RAND's Institutional Principles
RAND's mission - its work - is to help improve policy and decisionmaking through research and analysis. Intrinsic to this mission is our dedication to the public interest; our chosen status as an independent, not-for-profit and non-partisan organization; and a commitment to excellence in what we do.
That commitment to excellence rests upon the contributions that RAND staff and associates have long provided. RAND is its people - and the institution depends upon and is well served by the talents, dedication, and good judgment of its staff. In turn, RAND strives to provide a setting in which its people can be productive, take satisfaction from their contributions, grow professionally, and find camaraderie with their colleagues.
An important part of that setting is a set of institutional principles that provide several formal and informal norms of conduct for RAND and all of its employees and other associates. These principles come in part from our dedication to the public interest - and the duty of trust that goes with it. They arise, as well, from the other characteristics of RAND mentioned above, the expectations of our clients about RAND, and from the necessities of RAND's legal responsibilities. And, finally, they come from our obligations to one another as equal and valued members of the RAND team.
- We are dedicated to quality and objectivity in our work.
- We avoid both the appearance and reality of conflict of interest.
- We are committed to integrity, fairness, equal opportunity, and respect in our relationships with one another, our clients, business associates, and the public.
- We are conscientious stewards of the financial resources, property, and sensitive information entrusted to us by RAND and our clients.
- We respect the legal and regulatory obligations that arise from our mission and the setting in which we operate.
- We share responsibility to protect RAND's name and reputation as a trusted source of high quality, objective, and non-partisan research and analysis.
These principles are supported by RAND's internal policies and procedures. The policies and procedures provide practical guidance for many of the ethical and legal/regulatory situations commonly encountered within RAND, as well as many other subjects.
Not all circumstances can be covered by written policies, of course. When RAND staff are unsure of how to proceed in a given instance, they have many experienced management resources to turn to.
Personal and Organizational Responsibilities
RAND's institutional principles take life in the actions and attitudes of individual RAND associates. Observing these principles honors RAND and colleagues alike and failure to support them can adversely affect colleagues and RAND alike. We rely foremost upon trust and the personal responsibility of each person to apply these principles in their RAND activities, whether in the physical workplaces of RAND or in any other setting in which they may be seen as representing RAND. Managers and supervisors have a special responsibility to learn about, act within, and advise others regarding RAND's institutional principles and its policies and procedures.
In parallel, RAND must ensure that all associates entrusted with discretionary authority or the care of RAND or client resources exhibit the highest standards of personal integrity.
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