Ethics
Toolkit
/ethics
Contents
Introduction___________________________________________________________________ Page 3
What is Ethics?_________________________________________________________________ Page 4
Section 1 – ICE Rules of Professional Conduct Explained________________________________ Pages 5-11
A short summary of the rules and what they entail
Decision Making Flowchart______________________________________________ Page 12
An ethical decision making flowchart for identifying and tackling ethical challenges
Section 2 – Ethics in your Organisation______________________________________________ Page 13
How to establish a culture of ethical decision making in your organisation
Section 3 – Ethical Case Studies____________________________________________________ Pages 14-20
Eight ethics case studies to stimulate the ethics debate
Section 4 – ICE Ethics Survey Results________________________________________________ Pages 21-24
Results of an Institution-wide ethics survey
Section 5 – Further Reading_______________________________________________________ Page 25
Background and insight into the world of ethics
Final Remarks & Acknowledgements________________________________________________ Page 26
2
Introduction
The 2012/13 ICE President’s Apprentices have developed an Ethics Toolkit which will assist practicing
engineers in identifying and tackling ethical challenges. It will also provide guidance on establishing a
culture of ethics within their organisations.
This Toolkit is the product of a year-long Ethics campaign and was informed by the results of an online
Ethics discussion forum, an ICE members Ethics survey and feedback from several case studies published in
the New Civil Engineer (NCE) magazine. The Toolkit is accessible online via the new dedicated ICE Ethics
website www.ice.org.uk/topics/ethics.aspx. The 2012/13 ICE President’s Apprentices were Conall Doherty,
Catherine Inglesfield, Sanaya Kerawala, Mark Sanders, Hayley Sharp & Richard Smith.
A Foreword from ICE President 2012/13 Barry Clarke
“By the very nature of our work in the built environment, we are at the front line of decisions that
‘Shape the World’. Behaving ethically is not a new concept in civil engineering and the ICE has long
understood the need to advocate for ethical behavior in the profession.
As our overseas community evolves to meet the demands of emerging global markets, it is vital that
the ethical challenges ICE members will inevitably face are acknowledged, and that adequate support
and guidance is made available.
This toolkit will assist civil engineers in identifying the ethical consequences of their work, enabling
them to fulfill their professional duties to the public, the environment and to society.”
3
What is Ethics?
Ethics is often defined in two ways. The Cambridge dictionary gives the following two definitions:
1 – “a system of accepted beliefs that control behaviour”
2 – “the study of what is morally right and what is not”
Ethics is a cornerstone of our profession and a key element in differentiating us as professionals. Ethics isn’t just
about avoiding bad decisions, but also about choosing good ones. The significant contribution that engineering
makes to society invokes an inherent duty on us to act ethically.
There is a strong tradition of ethics in engineering. Institutions throughout the world oblige their members to
demonstrate their commitment to ethical practice in various ways. For example, in the U.S.A. and Canada,
professional engineers take an oath and wear a ring as a constant reminder of their moral, ethical and
professional commitment to society. Equally, the ICE obliges its members to adhere to the Code of Professional
Conduct which defines the ethical standards to which they should abide.
4
ICE Code of Professional Conduct Explained
The Purpose of the ICE Code of Professional
Conduct is to lay down, both for its members and
for the public, the ethical standards by which all
members should abide.
Notifying
the ICE
Integrity
6
Continued
Professional
Development
1
5
2
4
Sustainability
Competency
3
Public
Interest
There are six rules, each covering a different aspect
of professional conduct, as summarised in the
diagram opposite. All rules are of equal importance
and are applicable throughout the world.
One of the core attributes of a civil engineer is the
personal commitment to professional standards,
and obligations to society, the profession and the
environment. A large component of demonstrating
this is through an understanding of and compliance
with these Rules of Professional Conduct.
