Members of the Chartered Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management (CIEEM) are required to exercise due care for the environment and work to the highest standards of professionalism in accordance with the Institute’s Code of Professional Conduct. The professional has the responsibility to act as the client’s adviser, investigator or agent in any contract or employment agreement. In return the client has a duty to provide the ecologist or environmental manager with adequate information about the project, the areas involved and the project budget to enable the tasks to be undertaken in a satisfactory manner.

It is recognised that professional ecologists working within multidisciplinary companies or bigger consultancies will be covered by the standard service agreements of these firms. This guidance therefore is primarily aimed at professional ecologists working alone or in small companies rather than those working within established consultancies or other bodies.