks for Consulting Practices

This Teaching Paper introduces practical templates for developing ethics frameworks that ensure transparency, accountability, and trust in non-profit consulting. It distinguishes between a basic framework for small organizations beginning to formalize ethical standards and a detailed framework suited for complex, multi-stakeholder environments. The paper highlights key principles—integrity, respect, accountability, and transparency—and translates them into concrete guidelines on conflict of interest, confidentiality, and professional conduct. A case study of a mid-sized international NGO illustrates how organizations can evolve from adopting a simple framework to embedding comprehensive ethical models, such as the PLUS Model, into daily practice. Designed as both a teaching and practice-oriented resource, the paper emphasizes that ethics frameworks are living systems requiring ongoing reflection, training, and revision.