The following pages provide further guidance on
each rule . All advice is taken from the ICE Code of
Professional Conduct unless stated otherwise. Read
the full document on the ICE website:
www.ice.org.uk/About-ICE/What-we-do/Professional-conduct
5
Rule 1 – Integrity
1. Discharge your professional duties
with integrity
Integrity
1
•
Duty of care
•
Honesty
•
Written agreements and insurance
•
Plagiarism
•
Respect and equality
•
Bribery, deception and corruption
6
Rule 2 – Competency
2. Only undertake work you are
competent to do
2
Competency
•
Relevant knowledge and expertise
•
Laws on copyright
•
Nature and extent of your
involvement
•
Rights of intellectual property
7
Rule 3 – Public Interest
3. Have full regard for the public
interest
•
Health and Safety
•
Preventing disasters and following
relevant good practice
•
Interests of all stakeholders
•
Cultural, archaeological and ethnic
heritage
•
Impact on future generations
•
Society and quality of life
3
Public
Interest
8
Rule 4 – Sustainability
4. Show regard for the environment
and for the sustainable
management of natural resources
Possible ways of abiding by this rule could include:
(non-mandatory advice from the ICE’s 'Advice on
Ethical Conduct‘)
•
Understand the contribution of other
professions to sustainability
•
Promote continued improvement of
sustainable design, construction and
maintenance
•
Understand inter-related social,
economic, environmental issues
•
Collation and dissemination of good
practice and views
4
Sustainability
9
Rule 5 – Continued Professional Development
5. Develop your professional
knowledge, skills and competence
on a continuing basis
Continued
Professional
Development
5
•
Improve and update technical
knowledge
•
Contribute to the professional
development of others
•
Changes in statutory provisions
•
Further education
•
Knowledge, skills, competence
10
Rule 6 – Notifying the ICE
6. Notify the Institution:
Notifying
the ICE
6
•
If convicted of a criminal offence
•
Upon becoming bankrupt or
disqualified as a Company Director
•
Of any significant breach of the Rules
of Professional Conduct by another
member
11
Section 1 – Decision Making Flowchart
It is widely acknowledged that
awareness of professional responsibility
alone is insufficient when faced with an
ethical dilemma.
This Ethical Decision Making Flow Chart provides a
guidance framework for practicing engineers
attempting to define and tackle ethical challenges.
Start by identifying your options in a particular
scenario and then apply each option to the flow chart
in turn. Note that there may be more than one
ethically correct course of action.
Use the Ethical Case Studies on pages 14-19 to
familiarise yourself with the process. It may be helpful
to work through this with a colleague or in a group.
The ICE Rules of Professional Conduct have been
summarised for quick reference on pages 5-11 of this
Toolkit.
12
Section 2 – Ethics in your Organisation
The framework below proposes the fundamental components of establishing a culture of ethical decision
making in your organisation:
Case studies and workshops are a
good way of demonstrating tangible
application, as well as facilitating
discussion, stimulating debate and
capturing opinions. Demonstrate
how employees can define and
tackle ethical dilemmas, and
how to make use of the
company’s support framework.
Senior management must lead by
example, using critical events in the
business to reinforce the company
values. They must demonstrate how
everyone is accountable to the same
ethical standards.
Internal communications and
education campaigns should be
used to introduce and reinforce
company ethical policy. Keeping
the messages simple will ensure
employees understand the ethical
expectations.
Statements of values, codes of
conduct and ethics policies may be
used to clearly define expectations.
These can be internal policies or based
on Institution policies, such as the ICE
Code of Professional Conduct.
Anonymous advice hotlines and
whistleblowing procedures may help
to reinforce these policies.
13
Section 3 – Ethical Case Studies
Overview
The case studies in this section will help you to develop an
understanding of the ethical consequences of your work as a
civil engineer. When considering these scenarios, you can begin
by asking yourself “What, if anything, would you do in this
situation?” When considering each of your options for these
Case Studies, use the Ethical Decision Making Flow Chart (page
12) to identify which solutions may be more ethically correct.
You can view other responses to the Case Studies on the ICE
Ethics Community forum (see ICE Ethics Webpage). The aim of
this community is to facilitate discussion on these issues, so why
not post your own thoughts?
Organising an Ethics Workshop
If you are interested in running a workshop on ethical
challenges, a facilitator’s pack is downloadable from the ICE
Ethics Webpage. This also provides more information about
how to use this toolkit in line with the case studies
14
Case Study 1 – Procurement
CASE 1: Your manager asks you to prepare a tender document for the design stages of a large
infrastructure project. The design brief from your client has specified a preference for a construction
method that uses sustainable technology in order to meet the client’s ‘green’ targets on the project.
You discover that nobody within the company has experience of this method and using a subcontractor
would be too costly to the project. You bring this to your manager’s attention and are advised to finish
preparing the submission without directly addressing the lack of experience in the text. It is suggested
that the method will be researched in further detail if the tender is successful.
When considering each of your options for these Case Studies, use the Ethical Decision Making Flow
Chart (page 13) to identify which solutions may be more ethically correct.
You can view other responses to the Case Studies on the ICE Ethics Community forum at
www.ice.org.uk/icecomm/Groups/Ethics.aspx . The aim of this community is to facilitate discussion on
these issues, so why not post your own thoughts?
