Professionalism

Professionalism means handling a job with higher code of ethic and technical specification for the optimum return of resources spent. Why are we engaging the expert of doing a specific task that we might not familiar with? This is because we want to ensure that it is done with professional care and worth the money spent. We want to get professional input and advice even though we ourselves might be a professional ourselves because it is always good to have a technical expertise to oversee the project. Further to that, we want to get the best person, best deal, and best work coverage for better return of resources. We always advocate of getting the best person to do the job. So when it comes to preparing and submitting the development layout plan, who is the best person of doing it? Some say the town planners because it was allocated for under the law and by training, planners are trained to do allocation and placement of land use and resources to the optimum level. However, the architect will argue that they can perform equally good or better because they are expert in arranging of building and facilities for better circulation, accessibility and networking. The surveyors by virtue of working with land day in and out claim that they know how to subdivide parcels of land efficiently. All claim they are the best person. For project proponents, they will rate the best person for his ability to deliver with cost effectiveness within the time frame. He might not care about the process of achieving it but rather the outcome that he envisions. For general public, the best person must be the one who safeguard the interest of the community, economically, socially and environmentally. For local authorities, the best person must be the one who come out with a win-win solution that taking care the interest of all parties. The best person must be the one if interest and agenda of the designer, the client, the beneficiaries and the regulator are considered and well managed. Any element of compromising for making good on professionalism is not professional. For example, calculating every inch of open land as green space regardless of its functionality but just for the sake of providing minimum required green land under the guideline, to me is unprofessional. Any designer of fond doing this is not the best person. Project proponents requesting his designer of doing this is not the best person. An authority approving the substandard provision is not the best person. No point of protecting own rice bowl without uplifting the knowledge and skill for performing professional duties and for the greatest benefits of all stakeholders. This is tantamount of asking for compromise in professionalism. Thereby, asking for recognition and entitlement for performing a professional duty is not only a right, but rather a heavy responsibility as well, at least to become the best person.