Ethics-Integrity in Public service

Integrity

Integrity means that the moral agent acts according to the inner convictions of a person. His conducts should be free from hypocrisy and deception. His actions should be in conformity with his stated values. But it is hard to follow high morals which one proclaims. The British historian GM Trevelyan has commented on this aspect of Puritanism i.e. rigid pursuit of high morals: “by making a shibboleth of virtue, it (puritanical version of Christianity) bred notorious hypocrites”. But it doesn’t mean that one needs to abandon morals. One should be moral sincerely without making a show of it.

Public leaders who possess integrity create interpersonal trust. Integrity which refers to actions resulting from a set of well ordered commitments and beliefs promotes trusts. Trust implies the capacity to depend on and place confidence in the actions of others. All social interaction depends on integrity and trust. Integrity especially relevant in Public Administration in which cooperative, corroborative and collective efforts are needed to solve interconnected problems. Hence, character, particularly integrity, is essential in leaders and bureaucrats.

In this context public administration writers make a distinction between ‘ethics of compliance’ and ‘ethics of integrity’. In ethics of compliance, public servants are trained or given detailed instructions on various laws, rules, regulations and procedures which govern their working in an organization. After Learning about these matters, public servants are expected to scrupulously follow them. In this process, public servants learn to follow a set of externally imposed commands. However, they may not do any moral thinking on their own.

Ethics of integrity in contrast tries to impart to civil servants the necessary skills to analyze moral problems on their own. They are trained in areas like Public Service ethos, ethical standards and values and in the processes of ethical reasoning. By using such skills public servants will follow ethical norms in their conduct. Ethics of integrity leads to development of moral character with self responsibility and moral autonomy. It relies on internal, positive, proactive and voluntary efforts of public servants rather than on external commands and penalties.

Impartiality

Impartiality is a norm of Justice holding that decisions should be based on objective standards, instead of on the basis of bias, prejudice, or preferring the advantage to one person over another for unsuitable reasons. Impartiality is acting solely according to the merits of the case and serving equally well governments of different political persuasions. Impartiality means that civil bureaucrats in carrying out their official work, including functions like procurement, recruitment, delivery of Services etc., should take decisions based on merit alone. Impartiality implies that the behavior of, and treatment by a bureaucrat to any individual or entity has to be exclusively on the basis of merit. An administrator has to take numerous major decisions such as recruitment, procurement and allotment. To make such decisions effective and efficient, there has to be absolute impartiality. Impartiality is the eminence of a person where one is impartial while allocating any goods or services among several people or selecting a person from a set of people based on certain set of abilities.

In Impartiality, candidates must: Perform his responsibilities in a way that is fair, just and equitable and reflects the Civil Service commitment to Equality and diversity they must not act in a way that unjustifiably favors or discriminates against particular individuals or interests.

In political Impartiality, person must: Serve the government, whatever its political Persuasion, to the best of his ability in a way which maintains political impartiality and is in line with the requirements of this code, no matter what your own political beliefs are.

Act in a way which deserves and retains the confidence of ministers, while at the same time ensuring that you will be able to establish the same relationship with those whom you may be required to serve in some future government.

Comply with any restrictions that have been laid down on your political actions.

Candidates must not act in a way that is determined by party political considerations, or use official Resources for party political purposes and allow their personal political views to determine any advice they give or their actions

Non Partisanship

Non-partisanship is not being precisely owned or allied with any group, party or cause. Non-partisanship can be called political neutrality. Non-partisanship infers that the officer is to do his task without any fear of, or favour to any political party. The values of the administrator will flow from the constitution not from the philosophy of any political party. Non-partisanship is the process of not involving any political party even if the person has strong faith in any political thought.

Non-partisanship strengthens the democratic procedures and institutions along with maintaining the integrity of the service. The administrators are always with continuous interface with the politicians, therefore it is necessary to detach themselves from any political dogma and do his duty sincerely. It does not matter which party is in power. Significance of non-partisanship can be appreciated by considering a situation in which this virtue is absent. If the administrator is motivated to any political party, there would always be a group that would remain alienated from the government services as they would have voted for losing party. It strongly fascinates other prerequisites of moral administration like clearness and trustworthiness.,

Ethics and Integrity in Public Service

Ethics is a branch of philosophy that deals with moral principles. It is concerned with what is right and wrong, and how we should live our lives. Integrity is the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles. It is important for public servants to be ethical and have integrity because they are in positions of trust. They are responsible for making decisions that affect the lives of others, and they need to be able to be trusted to do what is right.

There are many different types of ethics, but some of the most common include:

Deontological ethics is based on the idea that certain actions are right or wrong regardless of the consequences. For example, deontologists might believe that it is always wrong to lie, even if lying would save someone’s life.
Consequentialist ethics is based on the idea that the rightness or wrongness of an action is determined by its consequences. For example, consequentialists might believe that it is sometimes right to lie if the consequences of telling the truth are worse.
Virtue ethics is based on the idea that the rightness or wrongness of an action is determined by whether it is consistent with the virtues of a good person. For example, virtue ethicists might believe that it is always wrong to cheat, because cheating is a vice.

There are also many different ethical principles that can be applied to public service. Some of the most common include:

The principle of justice requires that public servants treat all people fairly and equally.
The principle of honesty requires that public servants be truthful and transparent in their dealings with others.
The principle of accountability requires that public servants be responsible for their actions and be willing to answer for them.
The principle of transparency requires that public servants be open and accessible to the public.
The principle of efficiency requires that public servants use resources wisely and avoid waste.
The principle of effectiveness requires that public servants achieve their goals and objectives.

