thing? Reith Lecture 2002 • Onora O’Neill in her Reith Lectures of 2002 entitled ‘A Question of Trust’ commented: “ Professionals and Institutions doing trustworthy work today may find that the public say that they do not trust them- but their services are still demanded.” The Role of the Professions • The professionals in the built environment are obliged to take the greater good of society into account and to act as impartial arbiters of interests. • However, in the 1980s and 90s professions often seemed to be self- serving and remote from the society they were supposed to serve • As a result their position came into question and their status and influence declined Ethical Standards • This has led some professionals from the engineering institutions to question whether there is a need to invigorate the ethical standards of the professions. • A key question is what value is generated from adopting a clear set of values? Part of being professional • Paul Nethercot, President of the Institution of Structural Engineers 2003-4 described being a professional as : “ acting competently, asking a fair price and conducting oneself in a reasonable manner” Is this sufficient or does there need to be more explicit values? Professional virtues • Armstrong (2004) proposed there were six virtues required by a professional practitioners: integrity, independence, impartiality, responsibility, competence and discretion • These virtues, which represent ethical practice, “enable the maintenance of principles and responsibilities in professional activities, in contexts that are often complex and unclear.” Value added • Blockley (2005) states that “ reflective, experienced engineers are well equipped both theoretically and practically to benefit by articulating and communicating added value by considering ethics.” Why do ethics matter? • “because we are human beings” (Blockley, 2005) founded on morals. People should always try to do what is right • “the professional engineer serves society” (Armstrong, 2004) and responsible engineers use these morals to regulate themselves, needing to understand their own values, and the consequences of their actions More value • “ethics extract more value for engineers” (Blockley, 2005) • Engineers have the responsibility of making decisions that need to deliver true quality and value, inclusive of function, cost, safety, sustainability and aesthetics. • This is a complex and sometimes conflict driven process Can ethics help? • Applying the tenet “do unto others as you would have them do to you” would mean that engineers would need to understand the needs of all the involved parties, respecting their views and managing their these. • This would allow the engineer to truly appreciate and qualify their needs The value of the engineer • Blockley argues that it is in this manner , by developing trust, that the true value of the engineer is revealed. • “ value is the worth we give to the purposes we have collectively and individually….engineers need to be much better at showing the value we bring to construction process” Gensler • Gensler (1998) derived key personal skills and attributes derived from Kantian ethics, which emphasise action based rational ethical evaluation • These give guidance to the engineer while also ensuring the value of engineering Personal Skills and Attributes • Be consistent in the beliefs you hold (logical), in the evaluation of similar actions (impartial) and in your judgements and actions (conscientious) • Be informed ( facts, consequences, beliefs and feelings of others) • Be imaginative • Think beyond the norms and culture of your organisation Attributes -2 • Develop feelings that support rational principles; internalise ethics as a habit of thought • Communicate widely (benchmark and network) • Respect (though perhaps not accept) the arguments, knowledge and experience of others • Don’t be dogmatic; be prepared to change if new arguments become available Without ethics • There is a real risk that if ethics are not present in the decision making process undertaken by engineers then regulation of that process will be impose from outside • Armstrong (2002) highlight this “ unless we as professional engineers are prepared to ensure that our judgements are sound , then we become increasingly controlled by imposed regulations, which can diminish the quality of our work and require us to be the mere instruments in all decision making- indeed not to be real decision makers at all”.. Benefits of ethics • The individual can build a sense of pride and satisfaction • An organisation can promote good reputation and trustworthiness • Both are key to future success • Good ethical practice, it has been identified, can improve business, demonstrates duty of care, helps recruitment and communicates value This can result in: • Striving to provide best value encourages continuous improvement • Lead to sustainable development • Promote innovation and development Legislation • Are ethical procedures invoked through a fear of litigation rather than moral beliefs? • A number of regulations in the UK ensure there is a duty of care • Uff (2002) commenting on the evolution of Health and Safety law e.g. CDM regulations states “ any postulated ethical duty must take account of existing recognised legal duties” Duty of care • He summed up whether engineers owe a duty of care to the public, by concluding: • “legal duties are owed to a wide, but limited class of persons and that duties to the public are not in general enforceable against individual engineers by or on behalf of members of the public” The Institutions • Uff highlighted the institutions duty to properly police the activities of its members • Failure to do so could result in legal action being taken against the institution • Is this the right reason for policing? Hippocratic Oath • Doctors take the Hippocratic Oath, vowing a responsibility to their patient • They can be struck off and are therefore effectively regulated • Should engineers take a similar oath? • Engineers do not work in isolation in the same manner, therefore it would be much harder to regulate Professional Institutions • They provide guidance through their codes of conduct • These confirm their commitment to ethical conduct • Blockley comments that the rules of conduct are too general, even contradictory and not sufficient • They do not encourage us to “ relate better to ourselves, our clients and society at large.” Value statements • Statements such as “fit for purpose” raise liability concerns and hence can reduce innovation and reasonable risk taking • However “the engineer cannot operate simply in a market oriented way” (Armstrong 2002) Statement of Ethical Principles • In 2003, the Society of Construction Law set up a group to consider the question of ethics in the construction industry. • This was prompted by the call made by Professor John Uff in his lecture to the Royal Academy of Engineering. • They came up with the following guidelines and asked for comments: The Guidelines • Honesty- act with honesty and avoid conduct likely to result, directly or indirectly, in the deception of others. • Fairness- do not seek to obtain a benefit which arises directly or indirectly the unfair treatment of others • Fair reward- avoid acts which are likely to result in another party being deprived of the reward for their work Guidelines • Reliability- maintain up to date skills and provide services only within your areas of competence • Integrity- Have regard for the interests of the public, particularly people, who will retain an interest in the project in the future. • Objectivity- identify any potential conflicts of interest and disclose the conflict to those who would be adversely affected by it. Guidelines-3 • Accountability- provide information and warning of matters within your knowledge of potential detriment to others who may be adversely affected by them. Warning those in time to allow the taking of effective action to avoid detriment. • What do you think?