15. Professional Practice, Ethics and Survey Office Management
Professional Practice, Ethics and Survey Office Management
This domain tests professional conduct, liability, records, quality assurance and office systems. Expect ethical scenarios, conflict-of-interest rules, confidentiality and the surveyor's duty to the public and the profession.
Core rules
- Act within competence and statutory authority; disclose conflicts of interest.
- Keep client information confidential unless disclosure is required by law or the client consents.
- Maintain field notes, calculations, plans and correspondence to a professional standard; records may be evidence.
- Quality assurance includes independent checks, calibration, version control and a clear audit trail.
- Fees and contracts should define scope, deliverables, exclusions and liability.
Worked example
A client asks a surveyor to shift a boundary mark 0.5 m to enlarge a building plot. The correct response is to refuse, explain that the mark represents the surveyed boundary, and offer to investigate the evidence and prepare a proper plan. Recording the request and the refusal protects the surveyor and the public. Agreeing would be a disciplinary and possibly criminal matter.
Traps
Accepting client pressure to alter marks; practising outside competence; losing field notes; using uncalibrated equipment; vague contracts; breaching confidentiality.