Civil Servant Ethics: Model Code, Professional Responsibility

Ethics of behavior of a public servant in the Russian Federation involves a set of rules and acceptable options, norms and principles that reflect public expectations regarding the work of such a person. Ethics affects the essence of the worker. The specifics of ethical requirements are due to the fact that initially civil servants were understood as public servants. The principles governing the work of such a person are the oath and codes, behavioral rules, sets of restrictions governing the honor of an employee. Any person accepted for such work is required to comply with their rules and clauses.

general information

The ethics of a public servant in the Russian Federation is formed by standards that are designed to specify principles. Ethical standards are options for reflecting the moral requirements presented by the public to those hired by the state. The behavior of such a person is controlled by ethical external regulators. These include values ​​that are relevant to the whole of society in principle, as well as morality that subjugates humanity. Professional ethical standards are taken into account. At the same time, internal regulators are important - the motivation of the person, her awareness of herself in the service of the state.

A model code of ethics for civil servants is necessary to control the actions, manners, communication of people adopted on public duties. The task of special collections of rules is to establish the norms of moral social relations, to stipulate which behavior is permissible, which is beyond the scope of the possible. Codes form the values ​​of organizational culture, team spirit, morality in relation to a particular institution and its workers.

The task of those in charge is to formulate a code and think through mechanisms to implement its provisions. The team needs to create an atmosphere of creativity, thanks to which every employed person could show his interests. No less important are the measures thanks to which each employee is interested in developing their own ethical, moral qualities and parameters. Thanks to this approach, every person is improved.

ethics of civil servants

Actual question

According to many researchers in this area, the ethics of official behavior of public civil servants is necessary for effective personnel management. The creation of such teams that would work comprehensively, supporting each other is the responsibility of the leader. Any person holding such a position must deal with personnel problems.

Scientists who have examined these issues have established: at the moment there are no widespread mechanisms, due to which it would be possible to give preference only to high-quality personnel at the stage of selection of candidates. No less significant is the complexity of the rational arrangement carried out in a preliminary analysis of the social nature of the employed. According to analysts, mechanisms are needed to take into account ethical attitudes, moral principles, and morality of people.

About terminology

To understand the ethics of state and municipal servants, you should first turn to the interpretation of terminology. Ethics is a word that came to us from Ancient Greece. In the language of this country, the root of the term was the word ethos. It can be translated into modern Russian as “nest”. Over time, the meaning has expanded. The term began to denote the persistent nature of a phenomenon, including man - his character, moral principles. Morality and ethics, as well as morality, are pretty similar concepts. Both the history of these words and the etymological content have much in common. Many people think these words are used interchangeably. However, the nuances of meaning for each of them vary somewhat, depending largely on what kind of thought the speaker wanted to convey.

Speaking about the ethics of behavior of a state civil servant, other people holding important positions, one has to admit: such should be subject to the requirements, parameters that govern the views of persons. Signs of ethics consider specific personal characteristics of people that determine their relationship to legal value and the meaning of law. In many ways, it is these personal qualities of individual citizens involved in the civil service that determine social consciousness, the spiritual level of social progress, and the strict observance of morality. According to many, civil servants well reflect the situation in society as a whole.

civil servants code of ethics

Ethical Signs: From the Beginning

The ethics of civil servants implies decent human behavior. A person must act in strict accordance with behavioral standards, rules defined by the public. An important quality is human honesty. A civil servant who follows ethical rules does not commit low deeds and is simply not capable of them. Antisocial behavior or actions contrary to morality are impossible for him.

An equally significant aspect of the ethics of behavior of the state and municipal servants is the adherence to the agreed political and social standards that govern public life. Often, such rules in society are established behind the scenes, which does not detract from the importance of following them. Ethical behavior implies strict observance of all requirements and standards. The choice in favor of a specific action often becomes a decision in favor of one of two options, both of which do not comply with the rules and regulations. If the need to decide in favor of “one of the evils” is uncontrollable and cannot be ruled out, one cannot doubt the ethics of the person who finds himself in such a situation.

