Surveying Responsibility of the Engineer–Manager

As project complexity grows, civil engineers tend to become engineer–managers. Such managers often give surveying less than adequate consideration, which is a trend towards use of technicians for survey responsibilities. This trend is encouraged by salary scales and schools. Use of technicians makes the manager's understanding of surveys more critical. Intangible factors affecting the manager's survey decisions include public relations, economics, and time for solving problems. Technical competence must encompass equipment, procedures, accuracies, and coordinate systems. Familiarity with mapping controls is essential. A thorough understanding of the function and overlapping of the fields of control, land and engineering surveys must be included in the manager's talents. Judgment of the manager's overall project performance will reflect his ability in the survey field.