Public/ Civil Service Values And Ethics in Public Administration: Status And Problems

What do you mean by public service values? What are the important values that a civil servant must possess? What are the principles of managing ethics? What are the problems in public administration? Read on to know more.

The people who depend on the public service may stop having faith in it if its actions are not guided by the right set of values.

High-level public service values can greatly increase public confidence and trust. On the other hand, poor application of values or the promotion of unsuitable values can result in a decrease in these fundamental components of democratic administration.

In this article let us have a glance at some of the values and ethical principles essential for a civil servant.

Public service values and ethics

Ethics and values are frequently conflated, especially when discussing how to combat corruption or poor administration, but this conflation is problematic. For instance, the creation of an Office for Public Service Values and Ethics in Canada distinguished between the two. Here in India, a comparable difference is required.

Values by themselves lack agency, or the capacity to take action. Instead, the way ethical standards are applied to values will determine a person’s behavior. For instance, while government officials may hold the concept of honesty, it is their behaviour and actions that put this value into practise.

Therefore, ethics are the laws that apply values to daily life. All facets of ethical decision-making, ethical judgment, ethical choice, and ethical behavior are influenced by values.

Additionally, it is incorrect to distinguish between “positive” and “negative” values because values cannot be either positive or negative. Value application is something that may be viewed from both negative and positive angles.

For instance, the value of confidentiality may be perceived positively (essential for national security) or negatively (Inhibits transparency). The people who depend on the public service may stop having faith in it if its actions are not guided by the right set of values.

High-level public service values can greatly increase public confidence and trust. On the other hand, poor application of values or the promotion of unsuitable values can result in a decrease in these fundamental components of democratic administration.

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Public service values

Several core values are important in public service and public administration, including:

1. Service to the public: Public servants are committed to serving the needs and interests of the public. This involves providing high-quality services that meet the needs of the people and working to improve the lives of citizens.
2. Integrity: Public servants must be honest, transparent, and accountable in their actions and decision-making. This means acting with integrity, honesty, and fairness in all aspects of their work.
3. Impartiality: Public servants must be impartial and objective in their decision-making, free from personal or political bias. This means treating all citizens equally and impartially, regardless of their characteristics or beliefs.
4. Professionalism: Public servants must be competent, skilled, and dedicated to their work. This involves upholding professional standards and being committed to continuous learning and development.
5. Respect for diversity: Public servants must respect and value the diversity of the communities they serve. This includes valuing diversity in terms of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, religion, and other personal characteristics.
6. Responsibility: Public servants must be responsible and accountable for their actions and decisions. This means taking ownership of their work and being accountable to the public for their actions.
7. Transparency: Public servants must be open and transparent in their actions and decision-making processes. This involves making information about government policies, programs, and decisions available to the public.

Public service ethics/ Administrative ethics

The civil service’s professional code of ethics is referred to as administrative ethics. They define the moral character of government employees and set rules for how various civil servant types should act and behave.

As a profession in the modern state, the civil service has created a moral code for its members. Civil officials are required to uphold the customs, precedents, and standards that make up the code of ethics.

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:

1. Fairness: Public servants must be fair and impartial in their decision-making, treating all individuals and groups equally and without bias.
2. Confidentiality: Public servants must protect the confidentiality of sensitive information and ensure that it is not disclosed without proper authorization.
3. 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.
4. Objectivity: Public servants must be objective and unbiased in their decision-making, and must not be influenced by personal interests or biases.
5. Conflict of interest: Public servants must avoid conflicts of interest and disclose any potential conflicts to their supervisor or the appropriate authorities.

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Importance of public service values and ethics

Ethics and values are significant for a civil servant for the following reasons:

• 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 color, religion, or caste, must be treated fairly, and ethics ensure just and fair governance.
• Social capital: a just and moral government will be seen favorably 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 instill in public employees strong moral standards and ensure their implementation in deeds.

Principles of managing ethics

A strong ethics infrastructure is required to manage ethics in public services; merely creating a code of conduct is not sufficient. The OECD lists the following essential components of a strong ethics infrastructure:

• Political commitment: Politicians should stress the value of ethics, lead by example, and provide resources to encourage moral behavior.
• An effective legal framework contains rules and regulations that establish and uphold moral norms.
• Effective tools for accountability – These include administrative processes, audits, agency performance reviews, consultations, and oversight measures.
• Workable conduct codes should include a values statement, roles, responsibilities, obligations, and constraints.
• Mechanisms for professional socialization like education and training
• Favorable conditions for public employment, such as fair and equitable treatment, adequate compensation, and security
• A coordinating organization for ethics
• A vibrant civil society with investigative media to function as a watchdog over governmental actions.

Indian initiatives to strengthen the ethical framework

Accountability to Parliament – In India, political executives, who in turn answer to the Parliament, are responsible for holding administrators accountable. Financial accountability exists in addition to administrative accountability. For instance, before the government can spend any money from the Consolidated Fund of India or the state, the legislative must provide its consent.

Committee on Ethics of the Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha – The Rajya Sabha’s Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business provide for the creation of a Committee on Ethics to monitor Members’ moral and ethical behavior. This committee also oversees the Lok Sabha. A similar committee exists in the Lok Sabha to oversee the moral and ethical behavior of its members.

Code of Conduct for Public Officials – A code of conduct has been established for civil servants to boost citizen confidence in government by guaranteeing them that personal interests and power do not influence policy.

Status and problems in public service ethics and values

The field of public service ethics and values is susceptible to a variety of issues. Some of these issues consist of:

• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• Ethical lapses: Lack of awareness or comprehension of ethical principles and values can lead to blunders or unethical behavior on the part of public employees. Public harm and bad decision-making may result from this.

Conclusion

It is crucial that public employees receive training on ethical principles and values and that there are processes in place to make sure they are held accountable for their actions to solve these issues. To keep public officials accountable, the public must have access to information regarding their deeds and decision-making procedures.

Article written by: Caroline