Ethics training
Enhancing ethical culture through
ethical decision-making
www.ethics.qld.gov.au
Exploring Ethics
What is the right thing to
do?
www.ethics.qld.gov.au
Exploring ethics
Objective
Public Service Employees demonstrate an
understanding of how public service ethics
relate to their role
www.ethics.qld.gov.au
Exploring ethics
• What are my ethics?
• What are my ethics based on?
www.ethics.qld.gov.au
Ethics in the public service
• Why are ethics important?
• Why should we act ethically?
• How important are ethics in the public
service?
www.ethics.qld.gov.au
Government focus on ethics
2009 Integrity & Accountability Review
•
•
•
•
Strong rules
Strong culture
Strong scrutiny
Strong enforcement
www.ethics.qld.gov.au
Government focus on ethics
Strong Rules
Including:
• One Code of Conduct for the Public
Service
• Gifts and Benefits policy
• Regulate lobbyist industry
www.ethics.qld.gov.au
Government focus on ethics
Strong Culture
Including:
• Ethical leadership
• Mandatory ethics training
• Queensland Public Sector Ethics Network
www.ethics.qld.gov.au
Government focus on ethics
Strong Scrutiny
Including:
• Integrity Commissioner role expanded
• Requirement to publish departmental gifts
registers
• Reform State Procurement Policy
www.ethics.qld.gov.au
Government focus on ethics
Strong Enforcement
Including:
• Crime and Misconduct Commission
• Public Service Commission
• Effective public interest disclosure laws
www.ethics.qld.gov.au
Ethics in practice
www.ethics.qld.gov.au
Mandatory annual ethics training
Promoting
the highest standards of
integrity and accountability
from everyone
in public office
www.ethics.qld.gov.au
Qld Public Service Ethics
• Integrity & impartiality
• Promoting the public good
• Commitment to the system of government
• Accountability & transparency
www.ethics.qld.gov.au
Qld Public Service Ethics
Integrity & Impartiality
because:
public office involves a public trust,
we seek to
promote public confidence
in the integrity of the public sector
www.ethics.qld.gov.au
Integrity & Impartiality
public sector entities:
a. are committed to the highest ethical standards
b. accept and value their duty to provide advice which
is objective, independent, apolitical and impartial
c. Show respect towards all persons, including
employees, clients and the general public
d. acknowledge the primacy of the public interest and
undertake that any conflict of interest issue will be
resolved or appropriately managed in favour of the
public interest
e. are committed to honest, fair and respectful
engagement with the community.
www.ethics.qld.gov.au
Integrity & Impartiality
 Truthfulness  Not prejudiced
 Fairness
 Unbiased
 Honesty
 Just
www.ethics.qld.gov.au
Qld Public Service Ethics
Promoting the Public Good
because:
the public sector is the mechanism
through which
elected representatives of the people
deliver programs and services
for the benefit of the people of Qld
www.ethics.qld.gov.au
Promoting the public good
public sector entities:
a. accept and value their duty to be responsive to both
the requirements of government and to the public
interest
b. accept and value their duty to engage the
community in developing and effecting official public
sector priorities, policies and decisions
c. accept and value their duty to manage public
resources effectively, efficiently and economically
d. value and seek to achieve excellence in service
delivery, and
e. value and seek to achieve enhanced integration of
services to better service clients.
www.ethics.qld.gov.au
Promoting the public good
actions that benefit
the
people of Queensland
as a whole
www.ethics.qld.gov.au
Promoting the public good and our system of government
www.ethics.qld.gov.au
Qld Public Service Ethics
Commitment to the System of
Government
because:
public sector entities have
a duty to uphold the system of govt
and the laws of the State, Commonwealth
and local government
www.ethics.qld.gov.au
Commitment to the system of
government
public sector entities:
a. accept and value their duty to uphold the
system of government and the laws of the
State, the Commonwealth and local
government; and
b. are committed to effecting official public sector
priorities, policies and decisions professionally
and impartially; and
c. accept and value their duty to operate within
the framework of Ministerial responsibility to
government, the Parliament and the
community.
