2000 October Report of the Auditor General of Canada

Leadership

Political commitment to ethics should reinforce the ethical conduct of public servants.

Reinforce political leadership for ensuring integrity in the federal public sector.

Parliamentarians, ministers

Affirm the paramount importance of democratic values, the rule of law and public trust.

Parliament, ministers, Clerk of the Privy Council, heads of federal entities, co-champions for values and ethics, senior public servants, private sector

Re-invigorate an extensive dialogue on values and ethics with Canadians and throughout the federal public sector.

Develop a set of common values and ethical principles with Canadians for the public sector.

Align all systems and policies to support sound public service values and ethics.

Clarify the principle of ministerial responsibility and the responsibilities of officials to whom authority has been delegated.

Ministers, Privy Council Office

Managers should demonstrate and promote ethical conduct.

Identify the Clerk of the Privy Council, as Head of the Public Service, and the deputy minister co-champions as the officers responsible for ensuring that values and ethics initiatives are undertaken in the public service.

Prime Minister

Identify the heads of federal entities as accountable for ensuring that comprehensive values and ethics initiatives are undertaken in their entities.

Clerk of the Privy Council

Identify and emphasize the responsibilities of senior and line managers for promoting integrity.

Heads of federal entities, Public Service Commission, Treasury Board

Public service conditions and management of human resources should promote ethical conduct.

Based on the appraisals from superiors and staff, hire and promote senior managers who lead by example.

Heads of federal entities, Public Service Commission, Treasury Board

Ethical standards

Ethical standards for public service should be clear.

Emphasize the principle of public service as a public trust and the primacy of the public interest and the law.

Parliamentarians, ministers, heads of federal entities, Privy Council Office

In consultation with Canadians, use the set of common principles as a basis for the development of statements of values and ethics that address the specific circumstances of each organization.

Parliamentarians, ministers, heads of federal entities, Privy Council Office

Explain and balance competing public service values so that the public interest remains the paramount principle.

Privy Council Office, co-champions for values and ethics, Treasury Board

Reinforce the integrity and credibility of the federal scientific and technology community and the regulatory and inspection community.

Privy Council Office, heads of scientific and regulatory entities

Ethical standards should be reflected in the legal framework.

Provide mandatory training to senior managers on the promotion of values and ethics.

Privy Council Office, Treasury Board, Canadian Centre for Management Development

Appropriate procedures and sanctions should exist to deal with misconduct.

Identify, integrate, and revise, as needed, the basic legal requirements for ethical conduct.

Parliamentarians, Privy Council Office, Department of Justice

Explain to all members of the federal public sector the general and specific laws and policies relating to improper conduct.

Heads of federal entities, Treasury Board

Interaction between the public and private sectors

There should be clear guidelines for interaction between the public and private sectors.

Develop a set of values and ethics to guide interaction between the public and private sectors.

Privy Council Office, Treasury Board

Embed key ethics code elements in contracts and agreements on grants and contributions.

Privy Council Office, Treasury Board, Public Works and Government Services Canada

Require organizations that wish to do business with the government or receive public funds to have a code of conduct or subscribe to a model code.

Privy Council Office, Treasury Board, Public Works and Government Services Canada

Require proactive due diligence prior to signing contracts and agreements.

Public Works and Government Services Canada, heads of federal entities

Decision making

Ethical guidance should be available to public servants.

Establish a variety of options government-wide and in entities to provide guidance, e.g., ethics counsellors and ombudsmen.

Privy Council Office, Treasury Board, heads of federal entities

Develop guidelines and case studies that address dilemmas faced at work.

Privy Council Office, Ethics Counsellor, Treasury Board, heads of federal entities

Clarify the meaning of existing codes of conduct or conflict of interest such as the Conflict of Interest and Post-Employment Code for Public Office Holders and the Conflict of Interest and Post-Employment Code for the Public Service.

Privy Council Office, Ethics Counsellor, Treasury Board, heads of federal entities

The decision-making process should be transparent and open to scrutiny.

Establish integrated program support centres and a decision-making model that explicitly requires transparency and the consideration of values and ethics.

Privy Council Office, Treasury Board, heads of federal entities

Public servants should know their rights and obligations when exposing wrongdoing.

Develop clear and effective recourses for good-faith intervention.

Treasury Board, heads of federal entities, Privy Council Office

Management policies, procedures, and practices should promote ethical conduct.

Establish a clear policy empowering front-line employees to take ownership of a conflict or problem and to resolve it fairly and efficiently.

Treasury Board, heads of federal entities

Align organizational management policies to support ethical decision making.

Treasury Board, heads of federal entities

Include commitments to employees in statements of values and ethics.

Treasury Board, heads of federal entities

Assessment and reporting

Adequate accountability mechanisms should be in place in the public service.

Conduct periodic baseline assessments of values and ethics in federal organizations, including assessments by Canadians and specific stakeholders.

Treasury Board, heads of federal entities

Report to Parliament and the public on the effectiveness of values and ethics initiatives.

Treasury Board, heads of federal entities