About ANT & Global Responsibility
DERES is grounded in Actor–Network Theory — a framework that takes seriously the complexity of engineering projects as socio-technical systems. This page explains why that matters.
Projects are socio-technical networks. ANT takes that seriously.
Actor–Network Theory (ANT) is a framework developed in science and technology studies. Its core insight is straightforward: in any complex system, both human and non-human entities act. A technical standard shapes decisions just as a project manager does. A material's properties constrain choices just as a contract does. An ecosystem responds to disturbance just as a community does.
ANT calls all of these entities — human or not — actors. And it insists that understanding any system requires mapping the network of relationships between those actors, not just the intentions of the humans involved.
For engineering projects, this is a significant shift. It means that a change to a material specification is not just a technical adjustment — it is a change to the network, with consequences that travel through supplier relationships, community dependencies, regulatory obligations, and ecological connections.
"ANT does not privilege human intentions over material constraints. It asks: what is actually shaping outcomes in this network? The answer is almost always a combination of human decisions and non-human forces — and the relationships between them."
Engineering projects are already actor-networks. ANT makes them legible.
Engineering projects are not simply technical endeavours managed by rational actors. They are dense webs of human relationships, material dependencies, regulatory obligations, community expectations, and ecological entanglements. ANT provides a vocabulary and a method for mapping these webs explicitly.
This matters for globally responsible engineering because the harms that engineering projects cause — to communities, workers, and ecosystems — are almost always the result of network dynamics that were not made visible. ANT makes those dynamics visible. DERES operationalises that visibility.
Entanglement is the norm, not the exception
In a global supply chain, a material specification connects to labour conditions, ecological extraction, transport emissions, and regulatory compliance simultaneously. ANT treats this entanglement as the starting point, not a complication.
Non-human actors have real consequences
A technical standard can block a procurement decision. A material's failure mode can cascade through a structure. An ecosystem's sensitivity can constrain an entire project programme. ANT insists these actors are taken seriously.
Change propagates through networks
When a project changes — and all projects change — the effects travel through the network in ways that are not always predictable from the change itself. ANT-based modelling makes those propagation pathways traceable.
Responsibility is distributed, not located
In complex projects, responsibility for outcomes is rarely held by a single actor. ANT maps how responsibility is distributed across the network — and where it may be absent or contested.
Why static risk registers are insufficient in interconnected systems.
The risk register has been a standard tool in engineering project management for decades. It is a list of identified risks, their likelihood and impact, and the mitigations assigned to them. It is useful. It is also fundamentally static.
A static risk register captures a snapshot of known risks at a point in time. It does not model the relationships between risks. It does not show how a change in one part of the project might activate or amplify risks in another. It does not update automatically when conditions change.
In a simple, stable project, this may be adequate. In a complex, globally interconnected project — with multi-tier supply chains, community dependencies, regulatory entanglements, and ecological sensitivities — it is not. The connections between risks are where the real danger lies.
DERES is designed to complement, not replace, existing risk management practices. It adds network-level intelligence to the tools teams already use.
DERES and the principles of globally responsible engineering.
DERES is aligned with the Engineers Without Borders framework for globally responsible engineering: Responsible, Purposeful, Inclusive, Regenerative. Here is how each principle is embedded in the platform.
Responsible
Engineering decisions have consequences beyond the project boundary. DERES makes those consequences visible by mapping the full actor-network — including communities, ecosystems, and future generations.
IN DERES: DERES embeds responsibility into the network model itself. Ethical and environmental actors are not optional additions; they are core nodes in the graph.
Purposeful
Engineering should serve genuine human and ecological needs. DERES helps teams maintain clarity about who the project serves and who it might harm — throughout the lifecycle, not just at inception.
IN DERES: The dynamic indicator system keeps purpose visible. When a change threatens to compromise the project's social or environmental commitments, DERES flags it.
Inclusive
Affected communities and marginalised groups should have meaningful influence over engineering decisions. DERES maps community actors and their vulnerability, ensuring they are not invisible in the risk model.
IN DERES: Community vulnerability is a first-class indicator in DERES. Exposed stakeholder groups are surfaced before decisions are made, not after harm has occurred.
Regenerative
Engineering should restore and regenerate natural and social systems, not merely minimise damage. DERES tracks ecological sensitivity and circularity potential as live network indicators.
IN DERES: Lifecycle carbon intensity and circularity potential are embedded in the network model. Regenerative outcomes are measurable, not aspirational.