Consultant's friend supplies material; community objects

Case and assumptions

I am the consulting engineer who approves and checks the quality of materials in a community project. My close friend is the material supplier, and the community has found out and demands that I quit. I assume the friend was selected through a fair process and that I did not know about it before accepting the appointment.

Ethical aspects

• Conflict of interest: my duty is to the client and the community, to check strictly, but my friendship may tempt me to be lenient. Even if I stay fair, there is an apparent conflict that harms public trust.
• Code of conduct: the Nepal Engineering Council code requires an engineer to avoid or disclose conflicts of interest, act as a faithful agent of the client, be honest, and not be influenced by personal relations or benefits. The Public Procurement Act 2063 also seeks to prevent conflicts of interest in procurement.
• Public confidence: the community's concern is legitimate, because they will use the facility and bear the consequences of poor quality. Their objection should be taken seriously, not as an insult.
• Duty of disclosure: I should tell the client as soon as I learn of the relationship.

Options

1. Ignore the objection and continue: this risks the project's credibility and my ethics.
2. Quit at once: clean, but the project loses an engineer, and it may not be needed if the conflict can be managed.
3. Disclose and manage the conflict while continuing.
4. Ask the friend to withdraw as supplier (not always possible if already contracted).

Recommended action

1. Immediately inform the client in writing about the relationship and let the client decide.
2. Arrange safeguards: material tests by an independent accredited laboratory; another engineer or the client's representative signs the acceptance of the friend's materials; sample testing in front of the community committee; publication of the test results.
3. Do not take any gift or favour from the friend, and keep a professional distance at work.
4. Meet the community, explain these steps and invite them to monitor quality.
5. If the client or the community still does not accept this, or if I cannot keep my independence, I should step down gracefully. Public trust and the project's success are more important than my appointment.

To cope with this, I should be transparent and impartial, and must not let the friendship lead me to hide any facts.