Page 32 - Water and Wastewater Engineering Design Principles and Practice

THE DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION PROCESSES 1-3

TABLE 1-1
Some observed professional–client relationship models
Model Description and comments
Agency Professional acts as an expert for agency, but agency has authority and responsibility.
Plausible for an attorney or a consultant to a government agency such as the Corps of
Engineers.
Contract Authority and responsibility shared equally. This model assumes bargaining between
equals. Not likely for an engineering consultant in classical design and construction.
Paternal Professional has superior knowledge and makes all the decisions for the client. This
model assumes the professional has not only superior technical knowledge but also
knows what is in the client’s best interest. Paternalism requires justification because it
involves performing on behalf of the client regardless of that person’s consent.
Fiduciary Professional’s superior knowledge is recognized, but the client retains significant
authority and responsibility for decision making. The professional supplies ideas and
information and proposes courses of action. The client’s judgement and consent are
required.

Extracted from Bayles, 1991.

In the case of the focus of this text, the owner is a municipality or an operating authority repre-
senting several municipalities.
The central issue in the professional–client relationship is the allocation of responsibility and
authority in decision making—who makes what decisions. These are ethical models that are, in
effect, models of different distributions of authority and responsibility in decision making. One
can view the professional–client relationship as one in which the client has the most authority and
responsibility in decision making, the professional being an employee; one in which the profes-
sional and the client are equals, either dealing at arm’s length or at a more personal level; or one
in which the professional, in different degrees, has the primary role (Bayles, 1991). The models
are summarized in Table 1-1 .

1-3 THE PROFESSIONAL–CLIENT RELATIONSHIP
AND THE CODE OF ETHICS
The professional–client relationship may move back and forth between two or more models as
the situation changes. However, for the professional engineer, the requirements of the Code of
Ethics are overarching. The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Code of Ethics is
shown in Figure 1-1 .

First Canon
This canon is paramount. It is held superior to all the others.
Regulations, codes, and standards serve as the engineer’s guidance in ensuring that the facili-
ties are safe and protect the health of the community. A large portion of this book and, for that