Public servants often face ethical dilemmas. These are situations where there is no clear right or wrong answer, and the public servant must make a decision that they believe is the best course of action. Some common ethical dilemmas in public service include:

Conflicts of interest occur when a public servant has a personal interest in a decision that they are making. For example, a public servant who is responsible for approving contracts might have a conflict of interest if they are friends with the person who is bidding on the contract.
Gifts and gratuities can be a form of bribery. Public servants should not accept gifts or gratuities from people who do business with the government.
Political activity can be a conflict of interest for public servants. Public servants should not engage in political activity while they are on the job.
Outside EMPLOYMENT can be a conflict of interest for public servants. Public servants should not have outside employment that could interfere with their public duties.
Personal relationships can be a conflict of interest for public servants. Public servants should avoid personal relationships with people who do business with the government.
Social Media can be a challenge for public servants. Public servants should be careful about what they post on social media, because it could be seen as a reflection of their employer.

Ethical decision-making is a process that can help public servants make difficult decisions. The first step in ethical decision-making is to identify the ethical issue. The next step is to gather information about the issue. The third step is to identify the Options available. The fourth step is to weigh the pros and cons of each option. The fifth step is to make a decision. The sixth step is to implement the decision. The seventh step is to evaluate the decision.

Ethical decision-making can be challenging, but it is important for public servants to make ethical decisions. Public servants are in positions of trust, and they need to be able to be trusted to do what is right.

Here are some frequently asked questions and short answers about ethics and integrity in public service:

What is ethics?
Ethics is the study of morality and the principles of right and wrong. It is concerned with what is good and bad, and how we should live our lives.
What is integrity?
Integrity is the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles. It is about doing the right thing, even when it is difficult.
Why is ethics important in public service?
Ethics is important in public service because it helps to ensure that public officials act in the best interests of the public. It also helps to build trust between the public and the government.
What are some examples of ethical issues in public service?
Some examples of ethical issues in public service include:
Conflicts of interest: This occurs when a public official has a personal interest in a matter that they are dealing with in their official capacity.
Bribery: This is when a public official accepts Money or other benefits in exchange for favorable treatment.
Nepotism: This is when a public official gives preferential treatment to family members or friends.
Misuse of power: This occurs when a public official uses their position for personal gain.
What are some ways to promote ethics in public service?
Some ways to promote ethics in public service include:
Creating a Code of ethics: This is a document that outlines the ethical standards that public officials are expected to uphold.
Providing training on ethics: This can help public officials to understand the ethical issues that they may face and how to deal with them.
Enforcing ethical standards: This means taking action against public officials who violate the code of ethics.
Creating a culture of ethics: This means creating an Environment in which ethical behavior is valued and rewarded.
What are some resources for learning more about ethics in public service?
Some resources for learning more about ethics in public service include:
The Code of Ethics for Government Service: This is a document that outlines the ethical standards that all federal employees are expected to uphold.
The Ethics in Government Act of 1978: This law establishes a number of ethical standards for federal employees.
The Office of Government Ethics: This is an independent agency that is responsible for promoting ethics in the federal government.
The Council on Governmental Ethics Laws: This is a non-profit organization that provides information and resources on ethics in government.

Sure, here are some multiple choice questions on the topics of ethics, integrity, and public service:

Which of the following is NOT an ethical principle for public servants?
(A) Honesty
(B) Integrity
(C) Loyalty
(D) Efficiency
Which of the following is NOT an example of unethical behavior for a public servant?
(A) Accepting a bribe
(B) Nepotism
(C) Conflict of interest
(D) Working overtime without authorization
Which of the following is NOT an example of an ethical dilemma for a public servant?
(A) You are asked to approve a contract with a company that your spouse works for.
(B) You are asked to keep confidential information that you believe could harm someone.
(C) You are asked to make a decision that you believe is not in the best interests of the public.
(D) You are asked to do something that you believe is illegal.
Which of the following is the best way to resolve an ethical dilemma?
(A) Talk to your supervisor.
(B) Talk to a trusted friend or colleague.
(C) Consult with an ethics expert.
(D) Follow your conscience.
Which of the following is the best way to promote ethical behavior in the workplace?
(A) Set a good example.
(B) Talk about ethics with your colleagues.
(C) Report unethical behavior.
(D) All of the above.
Which of the following is the best way to maintain your integrity?
(A) Be honest with yourself and others.
(B) Do what you believe is right, even when it is difficult.
(C) Be accountable for your actions.
(D) All of the above.
Which of the following is the best way to build trust in the public service?
(A) Be honest and transparent.
(B) Be fair and impartial.
(C) Be accountable for your actions.
(D) All of the above.
Which of the following is the best way to improve the quality of public service?
(A) Invest in Training and Development.
(B) Create a culture of innovation.
(C) Promote diversity and inclusion.
(D) All of the above.
Which of the following is the best way to make public service more accessible to all?
(A) Reduce barriers to entry.
(B) Provide flexible work arrangements.
(C) Offer competitive salaries and benefits.
(D) All of the above.
Which of the following is the best way to make public service more responsive to the needs of the public?
(A) Engage in public consultation.
(B) Use technology to improve Communication.
(C) Be accountable for your actions.
(D) All of the above.

I hope these questions help you to learn more about ethics, integrity, and public service.