IEEE Policies

9.24   Information Disclosure Policy

1. As an educational, scientific organization dedicated to the benefit of the public, IEEE recognizes and endorses the fundamental importance of transparency and accountability in all its activities.  Accordingly, it is IEEE’s policy to be open about its activities and to welcome and seek out opportunities to explain its work to the widest possible audience.
   
   
2. The following categories of information shall be confidential: (a) proprietary and non-public information and intellectual property, including trade secrets, business methods and processes, license terms and similar information that has been disclosed to IEEE under conditions of confidentiality; (b) documentation relating to internal deliberative processes among IEEE staff and volunteers, unless these are specified for public circulation; (c) privileged information including attorney-client advice and work product information and disciplinary and investigatory information generated within or for IEEE; (d) personal, health, employment-related, or position-related  personal information about staff and volunteers, including conflict of interest forms, except to the individual staff member or volunteer concerned or in connection with standards developing committee activities; (e) information relating to procurement processes that involves prequalification information submitted by prospective bidders, or proposals or price quotations; (f) budgetary and pricing information whose disclosure can affect IEEE competitive positions or finances; (g) information about candidates or prospective candidates for awards or for appointed or elected positions prior to obtaining the candidate’s permission for public disclosure; (h) information whose distribution is proscribed by applicable federal, state, or local law, or by IEEE Bylaws, or IEEE Policies; (j) information divulged or discussed in IEEE committee meetings designated “executive session”, including secret ballots when such are mandated by IEEE Bylaws or IEEE Policies, or decided upon by an IEEE committee; (k) information not covered by (a) – (j) which is claimed “confidential” by the IEEE Executive Director, the IEEE President or any other volunteer or member of staff of the IEEE.
   
   
3. Unless covered by paragraph 2, all decisions, policy statements, and official correspondence of the IEEE will be accessible by the public without restrictions. 
   
   
4. Any document that is claimed confidential pursuant to clause (k) above shall indicate the individual declaring it to be confidential and the expiration date for the confidential status. 
   
   
5. The IEEE may require that individuals who seek documents from the IEEE reimburse the IEEE for the usual, customary and reasonable expenses incurred in retrieving and furnishing the requested information.  No reimbursement will be sought when the information is requested in order to verify the accuracy of factual information which IEEE holds about the requesting individual(s).

Note:  “Documentation relating to internal deliberative processes among IEEE staff and volunteers” shall mean e-mail messages, personal notes taken at meetings and similar materials prepared in connection with the communications and deliberations attendant to the decision-making processes of the IEEE and its organizational units.