Code of Practice

Our commitment to integrity and excellence

1. Introduction

At Firstwater Advisory, we are committed to upholding the highest standards of professionalism and integrity in all our operations. This Code of Practice sets out the principles and practices that guide our interactions with clients, suppliers, employees, partners, and all stakeholders. It encompasses confidentiality, ethics, duty of care, conflict of interest, contracts, consultancy fees, payment terms, intellectual property, quality assurance, professional conduct, equality, and anti-slavery and anti-bribery commitments.

2. Confidentiality

We are dedicated to maintaining integrity in all our dealings with potential, current, and past clients, ensuring normal commercial confidentiality. We protect all information received while providing our business services and extend the same standards to our customers, suppliers, employees, partners, and associates.

3. Ethics

We conduct our services honestly and honourably, expecting the same from our clients and suppliers. Our advice and strategic assistance are grounded in ethical considerations, ensuring the protection and enhancement of our clients’ and suppliers’ moral positions.

4. Duty of care

Our actions and advice will always comply with relevant laws. All businesses, including our consultancy, should avoid causing any adverse effects on human rights, the environment, and society. We are committed to upholding the well-being of society at large in all our operations.

5. Conflict of interest

Given the sensitivity of our consultancy services, we will not provide services to a client’s direct competitor during an engagement. Even after services conclude, we maintain client confidentiality and never compromise our professional responsibility.

6. No pitch policy

We do not participate in unpaid pitches due to the time-consuming and costly nature of the process. We believe in consultation and adaptation, and our credentials speak for themselves. We prefer engaging in compensated pitch processes to ensure a fair evaluation of our expertise.

7. Contracts

Our contracts are detailed proposals that include aims, activities, costs, timescales, and deliverables. We ensure mutual respect and commitment by starting work only after receiving a signed contract, purchase order, or advanced payment.

8. Consultancy fees

Our fees reflect our high-quality, tailored, and specialised services. We strive to propose solutions that fit our clients’ budgets and timelines, agreeing on charges in advance to facilitate reliable planning.

9. Payment terms

Advanced payment is required before the commencement of services. We offer flexible payment structures, including fixed project fees and retainers, and provide discretionary discounts for prompt payments.

10. Intellectual property and moral rights

We retain moral rights and ownership of all intellectual property created during our engagements unless otherwise agreed in advance with clients. We respect intellectual property and ensure none of our tools contain confidential information.

11. Quality assurance

We maintain the quality of our services through constant review and feedback from stakeholders. Regular progress reports and review meetings are integral to our approach. We plan to be accredited under several quality assurance schemes, with further details available upon request.

12. Professional conduct

All our activities are conducted professionally and with integrity. We remain objective in our judgments and recommendations, ensuring they are influenced solely by our client’s best interests.

13. Equality and non-discrimination

We are committed to fairness and objectivity, ensuring that our decisions and actions are never influenced by gender, race, colour, age, sexuality, or personal disability.

14. Social and environmental impact

Firstwater Advisory is committed to creating a positive social and environmental impact through our operations and services. We align our efforts with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly:

  • SDG 8: Decent work and economic growth — we promote sustained, inclusive, sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment, and decent work for all;

  • SDG 9: Industry, innovation, and infrastructure — we support the building of resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialisation, and foster innovation;

  • SDG 12: Responsible consumption and production — we ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns by promoting resource and energy efficiency;

  • SDG 17: Partnerships for the goals — we strengthen the means of implementation and revitalise the global partnership for sustainable development by collaborating with stakeholders to achieve these goals.

14. Anti-slavery

Firstwater Advisory has a zero-tolerance approach to modern slavery and human trafficking. We are committed to acting ethically and with integrity in all our business dealings and relationships. We implement and enforce effective systems and controls to ensure modern slavery is not taking place anywhere in our own business or any of our supply chains.

15. Anti-bribery

Firstwater Advisory is committed to conducting business ethically and honestly and implementing and enforcing systems to prevent bribery. We have a zero-tolerance policy towards bribery and corrupt activities and are committed to acting professionally, fairly, and with integrity in all business dealings and relationships.

16. Contact details

This document ensures that Firstwater Advisory operates with the highest ethical standards, aligning with our commitment to purpose-driven and sustainable brand strategies. For further information or clarification on any part of this Code of Practice, please contact:

Firstwater Advisory FZ LLC
Office 404, Building B, Al Sahaa Offices
Souk Al Bahar, PO Box 487177
Dubai, UAE

+971 4 336 9693
hello@firstwater.ae.