When the prescribed task goes off-track...

This young engineer works in the environmental sector. He is responsible for feasibility studies, implementation and monitoring of projects in an area with significant societal and environmental challenges.

But here's the thing: his superiors force him to fill out tables of objectives according to which these managers will be remunerated or even promoted. This young engineer is constantly being called in: the objectives are not being met, he is not committed enough, he has too many reservations. In fact, several targets are unachievable due to excessive risks and constraints: his attitude is described as “negative” because he says what other colleagues think but dare not reveal for fear of being penalised. Some projects are approved on insufficient criteria. This will affect their implementation and the project will result in a failure. It doesn't matter. What matters are the target tables; we'll see later, and we can always blame an engineer for failing to meet his/her targets.

However, the employment contract is clear and sets out the duties and actions to be carried out. An engineer carries out diagnostics, investigates constraints and resources, makes recommendations, implements well-thought-out actions based on reality and sound anticipation, and informs local stakeholders. He is responsible for three functions: guidance, execution, repetitive and thorough checks. The hierarchy in question here comes from marketing and management fields; it recommends communication techniques, some of which are geared towards manipulating stakeholders, project recipients and future users, ignoring the critical issues encountered in the real world.

Two languages, divergent interests that resort to a twist in the interpretation of the task even before the activity is undertaken: this interpretation works against the person in charge of a project, which ultimately hinders the activity, but first and foremost hinders quality. And if nothing is done to thwart a strategy that has become sadly commonplace, the consequence will be a future societal and environmental impact.