About the Institute's Public Service Ethics Program

The Institute's ethics program promotes public confidence and trust in local agency decision-making by helping local officials understand the unique legal and ethical obligations of being a public servant. 

Public trust and confidence is vital for public agencies to address pressing issues facing communities. A key element of this trust and confidence is that public officials make decisions based solely on the public’s interests—not narrow personal or political interests.

The Institute’s ethics program helps public officials understand the special ethical responsibilities associated with public service. This includes understanding the various laws designed to protect public trust, but also the role that values play in making good decisions. A key program message is that ethics laws represent a floor for conduct and not ceiling.

The program assists public officials in a number ways, including:

• Publications.  Understanding the Basics of Public Service Ethics is a five-part, three-hole punched series of publications that explore the four major areas of ethics laws as well as how to promote a culture of ethics at an agency. These publications are available for individual local official use electronically without charge on the Institute's website; the Institute also sells hardcopy and digital versions to local agencies and others for orientation and training purposes.
• Training. The Institute helps local officials satisfy mandatory ethics training requirements in a variety of ways.
• Other Resources.  Check out the Institute's website for a variety of additional resources, including analyses of ethical dilemmas commonly faced in public service.

The American Society for Public Administration recognized the Institute’s ethics efforts with its 2009 Public Integrity Award.

Related Institute Programs

• Public engagement 
• Intergovernmental conflict resolution

Contact

JoAnne Speers
Executive Director/Ethics Program Director
E-mail JoAnne