Defining an Engineer's Purpose on a Project

While doing research for my book, Ethics in Civil and Structural Engineering: Professional Responsibility and Standard of Care, I discovered a wonderful organization called “The Foundation for Critical Thinking” (https://www.criticalthinking.org). Founded by Dr. Richard Paul more than 40 years ago, the group’s mission is to promote much needed change in education and society through the cultivation of fair-minded critical thinking that serves to unite people through intellectual empathy, humility, perseverance, integrity, and responsibility. Sadly, Dr. Paul passed away on August 30, 2015, but work with the non-profit organization continues through the leadership of his wife, Dr. Linda Elder, and the contributions of numerous authors and teachers. The Foundation publishes many books and articles, organizes conferences and other events, and conducts important research to help schools and universities understand and implement critical thinking instruction.

One of the publications I found particularly interesting is called The Thinker’s Guide to Engineering Reasoning, which was written to help students, instructors, and practicing engineers approach complex issues and questions that are not only technical in nature, but that also cover social and ethical aspects of engineering. It was written in 2013 (reissued in 2019) by Dr. Paul, Dr. Elder, and Dr. Robert Niewoehner, an aerospace engineering educator and experimental test pilot. The authors explore the development of eight essential elements of engineering reasoning: purpose, point of view, assumptions, implications, information, inferences, concept, and key questions. All engineering is performed with a purpose -- through reasoning, we focus on understanding the needs of the customer or client and develop our services according to the answers that our particular branch brings to the problem (“purpose”). For example, our client may need a protected space in which to conduct business. A structural engineer contributes to that “protected space” by designing a building that can withstand the forces of nature and of human use and interaction. The “purpose” of a mechanical engineer, however, would be to design a suitable air conditioning and filtration system to create a healthy “protected space” for those who occupy the structure.

Critical thinking and reasoning related to the development and execution of an engineer’s “purpose” includes careful evaluation of the contributions of others. The scope of work needs to be properly defined according to that engineer’s field of licensure and competence in such a way that budgets and timelines are met. If problems arise during the course of the project, the engineer must promptly communicate any concerns or needs and offer solutions for any adjustments that may be necessary to the goals of the project (budget, timeline, impact to the owner or society, etc.). The engineer’s purpose should be realistic and achievable, yet distinguishable from related projects according to a unique set of needs. “Purpose” includes an understanding of steps to follow the design through to completion, a knowledge of necessary technical and social tools, and definition by intellectual and ethical standards (clarity, integrity, accuracy, etc.).

We need to be sure that we understand our purpose for a project before we receive a contract for services, and continually evaluate that purpose to make sure we are staying on track and to quickly identify problems if they arise. As with most other things, communication is key to establishing and defining purpose so that the whole design team can benefit through individual contributions and a unified focus.