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Scenario
You are responsible for recommending contracts to the city council. Your immediate supervisor has asked you to prepare a recommendation for a large contract for an individual you know is a good friend of your supervisor. After reviewing the contract, you conclude that the contract amount is not commensurate with the scope of work provided. You believe the contract is a waste of taxpayer dollars if it were to be granted.
What might you do if your supervisor pressures you for a favorable recommendation?
Answer: If you have any doubt about your conclusion, you might present the situation to a mentor or to a planner who is not involved in the situation (in another jurisdiction, for example) to discuss it. (Rule of Conduct 18) Planners are responsible to their employers; you might go to your supervisor with clear information on which your analysis was based, such as prices asked by other consultants for similar work, and point out your concerns. Your supervisor may appreciate your honesty and professionalism and accept your recommendation. Should you be required to falsify your recommendation, other options might be to “blow the whistle” or to go to an attorney. If supervisor is member of AICP, file an ethics charge against your supervisor (Procedure 5) or ask for an advisory ruling about your own conduct (Procedure 3)