Ethics in Public Administration

We can define it, as the moral character of government employees and set rules for how various civil servant types should act and behave.

In particular, in light of the expanding significance of administration and its effects on society, public workers are required to uphold high moral standards not only for themselves but also for the community at large.

Several ethical principles are important in public service and public administration. These include:

• Public Interest: The public interest principle prioritizes the welfare and well-being of the public. Civil servants should promote policies and actions that benefit society as a whole, rather than pursuing personal gain or special interests. Upholding the public interest builds a just and equitable society. For example, the Right to Information Act, of 2005, public health, education, environment, social justice, and infrastructure development.

• Rule of Law: The rule of law is the foundation of a democratic society. Civil servants must comply with legal frameworks and constitutional principles, ensuring due process and protecting individual rights. They should respect the authority of the law and its enforcement, maintaining the integrity of the legal system. Example-In the case of State of Bihar v. Sonabati Kumari, the court held that as per the concept of the rule of law, all the authorities operating within the state including the executive government are bound to obey the rules.

• Stewardship: Stewardship highlights responsible and sustainable management of resources. Civil servants should engage in long-term planning, considering the needs of future generations. They must protect the environment and public assets, ensuring their preservation for the benefit of all. For Example, materials that safely biodegrade, reducing waste through recycling and considering the environmental effect in developing inventions and infrastructure.

• Fairness: Public servants must be fair and impartial in their decision-making, treating all individuals and groups equally and without bias. For example, the Indian Constitution provides for the establishment of the National Human Rights Commission to ensure that citizens’ rights are protected and upheld.

• Confidentiality: Public servants must protect the confidentiality of sensitive information and ensure that it is not disclosed without proper authorization. For example, information contained in official documents like Cabinet Papers and sensitive information (such as commercial, defence or security-related information

• Loyalty: Public servants must be loyal to their organization and the public, and must not act in a way that undermines the trust and confidence of the public. For example, Former Telangana Commissioner Mr Duggal created a system for making sure that road accident victims are given aid in golden hour. This kind of commitment to work only comes with loyalty to work.

• Conflict of interest: Public servants must avoid conflicts of interest and disclose any potential conflicts to their supervisor or the appropriate authorities. For example, a Public servant in charge of giving out contracts for a certain project will face a conflict of interest if one of the applicants is a relative or friend. 

Importance of public service values and ethics

Ethics and values hold so much importance for Public Servants to administer, which are discussed below:

• Utilizing public resources ethically guarantees that society develops effectively and efficiently without corruption. It holds the one in a position of public trust, responsible for his/her deeds.
• The moral requirements of impartiality and objectivity give organizations merit. Increasing predictability has the effect of enhancing economic efficiency.
• When public officeholders make judgments fairly, based on merit, and unaffected by personal or private interests, the results for society are better. Work commitment and dedication enhance administration.
• Every segment of the public, regardless of colour, religion, or caste, must be treated fairly, and ethics ensure just and fair governance.
• Social capital: a just and moral government will be seen favourably and will guarantee citizen involvement in government. The resulting trust makes administration simpler and more efficient.
• Reduce corruption by increasing effectiveness and severing the unholy connection between the government and the anti-social groups.
• Compassion is an important element to include in daily tasks since it significantly improves the lives of vulnerable groups.
• The government starts to respond to the needs and ambitions of the populace. For instance, in West Bengal, roadside merchants were evacuated before a separate public market was established for them.
• Building trust in the economy and international relations is another benefit of ethical administration.
• To establish standards and regulations that can improve the connection between political executives and public personnel. Fostering the impartiality and nonpartisanship of government employees.
• To instil in public employees strong moral standards and ensure their implementation in deeds.

Status and problems in public service ethics and values

The field of public service ethics and values is susceptible to a variety of issues. Let’s understand these issues with their examples:

• Corruption: Abusing authority or a position for one’s gain is considered one of the biggest issues with public service ethics. Bribery, theft, and nepotism are just a few of the various ways that corruption manifests. It may erode public confidence in the government, result in inappropriate resource allocation, and result in unequal distribution of benefits. Example–public servants demanding or taking money or favours in exchange for services, politicians misusing public money or granting public jobs or contracts to their sponsors, friends and families, and corporations bribing officials to get lucrative deals.

