FIG Commission 1
- Professional Standards and Practice
Working Group 1.1
International Ethics Standards
Background
This Working Group was formed in 2015, subsequent updates of the
progress of the work had been reported at the FIG Working Weeks /
Congress since 2016. A publication of International Ethics Standards
(IES) by International Ethics Standards Coalition (IESC), which was
established in the United Nations in 2014, was published in Dec 2016.
More than 120 professional institutes, including FIG, have joined the
IESC as members.
Policy Issues
To study ethics within the surveying profession and prepare
proposals how to respond to the competition to market the profession
as ethical for current and future generations;
Surveying professionals practice in a variety of work
environments increasingly internationally and are required to
respond to constant changes ethically in how they deliver services.
This creates challenges to them in how they practice and challenges
on how to adapt to change; and
Identifying and sharing new ethical ways of working from around
the world will provide practical examples of ways others have
successfully adapted and will build a set of case studies of change.
Chair
Timothy Burch, United States
NSPS
tim.burch [at] nsps.us.com
Specific projects
To promote the current and future role of ethics in surveying;
To develop implementation plan for the International Ethics
Standards (IES) published by the International Ethics Standards
Coalition (IESC) in Dec 2016, and to review the results after the
implementation by individual member associations;
To participate on behalf of FIG as a member of the IESC and to
gather results and identify the best practice examples of the
implementation of IES for specific surveying cases from the members
of the IESC upon the implementation of the IES;
To review, based on the results of the best practice examples, if
the Ethical Principles in the ‘Statement of Ethical Principles and
Model Code of Professional Conduct published in 1998’ (FIG
Publication No. 17) should be revised and replaced by the IES.
A discussion session was organised during the FIG e-Working Week
2021. The session has successfully shared with the delegates the
updates on ethics in the working group, gained their opinions,
information on uptake and implementation of IES, and discussed
individual challenges within each country represented. It also went
through the new 12
International Ethics Standards principles and agreed they remained
fit for purpose. The discussion group enthusiastically endorsed the
addition of Diversity and Respect as two new Principles to the
revised IES Code and emphasised the importance of each one to foster
positive environments for future opportunities.
Punya Oli (Nepal): Ethics in Surveying in Nepal (10915) [abstract] [paper] [handouts] [video]
Andre Kwitowski (Netherlands) and Alexander Samborsky (Uzbekistan): Is there a need for Code of Conduct and Ethics also for Land Administrations (LA) organisation? - If yes, how it should be approached? (10974) [abstract] [paper] [handouts] [video]
Timothy Burch (USA): Ethics, Climate Change, and the Role of the Surveyor (11121) [abstract] [paper] [handouts] [video]
2020
An open meeting had been planned at the FIG Working Week 2020.
International Ethics Standards (IES) has been published and consists of
high level principles which will provide greater consistency to users of
professional services. FIG Council supports IES and the ethical code. As
the IES is a general Code of Ethics, FIG council has asked the Working
Group 1.1 to look for best practice examples of the IES-Code in our
professional environment (surveying, geospatial, land management,
valuation, construction surveying, cadastre, ….). At the meeting FIG
members and participants should have presented and discussed best
practice examples. Once these best practice examples are identified and
discussed FIG Council will check whether the current FIG Ethics Code
should be updated or adapted to the IES-Code. This can finally lead to a
discussion about a harmonisation or replacement of the existing Ethical
Code of FIG.
The round table discussion held in the FIG Working Week 2019 in Hanoi
has successfully shared with the delegates the update on ethics in the
working group, gained their opinions, information on uptake and
implementation of IES, and discussed individual challenges within each
country represented. It also went through the 10 International Ethical
Standards principles and agreed they remained fit for purpose, though
additional consideration should be given to 'Social Responsibility',
'Environmental considerations', 'Impact of Tech on Ethics'. A number of
ethical scenarios were posed and worked through, with input from
participants reflecting the breadth of the profession and geographical
reach. Whilst cultural differences were discussed and considered, there
was unanimous agreement primarily on the principles of transparency,
integrity, honesty and conflicts of interest - which are universal
regardless of the specialism or location. There was commitment from a
number of participants to provide case studies as to the success and
implementation of IES in their respective member associations and
jurisdictions.
Gary Strong and Nigel Sellars (United Kingdom): Raising the Importance of Ethics for the Surveying Profession (9759) [abstract] [paper] [handouts]
Alexey Bukharov (Russia): The Development of Standards and Ethical Challenges of Surveyors Associations in Russia (10031) [abstract] [paper] [handouts]
Torben Juulsager (Denmark): Danish Surveyors 250 Years in the Service of Society to Be a Profession – That´s the Answer (10085) [abstract] [paper] [handouts]
Nigel Sellars (United Kingdom): Challenges for Surveying Professionals in the 21st Century – Ethics and the Importance of Stakeholder Engagement. (9911) [abstract] [paper] [handouts]
Tchad Sharon Jatau, Ruya Fadason and Christiana Paul (Nigeria): Professional Ethics in the Built Environment and its Impact on Client Behavior (9851) [abstract] [paper] [handouts]
Leonie Newnham (Australia): Ways to Build Workplace Innovation in a Victorian Land Management Organization by Understanding Its Relationship to Organization Culture. (10115) [abstract] [paper] [handouts]
Gary Strong and Alan Muse (United Kingdom): The Need for International Fire Safety Standards and why the UN is Supporting this (9766) [abstract] [paper] [handouts]
