Transparency Is an Important Element of Engineering Ethics

Contributor: Neil Harper

As engineering professionals, we are entrusted with the health, safety, and welfare of the public. This responsibility extends beyond technical competence—it requires unwavering ethical conduct, with transparency at its core. Transparent decision-making is essential not only for maintaining the confidence of clients and employers but also for upholding public trust in the engineering profession.

Transparency in engineering means more than just clear documentation—it involves disclosing relevant limitations, assumptions, and potential conflicts that may affect project outcomes. Whether reviewing designs, providing professional oversight, or stamping construction plans, licensed engineers have a duty to ensure decisions are made with integrity and are open to professional and public scrutiny.

In some cases, ethical lapses occur when unqualified individuals undertake work requiring engineering expertise, or when licensed engineers fail to adequately review or supervise technical work. By fostering a culture of transparency and ethical accountability, engineers can help prevent such violations and safeguard the integrity of the profession.

What Does Transparency Mean

In the context of engineering ethics, transparency refers to the practice of openly and honestly communicating the facts, assumptions, risks, and uncertainties that influence engineering decisions. It means ensuring that all stakeholders—clients, regulators, team members, and the public—have access to the information necessary to understand how and why key decisions are made.

Transparency involves:

• Disclosing limitations in data, models, or analysis methods

• Acknowledging potential conflicts of interest

• Communicating clearly about risks, design constraints, or code exceptions

• Ensuring all documentation, including calculations and approvals, is accurate and accessible

Engineers often work on projects that affect public safety, environmental health, or economic well-being. In these settings, transparency is not optional—it’s a professional obligation. A lack of openness, whether intentional or due to oversight, can erode trust, compromise safety, and lead to legal or disciplinary consequences.

Ultimately, transparency strengthens the credibility of the engineering profession by promoting ethical behavior, informed decision-making, and accountability at every stage of a project.

When Is Transparency Critical?

Transparency is essential throughout every phase of an engineering project, but it becomes especially critical during key moments of professional judgment, risk assessment, and public accountability. Situations that call for heightened transparency include:

1. Public Safety and Risk Mitigation

When engineering decisions have the potential to affect human health, safety, or welfare—such as in structural design, water quality, or transportation systems—transparency is paramount. Engineers must clearly communicate known risks, limitations of materials, and uncertainties in performance models.

2. Design Review and Peer Oversight

During peer reviews or when sealing design documents, engineers are expected to disclose design assumptions, code deviations, and any limitations that affect interpretation. Transparency ensures the reviewing party can make informed decisions and reinforces professional accountability.

3. Client Communication and Scope Clarification

Clear, open dialogue with clients regarding project limitations, budget constraints, or timeline risks is critical. Misleading omissions—whether deliberate or accidental—can lead to unrealistic expectations, disputes, or even litigation.

4. Third-Party and Regulatory Interactions

When submitting plans for permits or regulatory approvals, engineers are obligated to present honest, complete information—even when doing so may delay the project or create difficult questions. Transparency with authorities builds long-term credibility for both engineers and the profession.

5. Recognizing Ethical Breaches

Engineers must remain alert to situations where unqualified individuals contribute technical input without appropriate oversight, or where others suppress critical information. Transparent reporting of such concerns is an ethical duty and may be required under whistleblower protections.

Examples of Transparency in Engineering Practice

Transparency isn’t just a theoretical principle—it plays out in real and often high-stakes situations. Below are two examples where a lack of transparency compromised ethical standards:

Example 1: Withholding Design Alternatives from a Client

A consulting firm developed several design alternatives for a client’s public infrastructure project. While one option met the budget and performance goals, another—though slightly more expensive—offered greater durability and lower long-term maintenance costs. The firm chose to present only the cheaper option, believing it would win client approval more quickly and avoid pushback.

Why this violates transparency: The client was denied the opportunity to make a fully informed decision. Engineers have an ethical obligation to disclose all viable options—especially when differences could impact public safety or lifecycle cost.

Example 2: Misuse of Proprietary Design Materials

An engineering firm was invited to bid on a wastewater treatment project and submitted a preliminary design as part of its proposal. Although the firm was not awarded the contract, the final project closely resembled its proposed design. The awardee appeared to have incorporated substantial portions of the original work without consent or acknowledgment.

Why this violates transparency: The original firm’s design contributions were neither disclosed nor credited. This not only disrespects intellectual property but also creates a false record of project authorship, which can undermine trust and accountability.

Is Transparency an Ethical Principle

Transparency is a core engineering ethical principle that is grounded in professional engineering standards. Engineering ethics promote transparency to allow other professionals (i.e., designers) access to essential engineering information they may need to evaluate engineering design, as well as for engineers themselves to participate meaningfully and responsibly in society by providing a window into the profession’s work.

Engineers are committed not only to public safety, engineering standards, and ethical principles but also to transparency.

Transparency is a key engineering principle that drives good engineering design through informed understanding of the context in which engineering decisions are made. This, in turn, contributes to the public’s trust and confidence in professional engineers and the engineering profession.

Transparency and Corporate Culture

Transparency is not a static or fixed entity – it’s an active and dynamic process. It can feel like you’re walking on eggshells, but if transparency is the operating principle behind your company culture then each individual in that space has to be comfortable enough with their own skin so they don’t needlessly fear what others might think of them.

Transparency isn’t just about openness; sometimes people are perfectly open without being transparent at all because there doesn’t seem any point in hiding things when everything else seems out-in-the-open anyway! Transparency means having nothing left unsaid – opening up those “last boxes.”

Why Do Engineers Need to Be Transparent in All Actions

Professional engineers take an oath to uphold engineering standards. They also take pride in their work and professionalism. Being transparent is the best practice for engineers because it keeps them accountable for their actions, which helps both themselves and society.

In addition, engineers are judged by clients and the general public by their conduct and actions. They need to show the public that engineering is a professional field, and engineering ethics are important.

Transparency in Engineering Codes of Ethics

Every state engineering board has a code of ethics that professional engineers are required to follow. Within these codes of ethics is a theme of transparency that is expected of all engineers.

Every engineering board has transparency provisions which ensure that engineering ethics are upheld. This includes the requirement to be open and honest with clients, perform engineering competently, and report any wrongdoing experienced in engineering work.

The ASCE code of ethics requires engineers to promote truthfulness by being honest and fully disclosed about their qualifications when giving testimony or opinions as an expert witness. It also asks them to act ethically so they maintain integrity among society at large.

Accountability in Professional Ethics

The profession of engineering is built on trust. Without trust, the public would not have confidence that buildings, bridges, and products designed by engineers were safe and reliable.

Accountability is an important element of building and maintaining this trust. When engineering work is done on a project, the engineering firm or person doing the engineering must be able to show that they have followed professional standards and ethical expectations.

Engineers are obligated to maintain their own accountability by following regulations for practicing engineering in their state as well as adhering to other codes of conduct.

The responsibility falls not only upon engineers but also those who oversee them. Employers should provide guidance so all parties clearly understand how responsibilities are divided between an employer and employees. It can be helpful if employers set up guidelines for disciplinary action before problems arise rather than reacting after something bad has happened..

Final Take on Transparency and Engineering Ethics

Transparency is a crucial engineering ethics principle. An engineering professional should be transparent in all aspects of their work, from the design process to the final product. There are many benefits to engineering transparency; an engineer can better collaborate with others on projects and provide a safe environment for those who use their products or services.