The Public Sector Commission (PSC) has released a new Guide to help public authorities manage the risks associated with the receipt of gifts, benefits and hospitality.
Linking the Guide to the recent International Anti-Corruption Day (9 December), the PSC said it would help agencies understand their risk environment; use ethical codes and policies to set expectations; educate, communicate and reinforce expectations; and record, review and monitor practice.
It said the Anti-Corruption Day was a timely reminder of the role that every public officer across the Government sector had in preventing misconduct and corruption.
“The community expects us all to demonstrate the highest level of integrity in our decisions, actions and behaviours,” the Commission said.
“This means doing the right thing!”
It said that sometimes officers are offered gifts, benefits and/or hospitality in the course of their work.
“Usually these are offered as a token of appreciation and carry no expectation,” it said.
“In other cases, they may be an attempt to influence an officer’s decisions. This is why there may be good reasons for officers to decline gifts, benefits and hospitality.”
It said detection and prevention were not just a single activity.
“An integrity mindset has to be embedded in an organisation through governance and administration, systems and controls, culture and attitude, and accountabilities and responses,” the Commission said.
It said that when implemented, the new Guide’s practices could reduce the likelihood of staff inappropriately accepting or providing gifts, benefits and hospitality; and clients, suppliers and stakeholders inappropriately offering them.
“While International Anti-Corruption Day is an important reminder, it is just one day in the calendar,” the PSC said.
“We must all commit every day to stamping out corruption in the public sector.”
The Commission’s new guide to managing the risks of gifts, benefits and hospitality can be accessed at this PS News link.