Ethical Signs: Continuing Theme

The official ethics of the state and municipal employee obliges the person not to become dependent on financial gain. A public servant, whatever his personal material interests, is obliged to ensure independence from those. It does not matter with which legal entities, individuals you have to interact during the work process. Material interests and their control by external persons should not adjust the performance of duties assigned to a representative of a profession.

Another important rule is impeccable objectivity. This rule of ethics of a civil servant is caused by the following fact: the work of a person is possible only for the reason that it is useful to the public and provides care for civic interests. The task of a public servant is to take care of society, while it does not play a role, what is the peculiarity of its purpose. Politicians, public figures should monitor social interests and serve for their benefit to the same extent as people hired for relatively low positions in individual instances.

Ethical standards apply to those who conclude contracts, offer colleagues as suitable persons for certain jobs. Ethical principles must be respected by those responsible for submitting nominations for awards. Every official is obliged to choose among candidates, analyzing his merits, qualities that are important for the workplace.

civil servant ethics

Important aspects

The principles of ethics of civil servants include responsibility. It implies the need to take responsibility for any perfect action, a decision. The official is accountable to the public. His task is to comply with the rules stipulated for his profession, to obey the requirements. It is equally important to follow generally accepted moral principles. This does not apply only to working hours. An official in private life is also required to be responsible for any decision or deed. Before you accept or do something, you need to analyze the plan for compliance with moral principles.

The professional ethics of a civil servant requires open conduct. Any decision that such a person makes is revealed to society. It is equally necessary to notify of any action. If the interests of society require an explanation of the perfect, the official must submit such. If necessary, it is necessary to give a maximum of detailed information about each decision made by a person taken to a public position.

Loyalty to duty and quality work

The professional ethics of a public servant includes selfless duty. Every person accepted to such a job is obliged to make their decisions, guided by public interests. He can not do something at the workplace for the benefit of himself or his family, friends and any other persons. Not allowed financial, material benefits from activities outside the specified wage position. Selflessness involves the rejection of benefits for a certain organization, since it also is not a society in all its diversity, but only acts as a separate cell, a small block.

All of the above norms of ethics of behavior of a public servant are alternately recorded in any model code with a decoding similar to that given above. Usually in the complete list there is also professionalism. This aspect of ethical normative service to society obliges everyone who is hired for a public position to own their profession perfectly, avoiding mistakes in work.

The recognition of professionalism is objective when other persons, society note the abilities of a person. At the same time, they analyze how successfully a person achieves specific goals for him, whether he chooses the right paths for this. Be sure to pay attention to the ways in which the desired is achieved. An alternative understanding of professionalism is subjective. This is said when a person is firmly convinced that she possesses excellent abilities and qualities of a professional in a chosen field.

civil servant professional ethics

Think before you do

The ethics of the behavior of a civil servant obliges a person who has been hired to such work to be guided primarily by common sense in all actions. Each action should be clearly balanced, have rational justification. Before committing a certain act, one should objectively calculate its consequences. Any action is carried out if there is an agreed goal, to which a person accepted for a government post should strive. Goal setting should be logical. When determining directions, aspirations, one must act deliberately, be guided by prudence, and behave in accordance with these rules.

The ethics of official behavior of public servants is aimed at maintaining the reputation of an individual person, and through him - all those who are accepted to similar positions, as well as everyone and everyone who serves society. Consequently, one of the points of any model code is the observance of personal reputation. If a person has occupied a public position, her task is to be a reliable partner, a trustworthy person who commits honest deeds.

Social assessment and opinion on personal properties, positive and negative qualities - all this forms the reputation of the person. It must be remembered that in the price those who speak directly, behave sincerely, perform actions in accordance with the requirements of conscience. Only such a person is worthy of trust and has the right to be called impeccable. It is such a person who should occupy a public position and serve society. As a partner, every employee must prove to be reliable and stable. They will want to cooperate only with someone who is worthy of trust, proves this with their appearance and behavior, and is faithful to their colleagues and partners.

