"The NZCS National Council shall be the final authority as to whether the code is formally adopted on behalf of the profession," it says. However, the Society insists this is merely a formality.

"It is hoped that all significant ICT groups and bodies and the vendor community will adopt and endorse the code," the document says.

Matthews says it is not the intention of this clause to put the NZCS in complete charge of the exercise. A rewording of the clause is already being considered to avoid that impression. However, some organisation has to be the focus for final approval, he says, and this cannot be done by the steering group, since this is not its role; it exists to facilitate consultation.

"The intention [of the clause] is to make it clear that NZCS is not formally endorsing the code until it is complete," he says in an email. "This is primarily because we are simply facilitating a process rather than developing it 'in-house'. While we are confident of achieving a result that has widespread endorsement, we can't jump ahead of ourselves."

Even if the Society were approving the code purely for itself, the National Council would be the final arbiter of adoption, he says; that is the reason the council is referred to.