I absolutely agree with Rich Bishops Viewpoint: curbing corruption will require a uniform professional code of conduct (ENR 1/31 p. 51). With the cost of corruption estimated at $400 billion annually worldwide for government expenditures on public contracting, it is time for the individual engineer to step up and fight global construction corruption.
Recognizing this, the American Society of Civil Engineers, the World Bank, Transparency International and 65 other professional engineering and design societies in the U.S. and worldwide are working to curb bribery, fraud and corruption with a zero tolerance approach. This month, ASCE plans to circulate among its global partners a set of draft Principles for Professional Conduct to strengthen its long standing code of ethics in the area of corruption and to serve as the basis for the development of consensus guidelines.