Opinion: external and internal assessment

The requirements and rules in the codes of ethics of official conduct of public servants oblige the persons accepted for such work to conduct themselves in accordance with the image that has formed in the public. Valued are people whose ability to work in a team is especially good. The personal qualities of a person, professionalism play an important role for anyone who has been taken to the service of society, and any code of ethics focuses on this fact.

The official ethics of a civil servant requires to remember the dignity of the person. This concept includes all the moral characteristics of a person and the person’s ability to respect them in himself and those around him. It is important for a person to adequately subjectively evaluate his own moral qualities in himself, to respect himself and be aware of his ability to take active actions, taking into account the interest of others. Dignity is the quality of a person, thanks to which a person employed in the service of society can find a compromise solution in a difficult situation that will satisfy all communication participants as much as possible. This is only possible if common sense rules the person.

civil servant ethics

Qualities: important and significant

Every code that regulates the work ethic of a public servant obliges people employed in such positions to make decisions and take actions guided by conscience. This is an ethical category that describes a person’s ability to mentally control himself. A person who is inherent in conscience, on his own, forms for himself the duties stipulated by moral standards. He may require himself to perform the indicated. It is within the powers of a person who has a strong conscience to independently evaluate the actions he has committed.

Equally important is being fair. In collections of rules governing the ethics of a civil servant, justice is seen as the ability to act honestly, guided by the norms of the law. A person accepted for a government post does not have the right to show preference to a certain person or organization, to a community. Its task is to remember the rights of the parties stipulated by law. It is necessary to take into account the legitimate interests and pay attention to the obligations imposed on all participants in the working matter by the rules governing public life and the rule of law within the state.

About beliefs

As part of the civil servant ethics, attention is paid to patriotism. This phenomenon is regarded as a moral, social, political principle. It reflects a person’s ability to love their homelands and take care of their prosperity, to act in the interests of their country. Patriotism includes pride in sovereign achievements. Manifestations of patriotism - respect for the past, heritage, history of the state. The task of a civil servant is to carefully treat all traditions, characteristics of culture, and folk memory.

Another significant belief, which is always mentioned in codes publicized by the civil servant’s ethics, is the belief in the importance of the impeccable enforcement of legal norms. They must be respected unquestioningly, and this is especially important for a public servant employed in the public interest. The value attitude to such norms, the application of rights in practice allows us to show each participant in society what constitutes law-abiding behavior. So stereotypes are formed, social habits are developed. A civil servant, leading a legitimate way of life, carefully observing all the rules, does not just set an example to others around him. Gradually, just the practice of such behavior is transformed into the need to behave in this way.

official conduct of public servants

It is possible, it is necessary and it is impossible

In the framework of the civil servant’s ethics, the principle of exactingness deserves special attention. It is about a person’s ability to evaluate their moral capabilities. A person admitted to the service of the public is obliged to make high demands on himself (morality). At the same time, it is important to recognize oneself as responsible for the fulfillment of the agreed, defined.

For a public servant, the prohibition of violence is important. Any person in modern society has free will. A democratic power is a country governed by a form of government that strictly prohibits violence. This applies to any kind of aggressive behavior. A moral ban is fundamental to a democratic system. , . , .

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Another aspect of the work of a public servant is impartiality. This ethical norm governs the need to act strictly as stipulated by legislative standards. Every person must realize the rights and opportunities given to him. In particular, a civil servant is obliged to exercise the right to evaluate, taking into account exclusively social benefits and circumstances that objectively establish the specifics of the situation. He is forbidden to initiate a confrontation of work-related responsibilities and private interest.

About Codes

Such collections, describing the features of the ethics of civil service, are accepted in many powers. They are formed not only for civil servants, but also for other officials. So, in America in the 58th year they adopted a code of ethics governing the work of the government service. He stipulated the loyalty of workers and the importance of supporting the constitutional order, obliged him to work all day, receiving established pay for it, and strive to find effective methods for solving the problems facing the state.

In 2000, recommendations were made in European powers according to which codes of conduct for civil servants should be created. The focus was on ethical values. According to the drafters of the recommendations, such values ​​will help prevent corruption and increase the effectiveness of measures to combat it.


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