• Conflicts of interest arise when a public servant’s interests or relationships collide with their obligations and responsibilities as such. For instance, if a public employee participates in decision-making regarding a corporation that transacts business with the government and has financial ties to that company, there may be a conflict of interest. For example,

       A government official who holds shares in a company that is bidding for a government contract.

       A doctor who receives a commission from a pharmaceutical company for prescribing their drugs.

       A judge who owns shares in a company that is involved in a case before them.

 

• Ethical dilemmas: When confronted with opposing moral principles or allegiances, public employees may experience ethical conundrums. For instance, a public servant might struggle with balancing their devotion to their political party or personal convictions with their obligation to serve the public. For example, a migrant worker breaks the rule of lockdown in the wake of a pandemic to reach his/her hometown on foot. While the breach of rule calls for punishment, there arises a dilemma of punishing a human being who has already been deprived of the basic amenities.

• Lack of transparency: To avoid responsibility or to further their interests, public employees may feel compelled to act secretively or withhold information from the general public. The public’s faith and confidence in the government may be weakened by this lack of transparency. For example, Delhi is facing a severe lack of data to monitor and combat its air pollution problem, as three key data streams have become inaccessible to the public. The systems that estimate and project the sources of pollution and air quality in the city have not been updated since last week or have been put behind login pages. Experts have warned that this lack of information is hindering efforts to address the issue, particularly as the worst period of air pollution caused by stubble burning approaches.

• Lack of accountability: If there aren’t enough checks and balances in place to make sure that public employees are held accountable for their activities, they may be held less responsible for them. Power abuses could result from this, compromising the public service’s integrity. For example, the Indian government’s inability to protect women and children from rape and sexual violence undermines its commitment to uphold the rights of all Indians.

During 2013, authorities also failed to enforce laws that protect vulnerable communities including Dalits, religious minorities and tribal groups, the report said.

• Ethical lapses: Lack of awareness or comprehension of ethical principles and values can lead to blunders or unethical behaviour on the part of public employees. Public harm and bad decision-making may result from this. For example, Whistleblowing for misappropriation of taxes by the management or losing the job to stand by the truth. 

Guiding Principles in Public Service Ethics

Professional administrators have a crucial role in rebuilding and enhancing the public’s trust, and several principles can guide them in achieving this goal, including:

• Providing education and training in administrative ethics that covers both personal and administrative ethics. Public servants should internalize civic virtues, respect for others, protection of individual rights, and other ethical values.
• Upholding professional and personal integrity, where professional values take precedence over questionable orders from superiors. This requires knowledge, self-control, personal autonomy, and subordination of private interests to the public interest and public trust. However, professional interests must not conflict with broader public interests.
• Exercising prudence involves making self-controlled, discretionary decisions based on knowledge, expertise, and ethical judgment in a particular situation.
• Prioritizing public spirit, where private interests are secondary to public and community interests. When making decisions or acting as an administrator, one must consider the public trust and citizens’ interests.
• Exhibiting exemplary behaviour, which includes reporting wrongdoings to the appropriate sources for correction while consulting and exercising caution as you also have obligations to yourself and your family.
• Following and enforcing the professional code of ethics, which serves as a statement of ideals, a standard of action consistent with those ideals, and a binding means of enforcing behaviour for public servants

Principles of Managing Ethics

A study by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) showed that all member countries give great importance to eight core values – Impartiality, Legality, Integrity, Transparency, Efficiency, Equality, Responsibility, and Justice. 

The OECD has issued 12 principles for ‘Managing Ethics in Public Service’ to help countries review the institutions, systems, and mechanisms they have for promoting public service ethics. These principles are as follows:

• Clear ethical standards: Public servants need to know the basic principles and standards they are expected to apply to their work and where the boundaries of acceptable behaviour lie. For example, a clear and simplified code of conduct/ethics can help in this regard.

