The ethics and values component of the Modernization of Comptrollership initiative goes beyond the central agency policies and guidelines that have always existed. Having a framework of shared values and ethics helps to create a values-driven organization that fosters a work climate based on trust and openness. HRDC employees have always operated under unwritten code. The Human Resources Branch has been working for the past year or so to develop a formal guide for easy reference by HRDC employees. Extensive consultations between managers and staff occurred in the fall of 1999 to raise the importance and awareness of ethics and values.
Most managers feel others and themselves are operating in an ethical manner.
However, the pressure, often political, to spend program funds and deliver service expediently, can raise ethical issues. The report first states that most respondents feel that they and their colleagues are working in an ethical manner. In any case, if this perception exists among some respondents, it is a serious concern. As with so many of the report s findings, HRDC has been working on addressing this issue for some time. A broad departmental discussion on values and ethics has taken place with all levels of the organization.