Q.Can a licence holder seal work that was prepared by others? If yes, under what conditions?
Ans. if the licence holder is competent in the area, has directly supervised, thoroughly reviewed, and taken responsibility for the work, and is willing to defend it as if they had done it themselves.
Professional liability insurance, also called errors and omissions (E&O) insurance, protects firms and individuals against negligence claims arising from their professional services.
Statutory : means created, required, authorized, or governed by a statute
Statute : a law passed by a legislature
Privy can also describe someone who has a direct legal relationship or connection
Privy to information → knows it
Privity = a legal relationship between the parties to a contract.
Privity of contract → legally connected through the contract
Fiduciary Duty - Acting in someone else's best interest always
Professional Conduct - Behaviour expected of a professional in their field
Ethical Standards - Established principles of right conduct in a profession
Confidentiality - Keeping sensitive information private
Liability - Legal responsibility for one's professional actions
Competency - Having the necessary ability or knowledge to do something successfully
Professional Obligations - Duties and responsibilities associated with one's profession
Ethical Boundaries - Limits of acceptable behaviour in professional settings
Explanation
The boundaries that determine what conduct is appropriate and what conduct is unacceptable for a professional.
For engineers, these boundaries come from laws, regulations, codes of ethics, professional standards, and workplace expectations.
Example: An engineer may disagree with a colleague, but threats, harassment, discrimination, dishonesty, or deliberately misleading others would cross the limits of acceptable professional behaviour.
Transparency - Openness and clarity in professional dealings
Professional Integrity - Adherence to moral and ethical principles in one's work
Public Welfare - The well-being and safety of the general public
Ethical Awareness - Consciousness of moral implications in professional situations
Proactive Communication - Initiating discussions to address potential issues
Impartiality - Fairness and lack of bias in decision-making
Ethical Breaches - Violations of professional moral standards
Professional Association - Organization regulating and supporting a profession
Subordinates - Employees working under the direction of a superior
Escalation - Raising issues to higher authorities when necessary
Perceived Conflicts - Situations that appear to involve conflicting interests
Recusing - Removing oneself from a decision-making process due to potential bias
Diligence - Careful and persistent effort in one's work
Competence - Ability to perform professional tasks effectively
Continuous Professional Development (CPD) - Ongoing learning to maintain and improve professional skills
Conflict of Interest - Situation where personal interests may compromise professional duties
Direct Supervision - Close oversight of work performed by others
Contingency Plan - Backup strategy for potential software failures or breaches
Dummy Runs -Basic tests to verify software performance
Professional Judgment - Informed decision-making based on expertise and experience
Agent - Professional acting on behalf of and in the best interest of another party
Safety-Critical Software - Software where failure could result in loss of life or significant damage
Licensing Requirements - Criteria that must be met to obtain a professional licence
Exploitation - Unfair use of resources or people for personal gain
Virtue-Based Ethics - Ethical framework based on moral character
Code of Ethics - Set of moral principles guiding professional conduct
Golden Mean - Aristotelian concept of finding balance between extremes
Globalization - Worldwide integration of economies, cultures, and societies
Statutory Obligations - Legal requirements mandated by law
Due diligence - Taking reasonable steps to meet legal and professional obligations
It means doing what can reasonably be expected of you to fulfill your responsibilities—not merely assuming everything is okay.
For an engineer, reasonable steps might include:
checking applicable laws, codes, and regulations;
following the professional Code of Ethics;
working only within your competence;
obtaining necessary permits or approvals;
documenting important decisions;
raising concerns when public safety may be affected; and
seeking expert advice when something is outside your knowledge.
For example, if an engineer simply says, “I didn't know that regulation applied,” that may not be enough. A competent engineer may have had a professional obligation to check whether the regulation applied before proceeding.
Easy memory:
Due diligence → reasonable steps → satisfy legal + professional obligations.
Diligence:
**Diligence** means **careful, thorough, and persistent attention to your duties or work**.
In Bengali: **যত্নশীলতা, অধ্যবসায়, সতর্কতার সঙ্গে দায়িত্ব পালন।**
For NPPE:
Diligence → doing something carefully and responsibly
Due diligence → taking the reasonable care and precautions expected of a competent professional.
**Example:** An engineer checks calculations, applicable codes, and design assumptions before sealing a drawing. That demonstrates **diligence**.
**Easy memory:**
**Diligence = Care + Attention + Effort + Responsibility.**
Intellectual Property - Creations of the mind protected by law
Proprietary Information - Confidential data owned by a company or individual
Ethical Rules - Guidelines for moral conduct in professional settings
Professional Seal or Stamp - Used to certify final professional work products
Supervising Professional - Engineer responsible for overseeing work of junior staff
Standards of Practice - Established norms and expectations for professional conduct
Professional Accountability - Responsibility for one's actions and decisions in a professional context
