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INSTRUCTOR: 
Jorge Rueda-Benavides, Ph.D

Purpose and Background

Organizational cultures grounded in solid ethical principles not only enhance a company’s reputation with clients and partners but also foster a loyal and trustworthy workforce. As demonstrated in this seminar, ethics-oriented organizations also face reduced legal risks in construction engineering and management due to the significant overlap between law and ethics.

The seminar introduces fundamental principles and ethical responsibilities outlined in the ASCE’s Code of Ethics. It emphasizes the critical role of ethics in decision-making processes and highlights real-world instances where stronger ethical cultures could have prevented decision-making failures. Additionally, the seminar discusses key ethical considerations during construction bidding and contract administration, offering strategies to identify and mitigate ethical risks across various project phases. The seminar duration is 8 hours.

Benefits and Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this course, you will be able to:

• Explain the fundamental principles and ethical responsibilities outlined in the ASCE’s Code and Ethics and how they apply to the practice of construction engineering and management.
• Recognize the significance and benefits of adopting high ethical standards and creating a solid ethical culture to guide the operations and business activities of owners and contractors.
• Conduct decision-making processes within a strong ethical framework, understanding its contribution to project success.
• Apply strategies to identify and mitigate ethical risks associated with construction bidding processes.
• Apply strategies to foster ethical behavior among all parties involved in a construction project.

Assessment of Learning Outcomes

Students' achievement of the learning outcomes will be assessed via a short post-assessment (true-false, multiple choice and fill in the blank questions).

Who Should Attend?

• Design and construction project managers
• Assistant project managers
• Upper management executives
• Field engineers and managers
• Construction administrators
• General contractors
• Entry-level and experienced engineers
• Architects and design professionals
• Public or private owners

Pre-requisites

This course is designed for both entry-level and experienced engineering, design, and construction professionals, as well as those who are employed by public and private owners.

Outline

Module 1: Introduction to ASCE’s Code of Ethics
Lesson 1.1 = Why does ethics matter?
Lesson 1.2 = Fundamental ethical principles in construction project management
Lesson 1.3 = Ethical responsibilities to society and the natural and built environment
Lesson 1.4 = Ethical responsibilities to the profession, clients and employers, and peers

Module 2: Ethics and Decision-Making
Lesson 2.1 = Decision-making priorities: Ethics first
Lesson 2.2 = Ethics violations vs. Leal Malpractice
Lesson 2.3 = Ethics violations in construction projects: Case studies
Lesson 2.4 = Ethics violations in other industries: Case studies

Module 3: Ethical Considerations in Construction Bidding
Lesson 3.1 = Bid rigging, peddling, and shopping: Case studies
Lesson 3.2 = Ethical and unethical unbalanced bidding: Case studies
Lesson 3.3 = Strategies to prevent ethics violations in construction bidding

Module 4: Ethical Considerations in Contract Administration
Lesson 4.1 = Risk of ethics violations in the management of change orders
Lesson 4.2 = Ethics and alternative project delivery methods: Case studies
Lesson 4.3 = Strategies to promote ethical problem-solving during contract administration

How to Earn your CEUs/PDHs

This course is worth 0.8 CEUs / 8 PDHs To receive your certificate of completion, you will need to complete a short post-test and receive a passing score of 70% or higher within 30 days of the course.

How do I convert CEUs to PDHs?

1.0 CEU = 10 PDHs [Example: 0.1 CEU = 1 PDH]