Engineering Practice Report: Roles, Information, and Communication

This report provides a comprehensive analysis of Australian engineering practice, focusing on key learning outcomes related to roles, responsibilities, and sustainable development. The student discusses their roles within a team project, highlighting the importance of understanding project objectives, recognizing risks, and fostering effective communication. The report emphasizes the significance of sustainability in engineering, defining it as the design of systems that use resources and energy responsibly, minimizing negative environmental impacts. The student also explores their personal values, such as fidelity, honesty, and self-discipline, and how these values influence ethical decision-making. Furthermore, the report examines information and documentation management within a team setting, detailing both one-off and systematic information-sharing processes. Finally, it analyzes effective communication strategies, particularly through email, providing examples of both professional and unprofessional communication styles. The report uses various sources to support the discussion, including textbooks and journal articles.

Student’s Last Name1
Australian Engineering Practice
By (Name)
Course
Professor
University
Date

Student’s Last Name2
Learning Outcome 3: Discuss engineers' roles, responsibilities and the need to employ
principles of sustainable development.
I have embraced various roles and responsibilities when working on my team project. I
have to understand the objectives and purpose of the team project. In the team project, I am
obliged to recognize the issues as well as the risks which are connected to the project. I have to
join hands with the team members to create motivation and also ensure that there is effective
communication for positive outcomes in the project. My roles and responsibilities relate to the
Trevelyan Textbook since it brings out the knowledge, and principles of the engineering
profession. There are several student engineers who have roles and responsibilities for successful
learning (Trevelyan, 2014 pp.5). The book indicates that the engineers should be able to embrace
deep understanding and insight to deal with the technical tasks and work to be successful.
I understand sustainability in engineering as the process of the working and designing
systems which use resources and energy sustainably. In simple words, the process does not have
a negative impact on the environment and the generations in the future can fulfill their needs
(Harris, Pritchard, Rabins, James and Englehardt, 2013 pp.10). Sustainability leads to better
engineering solution such as creating the bar for the air quality standards to enhance the quality
of life for the humans. For instance, sustainability has helped minimize the threats of air
pollution in the United States through technology which was invented by Dan Sperling and
Bryan Jenkins (Kanadasan. and Razak, 2015. Pp.80). However, I defined sustainability
engineering better since there is need to replace current technologies in the future to change the

Student’s Last Name3
industries and protect the environment. The world needs solutions of technology, science, and
policies over energy and protection for the environment.
My values are important and they determine how I respond to the ethical conflict
situations. For instance, I embrace three core values which are fidelity, self-discipline, and
honesty which I believe they have an impact on how I live and work. Talking of fidelity, I am
faithful to the clients and earn trust from the public. Fidelity guides my loyalty to God, my
profession, and to the employer. Through honesty, I exercise sincerity, fairness, and truthfulness
in every activity. Finally, self-discipline helps me to act reasonably and I do not engage in weird
behaviors. Therefore, values are important in the individual life since they determine the choices
made (Ferrell and Fraedrich, 2015 pp.12). However, despite having the values, we need to
exercise them with morality to avoid unethical conflicts. If the ethical values are exercised with
morality, individuals would as well respond to the situations regarding conflicts.
Learning outcome 4: Manage information and documentation.
Since there are many members of the team, there are various processes that the team set
to share information and ensure every individual work on the most recent document. Every
personnel are obliged to take part in sharing information based on various cases and criteria set
by the team (Kilchoer, Beersma and Homan, 2014 pp.7). For instance, the team employed the
one-off sharing process and the systematic sharing process. To begin with one-off sharing
process, the team members used this procedure to locate every team member. The team members
are careful when sharing the personal information for the team members. Therefore, they employ
keen judgment to ensure personal information is protected and if it would be necessary to share
it. The team members follow a procedure when using the one-off sharing process. They need to