• Ethical standards should be reflected in the legal framework: Laws and regulations could state the fundamental values of public service and should provide the framework for guidance, investigation, disciplinary action, and prosecution.
• Ethical guidance for public servants: Training in ethics awareness can develop essential skills for ethical analysis and moral reasoning.
• Exposing wrongdoing: Public servants need to know what their rights and obligations are in terms of exposing actual or suspected wrongdoing within the public service. These should include clear rules and procedures for officials to follow and a formal chain of responsibility. Public servants also need to know what protection will be available to them in cases of exposing wrongdoing.
• Political commitment to ethics: Political leaders are responsible for maintaining a high standard of propriety in the discharge of their official duties. Their commitment is demonstrated by example and by taking action that is only available at the political level, for instance, by creating legislative and institutional arrangements that reinforce ethical behaviour and create sanctions against wrongdoing.
• Transparency and open decision-making: The decision-making process should be transparent and open to scrutiny. Public scrutiny should be facilitated by transparent and democratic processes, oversight by the legislature, and access to public information.
• Ethical standards for dealing with the private sector: Clear rules defining ethical standards should guide the behaviour of public servants in dealing with the private sector. This is particularly important regarding public procurement, outsourcing, or public employment conditions.
• Managers promoting ethical conduct: An organizational environment where high standards of conduct are encouraged by providing appropriate incentives for ethical behaviour, such as adequate working conditions and effective performance assessment, has a direct impact on the daily practice of public service values and ethical standards.
• Management policies and practices reflecting ethical standards: Government policy should not only delineate the minimal standards below which a government official’s actions will not be tolerated but also clearly articulate a set of public service values that employees should aspire to.

• Accountability mechanisms: Adequate accountability mechanisms should be in place within the public service. Public servants should be accountable for their actions to their superiors and, more broadly, to the public.

• Procedures and sanctions for misconduct: Appropriate procedures and sanctions should exist to deal with misconduct. Mechanisms for the detection and independent investigation of wrongdoings, such as corruption, are a necessary part of an ethics infrastructure.

Strategies for Promoting Values and Ethics

For Promoting and Enhancing Public Values and Ethics, we need to make some rock-solid Strategies, which are as follows: 

• Training and Education on Ethical Conduct: Providing comprehensive training and education programs on ethical conduct can help civil servants understand their responsibilities and make informed decisions. Training should focus on real-world scenarios and ethical dilemmas to enhance their ethical awareness.
• Establishing Codes of Conduct and Ethics Committees: Developing and implementing codes of conduct that clearly outline expected behaviour and ethical standards is crucial. Ethics committees can provide guidance, advice, and oversight on ethical matters, ensuring adherence to values and ethics within the civil service.
• Encouraging a Culture of Open Communication and Whistleblowing: Promoting open communication channels and protecting whistleblowers can facilitate the reporting of unethical practices. Civil servants should feel comfortable raising concerns without fear of reprisal, fostering an environment where ethical issues are addressed promptly.
• Rewarding and Recognizing Ethical Behavior: Recognizing and rewarding civil servants who consistently demonstrate ethical behaviour can reinforce the importance of values and ethics. Incentives and acknowledgements can motivate others to uphold ethical conduct, promoting a positive organizational culture.

Conclusion

 Civil service values and ethics are essential for the effective functioning of public administration. Upholding integrity, impartiality, objectivity, and accountability ensures that civil servants prioritize the public interest, adhere to the rule of law, demonstrate professionalism, and practice stewardship. Although challenges and dilemmas exist, strategies such as training, codes of conduct, open communication, and recognition can promote ethical behaviour. Civil servants must commit to upholding these values to maintain public trust and contribute to a just and ethical society.

FAQs

Q: What role do values play in civil services?

A: Values in civil services are the guiding principles that ensure ethical and responsible governance. They help public servants make fair, unbiased, and just decisions in the best interest of the public.

Q: What are the key values expected from civil servants?

A: Key values in civil services typically include integrity, impartiality, objectivity, accountability, transparency, and commitment to public service. These values promote trust and credibility in government institutions.

Q: How are values instilled in civil servants?

A: Values are instilled in civil servants through training, codes of conduct, and mentorship programs. Government agencies and institutions often have ethics and integrity units to provide guidance and support in upholding these values.

Q: What is the significance of integrity in civil services?

A: Integrity is a cornerstone value in civil services. It ensures that civil servants act with honesty, avoid corruption, and maintain public trust. It is essential for upholding the rule of law and promoting ethical governance.

Q: How do civil servants balance personal values with their professional roles?

A: Civil servants are expected to prioritize the values of their profession over personal values when making decisions. This requires a commitment to public welfare and the ability to set aside personal biases in favour of the greater good. Ethical dilemmas are often addressed through established ethical frameworks and guidelines.