©NSG 2016 | Ethics in the Public Service | Course Overview

COURSE OVERVIEW
Ethics in the Public Service

1 Introduction

Do South Africans hold us as public servants to higher standards of performance than they do
others? Yes, they do, and rightfully so. The Constitution of the Republic of South Africa requires a
high standard of professional ethics in public service. This means that public administration must
be governed by the democratic values and principles as well as the standards for professional
ethics enshrined in the Constitution.

We serve the people and manage the resources that their taxes have paid for. Therefore, there is
an expectation from the public that in conducting our daily activities, we will be ethical. We are
expected to maintain openness in our workings to ensure that we are operating within the public's
perception of what is "right”. Ethical conduct and organisational integrity are keys to eradicate
fraud and corruption in public service and administration.

Some have argued that the best way to ensure ethics among public servants is to hire ethical
people into the public service. Certainly there is some truth to that. But, given how much the
effectiveness of government is compromised when any one official violates the public's trust, it
does seem to be worth the effort to attempt to sensitize both current and potential public servants
to the differences between ethical and unethical behaviour. We therefore have an obligation to
spend time and resources on efforts to promote ethical understanding and behaviour in the work
place.

The Code of Conduct for Public Servants can help to promote ethics. In addition, this course
explores possible ethical dilemmas that you might face in the work place. The goal is to promote
an understanding of the codes and frameworks and what is means to act in the public interest.

It goes without saying that one intervention cannot prevent all ethical breaches; it may not even
stop most of them. However, given the stakes, any effort that produces even a marginal
improvement in ethical behaviour seems clearly worth the effort. Through this intervention it is
envisaged that there will be a better understanding of ethical standards in the Public Service, how
to apply these ethical standards in the workplace and to identify and respond to ethical dilemmas.

2 What will you learn?

The purpose of the course is to help build an ethical culture in the Public Service. As such, the
learning materials and activities aim to assist you to achieve the following objectives:

 Reflect on your own values;

 Recognise ethical dilemmas in the work place;
 Apply core ethical values and standards contained in Public Service prescripts;
 Uphold and promote professional ethics in the work place.

The next diagram presents the course road map.

 My
What are my
commitment
values?
to integrity

Common
How must I
ethical
respond to
dilemmas in
ethical
the Public
dilemmas?
Service

Public Service
prescripts for
ethical
behaviour

The course takes you on a journey. It begins by asking you to explore your own values and
behaviour in the workplace. Then it presents you with research findings about the common ethical
dilemmas that public servants face. You then continue by learning about the prescripts for ethical
behaviour contained in, amongst others, the constitutional imperatives (specifically Chapter 10),
the Code of Conduct for Public Servants and Batho Pele Principles. Recommendations are made
on how ethics can be inculcated and actively managed within the workplace. On conclusion of the
course you are encouraged to pledge your commitment to upholding integrity in your work place.

NOTE
The goal of this course is to help build an ethical culture in the Public Service
by developing the capacity of officials for personal and professional ethical
conduct. However, we have to acknowledge that responding to ethical
dilemmas in the Public Service is complex in real-life contexts. Therefore, not
all your questions can be answered in one course.

On successful completion of this course you will have the opportunity to join
an online Community of Practice, which provides a space for continuous
learning with your peers. Here you will be able to share best practices and
resources to collaboratively find solutions to everyday challenges associated
with ethical conduct in the Public Service.

The National School of Government offers a range of ethics and anti-

corruption courses. Please visit our website for more information.

3 How will you learn?

The course consists of five sections. The first section prepares you to participate in the course.
Thereafter you have to work through four distinct but interrelated units. The course begins with the
basics. Once you have demonstrated your knowledge and understanding of prescripts, which
have relevance for ethical conduct in the Public Service, you will be presented with case studies
requiring you to apply what you’ve learned in real-life scenarios.

This course is designed to rapidly reach large numbers of public servants in order to achieve scale
in ethical capacity development. The course design is matched to this purpose:
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 Learning is self-paced and delivered to you in your work place.
 You are engaged with the learning content.
 You are required to demonstrate, through the completion of online quizzes, that you know and
understand the course content and are able to apply your knowledge and skills.
 When you meet the course completion requirements you can print your certificate of successful
completion.

This design enables you to take responsibility for your learning from registration to certification.

Once you have enrolled in the course, you can work at your own pace. You can expect to spend
approximately a total of 16 hours to complete the course. Ideally, you should set aside an hour a
day to work on this course.

NOTE
To participate in this course you need access to a stable Internet connection.
Be mindful that the quality of your Internet access will have a bearing on your
learning experience. For example, if your Internet access is slow, the course
materials and activities may take a while to download.

The next diagram provides an overview of the learning process.

Step 1  Create your user account.

Register  Log onto the online learning environment using the
username and password you created.
 Access the course.

Step 2
Prepare to participate  Learn to navigate the online learning environment.
 Read the eLearning User Guide.
 Read the Course overview.

Step 3
Complete the course  For each unit:
activities o Read the learning materials and activity briefs.
o Complete the activities.

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  Once you have met the course requirements, you will be
Step 4 able to follow a link to your certificate of successful
Print your certificate completion.
 Click on Get your certificate.
 Save the certificate to your computer for your records.
 You can print a copy of your certificate if you wish.

Step 5  Once you have successfully completed the course, you

Join the Online have access to an online Community of Practice for
Community of Practice continuous learning with your peers.
 The link to the Community of Practice will appear in your
list of available courses.

4 What is expected of you?

You are expected to take responsibility for your own learning and complete the course activities.
Please work through the materials and activities in the order that they are presented to you in the
online learning environment. You will note you have to meet the requirements of each activity
before you can proceed to the next activity.

In order to successfully complete the course you have to complete all the quizzes. You are
required to obtain a minimum score of 75 % for each quiz before you can proceed to the next
activity.

NOTE
You can work on a quiz, save your answers and return when you are ready to
proceed. You can change and save your answers up the point when you submit
your quiz for assessment. When you submit your quiz you immediately receive
your score, with feedback per question. You have an unlimited number of tries
to score the requisite 75 % for each quiz.

It is best to work consistently. Here are some tips to help you succeed in the online learning
environment.

Read You will be amazed how much easier online learning is when you are
familiar with the resources and guidelines we provide.
 Read this course overview carefully.
 Read the introduction to each unit.
 Read the case studies.
 Read the additional documentation provided.
 Read the introduction to each quiz.

Plan This is a critical skill to have. The flexibility of online learning can be a
drawback if you tend to put things off until the last minute.
 Develop a work plan for the course that will fit into your schedule.

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  Stick to your plan by working on the course activities during the
times you blocked off.
 If you find that you fall behind, make a daily to-do list and check
things off the list as you complete them.

Get comfortable It will be worth it to make sure you are comfortable when you work on
course activities.
 Find a quiet place to work without distractions. (Put up a notice to
indicate that there is learning in progress if you have to.)
 Sit comfortably and make sure you have enough light to work by.

Persist This is perhaps the biggest key to success.

 Be willing to tolerate and solve occasional technical challenges.
 Learn how to use the tools you need to participate in online
learning.
 When you experience challenges ask for help; you don’t give up.
 Work and make progress every day.

5 Where to find help?

For technical assistance, contact the eLearning Helpdesk at eLearning@thensg.gov.za.