15
Case Study 2 – Duty of Care
CASE 2: You are managing a programme evaluating the condition of your client’s wide-ranging high risk
asset base. You have an established professional relationship with the client and your line manager
stresses that we would like to maintain this because you are interested in bidding for future work from
them.
The ranges of asset types and materials have proved to be more considerable than you initially
anticipated and programmed for. The project is over-running and the client has criticised the depth of
analysis used in your assessment, attributing the delays to this. The client puts pressure on you to finish
the project quickly and asks you to simplify the assessment process, but you have concerns this will lead
to inadequate characterisation of risks.
16
Case Studies 3 & 4 – Health, Safety & Wellbeing
CASE 3: You have just started working as the sole structural inspector on a residential construction site.
Upon your first few visits to the site you notice a blatant disregard for health and safety, with project
staff working in treacherous conditions.
You raise the issue with the contractor who assures you that you will always have safe access to the point
of inspection and that the inspector before you never raised any concerns. In any case the project is
behind schedule and speed of construction must be prioritised.
CASE 4: You notice that a junior colleague appears to be suffering from significant stress levels as a result
of a high level of responsibility on a very sensitive project. Over a brief discussion with your manager, you
learn that the project is under-resourced and that your colleague has barely slept for over a week. Your
manager appears reluctant to commit more resources to the job as the profit margin is already quite low
and the division within the business is struggling.
Your manager mentions that many young engineers would grasp at the chance to take on this level of
responsibility so early on in their career and that this is a fantastic opportunity for your colleague’s
career progression. Your manager mentions that your colleague is delivering the project successfully and
in any case there are only a few months remaining on the contract.
17
Case Studies 5 & 6 – Sustainability
CASE 5: You are working as a civil engineering consultant based in the UK. Your company has recently
won a bid for a large-scale infrastructure development in a remote international region. Your personal
opinion is that the development is unnecessary and hasn't been properly justified due to the lack of a
national sustainability framework or public review body. You question how sustainable the project is and
whether it fits with both your personal work ethos and that of your company.
You raise this with your line manager who understands your concerns. However your manager stresses
the importance of the project to developing a relationship with the client and for the company’s global
reputation. Your manager explains that doing business must take priority in times of recession.
CASE 6: You are on your company’s Board of Directors and currently deciding whether to bid for work
associated with the 2022 Fifa World Cup in Qatar. The Board is divided. Some completely disagree with
the principle of Qatar hosting the world cup due to the blatant disregard for the environment through
such vast infrastructural development.
However, others refer to the economic and social components of sustainability being beneficial to Qatar.
Qatar is attempting to use its resources and this global event to establish itself as a progressive nation
and as a catalyst for its own societal development.
18
Case Studies 7 & 8 – Equality
CASE 7: Your company has successfully put considerable effort into promoting female recruitment in
recent years, however this has generally been focused on less senior positions within the company and
no women have ever sat on the Board of Directors.
A vacancy has arisen within the Board and your colleague has put herself forward for the role. You
overhear other colleagues talking of their concern that the candidate is not experienced enough for the
role. Concerns are growing that if chosen for the role she will perform poorly and this will reflect upon all
female staff within the company, impacting their potential progression.
CASE 8: You have been asked by your manager to oversee the recruitment of 5 new graduates. As you are
reviewing the applications, you notice that only 3 women have applied for the job, compared to over 20
men. You begin by shortlisting the applications based on merit alone and realise that only 1 of the
women actually meet the experience requirements, compared with 12 of the men.
Your manager has previously advised that you consider the new Engineering Diversity Concordant the
company has agreed to. It must now demonstrate its commitment to addressing the gender, ethnicity
and disability gap in the profession. A colleague advises that you select 2 women and 3 men for the role
and that any inexperience can be quickly made up for on the job.
19
Case Study 9 – Bribery
CASE 9: You are working as the director of a small civil engineering firm and have began bidding for work
overseas due to the volatility of the domestic market. In one instance, you travel abroad to meet a client
and to agree the final contract on a sizeable project which would provide a secure pipeline of work for
the next 18 months. When finalising the terms and conditions of the contract, the client verbally advises
that you make a small contribution to his development fund.
Not wanting to forget your ethical principles or lose the opportunity to do business, you politely
challenge the proposal. The client fully appreciates your reluctance however he advises that it is common
practice in this country and advises that sometimes minor compromises must be made to do business. In
any case the contribution would be insignificant compared to the number of jobs it will save in the
company.
