I have been in work for over 20 years now. Had grand ideas where I would be now and have done various lines of work.
At the end of the day in the natural world there are so many variables. I know when I have had to do things to a spec, whilst knowing the spec is counterproductive. Soil types, drainage, root zone depth etc cannot be covered or accounted for. For example in a boggy area the tree would be helped if planted on a slight mound. In a dry area a sunken despression would help for post planting watering. I think people who make rules and regs often dont do it for real but only look at it with a critical eye. EU HSE VOSA etc, we end up with a millstone of extra bother round our necks.
What is needed is intelligent people doing the job that care and think in decades not justtonights beer or video game. Unfortunately money rules people want a job done as cheap as possible, some contractors yield to low price whilst others have principles in quality of workmanship etc. The only way I can see your(and mine) ideals ever working is at company level.
The problem is we are all narrow minded as to what we do, cyclists see it their way, truck drivers theirs, etc. I have been on both sides and when someone says I can't do that. Because of the various things I've done I sometimes can say do you want me to do it for you which takes away there superficial status.
In my early nursery days they used to say every landscaper should work on a nursery to have a better understanding of plants and what goes into producing them. I could see that when they picked them up and lobbed em on. Knowing they were stuffed in a hole at the other end. You only have to see surplus plants from jobs failing in landscapers yards to know this experience if applied would of done them good.
I have had the frustrating experience of working with a consultant a qualified professional who was light years from reality because I assume he had never done the job in a practical way.
I reckon you are a young un Rob and have seen your enthusiam on here with tree id etc. My advice to you would be to control what you can control and if others choose to be shoddy isolate yourself from it, hopefully you will end up in a team that cares, after all you spend most of your adult energy and vitality earning a living so you may as well be happy doing it, I know if Im not happy in my work Im not happy in my life.
I should've just requoted and put ditto!