The Chicago Department of Aviation rolled out a new Code of Conduct for all CDA employees and vendors

Revised standards will apply to all employees, contractors, and those who do business with the CDA as City embarks on transformative airport capital projects

CHICAGO, IL, 2019-Sep-03 — /Travel PR News/ — The Chicago Department of Aviation (CDA) today (08/31/2019) rolled out a new Code of Conduct designed to serve as a roadmap for all CDA employees and vendors. The CDA Code of Conduct will help tens of thousands of airport workers, concessionaires and contractors to better understand and comply with local, federal and airport policies. To engage CDA employees in the standards outlined by the Code of Conduct, the CDA will be developing a new training module to be rolled out in the coming months. This new and improved training builds on the CDA’s longstanding efforts to create a culture of transparency, accountability and integrity at O’Hare and Midway International Airports.

Designed for all employees, contractors, and those who do business with the department, the Code of Conduct is an in-depth document detailing principles, values standards to be upheld by everyone working for and with the CDA that pulls from a wide range of best practices from around the country. This is the first time all applicable laws, policies and reporting processes have been compiled into one readily available resource for members of the CDA community. Formal training modules are currently being finalized and are expected to launch Fall 2019.

“At a crucial time for Chicago’s aviation community, the CDA Code of Conduct provides a road map to deliver on the promises of ORD 21 and the Midway Modernization Program,” said Rhee. “Since her first day in office, Mayor Lori Lightfoot has mandated accountability to the taxpayers for city employees and agencies to act with transparency, integrity and efficiency. The power of this effort will be demonstrated in our actions. We expect all CDA employees and vendors to be fully committed to and embrace the Code of Conduct.”

CDA’s core mission is to ensure safe and efficient travel; enhance economic activity and job creation in the City of Chicago and across the region; grow Chicago’s airports’ competitive positions in the global aviation marketplace; provide world class services and amenities in an environment that reflects Chicago’s rich, diverse and unique character; and continue to be the international leader in airport sustainability by integrating environmental best practices into all aspects of the airports.

To support accomplishing this mission, the Code of Conduct serves five purposes for the City of Chicago and the CDA: 

• Reflect CDA’s strong commitment to high professional and business standards and right conduct by all CDA employees and vendors;
• Serve as a central guide, rule book and reference for CDA employees and vendors regarding the City’s core values, vision and standards of conduct, to assure that all employees and CDA vendors perform their work and conduct business with honesty and integrity;
• Help CDA employees, vendors and other City stakeholders to learn or better understand the legal and ethical policies that govern their decision-making on a daily basis and any misconduct or wrongdoing by CDA employees and vendors;
• Provide a clear list of actions that are appropriate or expected of CDA employees and vendors. It also will provide the process that employees and vendors can use to report violations or raise concerns about unethical or unlawful behavior.

Last September, Commissioner Rhee convened a group including the Office of the Inspector General, the Board of Ethics and other leaders across the City to talk about ethical standards, adherence to policies and other conduct-related matters. This summit was the first in a series of efforts by the CDA as it worked toward development of a comprehensive new Code of Conduct. The Code of Conduct released today was developed after a thorough review of all city policies, with a focus on an assessment of key areas where additional guidance was needed. The team then reviewed the protocols, policies of approximately 100 municipalities, 50 counties and the federal conduct codes to flesh out the final version.

Source: Chicago Department of Aviation

Subscribe to Notifications