How to achieve quality in a project
13-January-2025
How to get the best organisation and approach for a project
13-January-2025
10 – TRYING TO BE GOOD
Ethics has always been important in projects but changing public attitudes, stricter legislation and the more international character of many projects have made it a central concern in design and delivery. Even though we have not discussed it up to now, most projects today need to pay attention to ethics from their very outset.
There are no hard and fast rules, but projects throw up more ethical dilemmas than regular operations typically do. So at least we need some principles to help guide us towards doing the right thing.
Doing our best to minimise the sustainability impact of a project is another timely concern. That means considering how we can make the conduct of the project, the output and eventual outcome of the project as sustainable as possible. Clearly that requires co-operation between the client, the project supplier and probably other influential stakeholders.
The GM Hummer H2 project posed questions about the ethics of producing very large vehicles which might prove unsafe in the wrong hands, and the environmental impact of such a gas-guzzler.
How to think about ethics in a project
10.1 – Ethics in projects
Understand why ethics is now a major concern in an increasing number of projects. Most projects today need to pay attention to ethics from their outset.
Examples like the 1960 Soviet missile explosion, the creation of the Albany South Mall and the collapse of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge (both in the USA) highlight important ethical issues.
You will learn:
- What is ethics.
- Why ethics is important in projects.
- What kind of ethical problems can occur in projects.
- How lying can affect a project.
- How coercion can affect a project.
- How theft can affect a project.
- How destruction can affect a project.
- How exploitation can affect a project.
- How corruption can affect a project.
- How hubris can affect a project.
- What is moral licence.
- How moral licence can affect a project.
Doing the project in a way that is fair and just
10.2 – Ethics in project management
Understand the nature and causes of unethical behaviour in projects. Learn about ways to counter, and ideally prevent, this.
You will learn:
- What are the causes of unethical behaviour in a project.
- What is an ethics code.
- How you define your own ethical stance.
- What are personal ethical touchstones.
- How to keep a project ethical.
- Why project ethics is a grey area.
How to think about sustainability in a project
10.3 – Sustainability in projects
Doing our best to minimise the sustainability impact of a project is another timely concern. Learn why we need to think about how we can make the conduct of the project, the output and eventual outcome of the project as sustainable as possible. Clearly that requires co-operation between the client, the project supplier and probably other influential stakeholders.
You will learn:
- How attitudes to sustainability in projects have changed.
- What are the major challenges to sustainability in projects.
- What sustainability means in a project.
- What is a good sustainability model for a project.
- Why organisations have to become sustainable.
- What are the challenges to being sustainable in a project.
Towards sustainable project management
10.4 – Designing a sustainable project
Understand that it is not just about delivering a sustainable output. The project and the outcome need to be sustainable as well. Learn about projects like the Class 230 trains and Liverpool Central Library as British examples of what can be done.
You will learn:
- What are good sustainable project principles.
- How to design a sustainable project.
- How to take a life cycle approach to sustainability.
- What is sustainable project management.
- How should sustainability be reflected in project success.
- What is total sustainability management.