www.ethics.qld.gov.au
Commitment to the system of
government
the government
(elected by the people)
and the
laws and institutions
(public service and courts)
www.ethics.qld.gov.au
Qld Public Service Ethics
Accountability & Transparency
because:
public trust in public office
requires
high standards of public administration
www.ethics.qld.gov.au
Accountability & Transparency
public sector entities:
a. are committed to exercising proper diligence, care and
attention
b. are committed to using public resources in an effective and
accountable manner
c. are committed to managing information as openly as
practicable within the legal framework
d. value and seek to achieve high standards of public
administration
e. value and seek to innovate and continuously improve
performance, and
f. value and seek to operate within a framework of mutual
obligation and shared responsibility between public sector
entities and public officials.
www.ethics.qld.gov.au
Accountability & Transparency
to act
responsibly
so our actions
and decisions
can be
explained
being open
and candid so
our actions
and decisions
can be easily
understood
www.ethics.qld.gov.au
Exploring ethics
How will you
demonstrate
ethical responsibility
at work?
www.ethics.qld.gov.au
Applying Ethics
Public Service Employees are able to:
• identify ethical dilemmas, risks and breaches at
work
• apply public sector ethics principles to ethical
dilemmas
• respond appropriately to ethical risks and
breaches
• access appropriate sources of advice for dealing
with ethical issues
• identify actions they will commit to in order to
uphold public sector ethics in their day to day
work
www.ethics.qld.gov.au
Applying ethics to dilemmas
Recognising
•ethical dilemmas
•risks and
•breaches
www.ethics.qld.gov.au
Applying ethics to dilemmas
ask yourself
• Am I doing the right thing?
• Test your decision
– Apply the ethics principles
– Apply the law
• Get advice
www.ethics.qld.gov.au
Applying ethics to dilemmas
Test your decision:
•
•
•
•
Is it the right thing to do?
How would the public view this?
How will this impact on those affected?
How would you feel if this was done to
you?
• Does this demonstrate ethical leadership?
www.ethics.qld.gov.au
1. Throughout your decision
ask yourself
• Am I doing the right thing?
• Record
–
–
–
–
information
process
reasons
decision
• Communicate
– confidentially
– with those involved
www.ethics.qld.gov.au
2. Preparing the decision
filling the GAP in your knowledge
• Gather and assess information
– relevant
– Confidentially
• Apply laws
• Policy & procedures
– service wide
– agency specific
www.ethics.qld.gov.au
3. Developing the decision
GOT it sorted… then…
• Get advice
– independent
– what you need to hear
• Options & consequences - what are they?
• Test your decision
– ethics
– law
www.ethics.qld.gov.au
GO
….. and
Act on your decision
(refer if you need to)
after the decision
• Consider & reflect
– on your process & decision
– would you change anything if you could do it again?
– can agency processes be improved?
• Tell
– others what you have learnt
www.ethics.qld.gov.au
Responding to ethics risks &
breaches
• Reporting risks and breaches
• Questioning unethical behaviour
www.ethics.qld.gov.au
What if the law is wrong?
• Is the issue how the law has been
interpreted, or the law itself?
• Raise the need for policy change or
legislative amendment through your
agency’s processes.
• If there is agreement that changes are
needed, seek advice about what should be
done with your decision.
www.ethics.qld.gov.au
What if you don't agree with a
direction or decision ?
• Discuss your concerns with someone you
respect.
• You must comply with all reasonable and
lawful work instructions, whether or not
you personally agree with a given policy
direction.
• You can refuse directions that are
unreasonable or unlawful.
• Seek advice before taking this step.
www.ethics.qld.gov.au
What if you think a decision or
actions is not in the public interest?
• Public interest disclosure information
provided to an appropriate organisation
about certain types of wrongdoing in the
public sector
• It may be helpful to seek advice before
making a public interest disclosure
www.ethics.qld.gov.au
Ethics advice
Review the issues and your options
with someone
independent who you respect
who will tell you
what you NEED to hear
rather than what you want to hear
www.ethics.qld.gov.au
Ethics advice
 Your supervisor or manager
 Your agency ethics human resources area, or
legal area
• PSC Ethics Advisory Service
1300 038 472 www.ethics.qld.gov.au
• Crime and Misconduct Commission:
3360 6060
www.cmc.qld.gov.au
www.ethics.qld.gov.au
Applying Ethics
How will you
demonstrate
ethical responsibility
at work?
www.ethics.qld.gov.au