SES Ethics Workshop
www.ethics.qld.gov.au
Compliance or Culture
How to institutionalise ethics
in public administration
www.ethics.qld.gov.au
Objectives
By the end of the workshop SES Officers will have:
1.
Demonstrated an understanding of the Integrity and
Accountability regime in Queensland
2.
Applied the ethics principles to ethical dilemmas
3.
Developed a conceptual framework for their leadership
of ethical practice and culture in their agencies
4.
Committed to action as champions of ethical practice
and culture within their agencies and across
government
www.ethics.qld.gov.au
A Conceptual Framework for
Reform
Strategy – Structure – Culture
www.ethics.qld.gov.au
STRATEGY
www.ethics.qld.gov.au
Integrity and Accountability reforms
a call to action
Four key principles underpinning a robust
integrity and accountability framework
•
•
•
•
strong rules
strong culture
strong scrutiny
strong enforcement
www.ethics.qld.gov.au
Government focus on ethics
Summary of Reforms
Strong Rules
Including:
• One Code of Conduct for the Queensland
Public Service
• Gifts and Benefits policy
• Regulating the lobbyist industry
www.ethics.qld.gov.au
Government focus on ethics
Summary of Reforms
Strong Culture
Including:
• Ethical leadership
• Mandatory ethics training
• Queensland Public Sector Ethics Network
www.ethics.qld.gov.au
Government focus on ethics
Summary of Reforms
Strong Scrutiny
Including:
• Integrity Commissioner role expanded
• Requirement to publish departmental gifts
registers
• Reform of State Procurement Policy
www.ethics.qld.gov.au
Government focus on ethics
Summary of Reforms
Strong Enforcement
Including:
• Crime and Misconduct Commission
• Public Service Commission
• Effective Public Interest Disclosure regime
www.ethics.qld.gov.au
Structure
www.ethics.qld.gov.au
Integrity Regime
Crime and Misconduct
Commission
Public Service
Commission
Integrity
Commissioner
•Crime and Misconduct Act
•Combat major crime
•Raising public sector integrity
•Protecting witnesses
•Public Service Act
•Public Sector Ethics Act
•Public Interest Disclosure Act
•Ethics advice, policy and training
•Integrity Act
•Integrity advice to
Ministers/ CEO/ SES
•Lobbyist Register
Your Agency
Internal ethics activities
and advice
Queensland Audit
Office
•Auditor-General Act
•Independent assessment of
financial management
•Help agencies improving
financial management
Ombudsman
•Ombudsman Act
•Independent complaints
investigation
•Help agencies improving
administrative and decision
making practice
www.ethics.qld.gov.au
Information
Commissioner
•Right to Information Act
•Information Privacy Act
CULTURE
www.ethics.qld.gov.au
Public Sector Ethics Act
Ethics Principles
•
•
•
•
Integrity and impartiality
Promoting the public good
Commitment to the system of government
Accountability and transparency
www.ethics.qld.gov.au
Integrity and impartiality
 Truthfulness  Not prejudiced
 Fairness
 Unbiased
 Honesty
 Just
www.ethics.qld.gov.au
Promoting the public good
actions that benefit
the
people of Queensland as
a whole
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
Accountability and 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
Ethics in practice
www.ethics.qld.gov.au
What happens when
things go wrong?
www.ethics.qld.gov.au
Ethical failure
Hurricane Katrina New Orleans
• Failure to act in the public good
• Perception of lack of integrity and
impartiality -lack of respect for the
people
Human impact: significant additional
distress to survivors and loss of life
www.ethics.qld.gov.au
Ethical failure
Reconstruction of Iraq
• Failure to act in the public good
• Lack of integrity and impartiality
• Lack of transparency and accountability
Human impact: loss of security, services and
human life
www.ethics.qld.gov.au
Ethical failure
The AWB, DFAT and the Oil for Food Program
• Failure to act with integrity and impartiality
• Failure to act with accountability and
transparency
• Failure to uphold laws
Impact: breach of UN sanctions,
undermining of public confidence
www.ethics.qld.gov.au
Ethical failure
Insert agency example
www.ethics.qld.gov.au
Putting the Conceptual Framework
into Practice
Structure – Culture – Strategy
www.ethics.qld.gov.au
STRUCTURE
in practice
www.ethics.qld.gov.au
Reform accountabilities for SES
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Gifts and benefits
Declaration of interests
Lobbyist register
Employment separation procedures
Interaction with ministerial staff
Ethics advisory service
Public Interest Disclosures
Discipline processes
www.ethics.qld.gov.au
Reform accountabilities for SES
Reforms to the State Procurement Policy
from 1 July 2011, publication of:
• details of awarded contracts over $10,000
• contracts over $10 million
Independent oversight of procurement
Legislation to allow issuing of apologies
www.ethics.qld.gov.au
Reform accountabilities for SES
Code of Conduct
for the
Queensland Public Service
positive expression of the values
that underpin effective public service
Principles - 4 ethics principles
Values - strengthening the principles
Standards of conduct – help us put the Code into practice
www.ethics.qld.gov.au
Reform accountabilities for SES
Ethics training
Legislative commitment for
annual mandatory ethics training
• Workshop for CEOs conducted
• Training continued here and for all SES
• Support training in ethics and ethical
decision-making for all staff
www.ethics.qld.gov.au
CULTURE
in practice
www.ethics.qld.gov.au
‘The public sector is held to an ethical
standard not demanded of others.
It must recognise the distinctive nature
of its contribution to the public good
and meet a demanding accountability
regime.’
(Shergold)
www.ethics.qld.gov.au
Ethical decision-making
‘..possibly the most important act of
courage for a public servant is to decide.’
‘Public administrators must be able to face
the ambiguity and the paradoxical nature
of ethics without being immobilised by
them.’
(Lynch and Lynch, 2009)
www.ethics.qld.gov.au
Ethics advice
 Your peers
 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
STRATEGY
in practice
www.ethics.qld.gov.au
Leadership
‘A robust integrity system requires a public
sector that emphasises strong leadership … and
a conscious dedication to ethical values …
Leaders must communicate the importance of
ethical decision-making in the workplace and
they must promote ethical behaviours in their
day-to-day activities and decisions.’
(Government response to Integrity and Accountability in Queensland, 2009)
‘Ethics must be part of mission and business
strategy … not just a matter of appointing an
ethics officer or ethics committee.’
(Transparency International Australia)
www.ethics.qld.gov.au
Discussion questions
• How do you embed ethics into your
organisations?
• What are the challenges?
• What approach will you take to develop an
integrated response to the integrity and
accountability reforms?
www.ethics.qld.gov.au
Discussion question
‘..a healthy organisational culture actively
promotes congruence between the values
of the organisations and the individuals
working in it.’
(Casali and Day, 2010)
What are the values of your organisation
and how do you ensure they are reflected
in strategy and culture?
www.ethics.qld.gov.au
Performance Commitment
Research shows - ethical conduct in public
administration increases employee morale
Leaders must
• communicate the importance of ethical
decision-making, and
• promote ethical behaviour in their day-today activities and decisions
www.ethics.qld.gov.au
Conclusion
Where to from here…
What will YOU do
to institutionalise ethics?
www.ethics.qld.gov.au