20
Ethics Survey Results
A survey was sent out to all ICE members in 2013 to understand their views on ethics, receiving over 240
responses from across the world. Some key outputs of the Ethics Survey results are illustrated on the
following pages.
Responses by Level of Experience
60
50
Responses by Location
200
175
150
40
30
20
125
100
75
50
10
0
25
0
21
Ethics Survey Results
Over 60% of engineers get involved in
the ethical challenges of their
companies and organisations
69% of responses felt that the ICE should
be doing more to promote ethics
No
6%
Yes
27%
No
39%
Not sure
25%
Yes
69%
Somewhat
34%
81% of respondents were aware of the ICE Code of
Professional Conduct however only 11% said they
had referred to it in a professional situation.
62% of respondents want to see more online
ethics resources and example case studies
relevant to them and their work.
22
Ethics Survey Results (continued)
Over 50% of all graduates and almost 80% of senior engineers, would challenge a course of action they feel is
unethical:
80%
“I would challenge the decision
internally. If challenge is
rejected, consider whether you
wish to stay with company.”
70%
60%
50%
40%
“I think one has to accept
the decision or resign.”
“Use the company's internal
processes to flag up the issue
and seek information /
clarification on their decision.”
30%
20%
10%
0%
Carry through the
decision
Challenge or defy the Report my company to
decision
the relevant professional
body
Graduates + junior engineers
“Try to understand the root
cause for the decision.”
Engineers + Senior engineers
"Please imagine that your company makes a decision which you
believe is unethical. What course of action do you think an engineer
at your company would be most likely to take?"
23
Ethics Survey Results (continued)
The results indicate that as engineers progress in their career, they place more emphasis on the importance
of ethics in decisions they make:
100%
90%
80%
Engineers should take a proactive role in considering,
understanding and making informed ethical
decisions about projects they work on
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
Engineers should not have to focus on ethical issues
but it is important for them to have an
understanding if the need arises
Engineers should be able to focus on technical work
if that is their role, whilst allowing other people to
consider ethical implications of a project
58% of respondents have worked
professionally outside of the UK
35% of respondents are members of
other professional institutions
24
Further Reading
Professional Guidance
ICE Ethics Webpage and Community
www.ice.org.uk/topics/ethics and www.ice.org.uk/icecomm/Groups/Ethics.aspx
ICE Code of Professional Conduct
www.ice.org.uk/About-ICE/What-we-do/Professional-conduct
ICE Advice on Ethical Conduct
www.ice.org.uk/Information-resources/Document-Library/Advice-on-ethical-conduct
Royal Academy of Engineering www.raeng.org.uk
Further Reading
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Engineering in Society, Royal Academy of Engineering
Introduction to Engineering Ethics, Mike Martin and Roland Schinzinger
Ethics in Engineering, Mike Martin and Roland Schinzinger
Introduction to Business Ethics, Joseph Desjardins
Environmental Ethics, John Benson
The Ethics of Climate Change: Right and Wrong in a Warming World, James Garvey
Adapt, Tim Harford
Engineers Australia Value Exchange Forum engineersaustralia.vxcommunity.com
Online Ethics Centre www.onlineethics.org
25
Final Remarks & Acknowledgements
What can I do next? Three things you can do to drive forward the ethics campaign:
1.
Ethics is a broad subject, ranging from sustainability to corruption. Think about projects you work on
and ethical issues that may arise. It is not just the project manager’s responsibility to ensure ethical
practice. Why not discuss the issues with colleagues in project meetings with contributions from staff
at all levels?
2.
It is our duty to inform others of good ethical practice. Why not organise a workshop in your company
to help promote awareness of ethical issues by debating case studies?
3.
The ICE’s Six Rules of Professional Conduct are relevant to non-ICE members since we work in a multidisciplinary environment. Why not share best practice by giving a lunchtime presentation on ethical
practice and the ICE Code of Professional Conduct?
This toolkit was produced by the 2012/13 ICE President’s Apprentices:
Conall Doherty, Catherine Inglesfield, Sanaya Kerawala, Mark Sanders, Hayley Sharp & Richard Smith
The Apprentices would like to thank:
Rob Lawlor, Lecturer in Applied Ethics, Inter-Disciplinary Ethics Applied Centre, University of Leeds
Barry Clarke, ICE President 2012/13 and Professor of Civil Engineering Geotechnics, University of Leeds
The Apprentices would also like to thank their organisations for their support:
Atkins, Buro Happold, CH2M HILL, Mott MacDonald & Thames Water
26