DP4

DecisionPoint
http://proethica.org/ontology/cases#DecisionPoint

DP4

Did the City Administrator bear independent ethical responsibility for soliciting Engineer C's critique of Engineer B's active work outside any formal review process, and does the solicitation itself — independent of Engineer C's response — constitute a breach of procurement process integrity?

The City Administrator, who holds procurement authority and will be heavily involved in selecting the consulting firm for the next 3-year contract, initiates informal contact with Engineer C — a known competitor — to obtain critical opinions about Engineer B's active work, bypassing any formal peer review process and denying Engineer B notice or opportunity to respond. This decision point addresses whether the City Administrator's solicitation itself constitutes an independent ethical violation separate from Engineer C's response, and whether the Board should have addressed the Administrator's conduct.

Initiate informal contact with Engineer C to solicit critical opinions about Engineer B's specific work outside any formal review process and without notice to Engineer B

Refrain from soliciting a competitor to evaluate the incumbent engineer's work and instead initiate a formal, structured peer review process with proper notice to Engineer B and transparent competitive safeguards

City Administrator