Ethics Scenario #79: Citizens Vote Project

79. Louisa, the project director for a grant provided to her employer, the Citizens Vote Project, from the Johnson Foundation, is delighted that her work on the grant is just about finished, and everything relating to this grant has appeared to go well. The final deliverable has been delivered. The only task remaining for her to receive the final grant payment installment is for the program evaluation to be completed. The Johnson Foundation has provided a list of peer reviewers who may be selected by the grantee to perform the evaluation. Louisa looks down the list and sees that one of these evaluators happens to be one of her best friends, Jane. She decides to choose Jane as the evaluator of the grant.

a. Is Louisa’s behavior ethical?