Confidentiality
Confidentiality is the ethical and professional obligation to protect proprietary, sensitive, and private information obtained during the course of project work from unauthorized disclosure.
Explanation
Project managers regularly handle sensitive information including trade secrets, financial data, personnel records, strategic plans, and intellectual property. The PMI Code of Ethics, primarily under the respect value, requires practitioners to protect confidential information and not use it for personal gain or share it with unauthorized parties.
Confidentiality obligations come from multiple sources: employment agreements, non-disclosure agreements, organizational policies, legal requirements, and professional ethics. A project manager must understand which information is confidential, who is authorized to access it, and what protections must be in place. This applies to both the project manager’s own handling of information and their responsibility to ensure team members also maintain confidentiality.
Exam questions about confidentiality may involve scenarios where someone requests information they are not authorized to have, or where a project manager is tempted to share proprietary information from a previous employer. The ethical answer always involves protecting the information and following established information security protocols.
Key Points
- •Protect proprietary, sensitive, and personal information from unauthorized disclosure
- •Obligations stem from contracts, policies, laws, and professional ethics
- •Never use confidential information for personal advantage
- •Ensure team members also understand and maintain confidentiality requirements
Exam Tip
When asked about sharing information from a previous employer or project, the answer is always to protect that confidential information, even if it would benefit the current project.
Frequently Asked Questions
Related Topics
Respect (Ethical Principle)
Respect is the PMI ethical principle requiring practitioners to show high regard for themselves, others, and the resources entrusted to them, including people, money, reputation, safety, and the environment.
Intellectual Property Rights
Intellectual property rights are the legal and ethical protections for creations of the mind, including patents, copyrights, trademarks, and trade secrets, that project managers must respect and protect throughout project work.
Honesty (Ethical Principle)
Honesty is the PMI ethical principle requiring practitioners to understand the truth and act in a truthful manner, both in communications and in conduct.
Test your knowledge
Practice scenario-based questions on this topic with detailed explanations.