Question

You and your design group are competing for a multidisciplinary concept project. Your firm is the lead group in the design professional consortium formed to compete for the project. Your consortium has been selected as the first to enter fee negotiations with the project owner. During the negotiations, the amount you have to cut from your fee to be awarded the contract will require dropping one of the consortium members whose staff has special capabilities not available from the staff of the remaining consortium members. Can your remaining consortium ethically accept the contract?

Answer 1

No, not if the owner is left with the impression that the consortium is still fully qualified to perform all the required tasks.