Student’s Last Name4
know if the identity of the requester is satisfied to confirm who they are. They must have
sufficient information and also know the motive of disclosing information. A policing purpose is
employed to ensure that the information is secured (Kembro, Näslund and Olhager, 2017 pp.12).
Any team member who is receiving information using the one-off sharing, they have to ensure it
is protected and it is only used for the requested reason. For further sharing of information, there
must be consultation to ensure that the information is not disclosed to the unauthorized person.
On the other hand, systematic sharing process involves sharing of information through
agreements among the team members. If there is an agreement when sharing information, it is
clear all the requirements are met based on the request. For instance, information can be shared
using the E-mail, telephone, or using an address for a team member. In the case where the team
share bulk information, a PIA or Privacy Impact Assessment is considered to ensure the privacy
for team members is not intruded. This is because a PIA is used to recognize the risks which may
involve the project and hence costs are minimized (Moorthy, Roth, Olliaro, Dye and Kieny, 2016
pp.234). Every team member must be satisfied with the information before it is shared with the
intended person. Information is as well reviewed to ensure that it complies with the stakeholders’
rules. The information sharing processes ensures there is efficiency and also the information is
protected to help the team members conduct their operations effectively (Greenaway, Wright,
Willingham, Reynolds and Haslam, 2015 pp.4). Through one-off sharing and the systematic
sharing processes where Emails, telephones, and addresses are used ensures the team engages
every team member to work in the most recent version of a document.
Learning outcome 5: Communicate effectively across a range of contexts.

Student’s Last Name5
Email is one of the most effective ways of communicating effectively with the
stakeholders (Knapp, Vangelisti and Caughlin, 2014 pp.18). I sent an email to a team facilitator as
outlined below.
Dear facilitator,
I have read a posting that the team members require a Technical Project Manager to assist
them in the project. My experience fits the qualifications you are looking for amongst the team
members. Particularly, I have worked with various technological institutions as a Project
Manager and I am sure I will have an impact on the team project. I have excelled in maintaining
and establishing the best practices, participate in project decision-making, manage complex
projects, and ensure there is progress in the project. I have a solid educational background and
there I request you to look at my resume and consider me as the Technical Project Manager for
the team. Thank you.
The above email makes an effective communication since it is clear, confident, and it
conveys respect to the facilitator. I have provided an example of an unprofessional email below.
Dear facilitator,
Thank you; I have seen your concerns that you need a Technical Project Manager. I have
the skills and I think that Technical Project Managers have difficult tasks. I understand that you
need a degree holder so that the project can run effectively. Therefore, I have worked hard in the
course for so long and I have always wanted to play a role as a Technical Project Manager for
the team.

Student’s Last Name6
I am attaching a copy of my grades for you to see that I am bright and I can handle to
project effectively. I am also practicing about the project because I am expecting a positive
feedback from you. At the same time, I am confident that I will scoop the position in the project.
I feel happy for having written to you, and I look forward to a reply with detailed information
concerning my role in the team project.
The above E-mail is unprofessional and it is full of mockery. The E-mail is not clear and
it does not convey respect. The E-mail does not portray effective communication and the writer
does not use a professional language. As indicated above, effective communication conveys
respect, clear, and confident which is not evident in the E-mail above (Evans, Hearn, Uhlemann
and Ivey, 2017 pp.5). It is important if people learn to communicate appropriately through
mediums such as emails and exercise effective communication.

Student’s Last Name7
Bibliography
Trevelyan, J., 2014. The making of an expert engineer. CRC Press.
Harris Jr, C.E., Pritchard, M.S., Rabins, M.J., James, R. and Englehardt, E., 2013. Engineering
ethics: Concepts and cases. Cengage Learning.
Kanadasan, J. and Razak, H.A., 2015. Engineering and sustainability performance of self-
compacting palm oil mill incinerated waste concrete. Journal of Cleaner Production, 89, pp.78-
86.
Ferrell, O.C. and Fraedrich, J., 2015. Business ethics: Ethical decision making & cases. Nelson
Education.
Kilchoer, S.L., Beersma, B. and Homan, A., 2014. The role of Ethical Leadership in the
Task/Relationship Conflict Dilemma and its influence on Job Outcomes.
Kembro, J., Näslund, D. and Olhager, J., 2017. Information sharing across multiple supply chain
tiers: A Delphi study on antecedents. International Journal of Production Economics.
Moorthy, V.S., Roth, C., Olliaro, P., Dye, C. and Kieny, M.P., 2016. Best practices for sharing
information through data platforms: establishing the principles. Bulletin of the World Health
Organization, 94(4), p.234.
Knapp, M.L., Vangelisti, A.L. and Caughlin, J.P., 2014. Interpersonal communication & human
relationships. Pearson Higher Ed.
Evans, D.R., Hearn, M.T., Uhlemann, M.R. and Ivey, A.E., 2017. Essential interviewing: A
programmed approach to effective communication. Nelson Education.

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Greenaway, K.H., Wright, R.G., Willingham, J., Reynolds, K.J. and Haslam, S.A., 2015. Shared
identity is key to effective communication. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 41(2),
pp.171-182.