Professional Performance, Innovation and Risk (PPIR) for Engineers

摘要

The Australian engineering profession has established standards for competency and ethics, but lacks the necessary third element, a definition of the standard of performance that engineering professionals should expect of themselves and each other. This issue has been addressed in the Professional Performance Innovation and Risk (PPIRTM) project undertaken by the Warren Centre for Advanced Engineering, which considered the role of the engineering professional and the performance, innovation and risk management aspects; expectations of the community and clients; contemporary commercial and professional realities impacting the work of the engineering professional; complexities of law and liability; engineering risk and responsible risk-taking; and the relationships between professional performance, innovation and risk. The work by the Warren Centre resulted in the publication of the 2009 Report “Professional Performance, Innovation and Risk in Australian Engineering Practice” which included the PPIR ProtocolTM, which defines the expected performance for engineering professionals. A new project team has been established to manage the roll-out of the PPIR protocol within the Australian engineering profession and industry. Key objectives of this phase are to disseminate the PPIR Report, provide education and training and have the engineering industry and profession adopt the Protocol. This phase of the work is being sponsored by a number of engineering and contracting companies, public and private sector operators and representatives from the legal and insurance industries. The work is also supported by a wide range of professional associations. The new approach will have a direct bearing on the professional performance of geotechnical engineers in Australia.