Public Sector Values

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Public Sector Values EthicsWhat Science
Managers Should Know
Presenter Ron Freedman The Impact Group Ste.
502 - 55 Eglinton Ave. East Toronto, ON M4P
1G8 [phone] ext. 31 ron_at_impactg.com
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Project Background

• Findings of (7) 1-day VE workshops designed for
  Environment Canada
• 100 participants across Canada
• Focus on science workforce
• Objectives
• engage in a dialogue, increase awareness about
  dilemmas faced by staff
• identify potential points of friction between
  public service and scientific values
• raise awareness of existing policies and best
  practices
• Representative?
• representative of EC and broader SBDAs

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Why the Interest in Values Ethics?

• Long-standing issue
• Tait Report (1995) - A Strong Foundation
• Compounded by various Science Advice Crises
• Brazilian beef
• Tainted blood
• BGH controversy
• Atlantic cod stocks
• SAGE (ACST), BEST (CSTA)
• 5NR Best Practices

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What are values ethics?Some working definitions

• Values enduring beliefs that influence
  attitudes, actions and the choices and decisions
  we make.
• Ethics dimension of human thought and behaviour
  which is guided by standards and principles of
  right conduct involves a commitment to do the
  right thing.
• Ethical Dilemma a situation in which
• Two or more values may be in conflict.
• You are unsure of the right thing to do.
• Some harm may be caused, no matter what you do.
• A Strong Foundation - Report of the Task Force on
• Public Values and Ethics (January 2000 edition),
  p.22.

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Public Service Values The official message to
the troops

• The fundamental value of public service is
  loyalty to the public interest or public good
• Public servants hold a public trust they are
  trustees for the interests of the citizens of
  Canada, as represented in their democratically
  elected government

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Public Service Values (contd)

• The structure of public service values should
  motivate public servants, above all, to give
  their primary loyalty to the public good and to
  put it ahead of any private or individual
  self-interest
• Anything that encourages public servants to do
  otherwise undermines the values which provide the
  foundation for public service

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Whats on the troops minds?

• Strong appetite for genuine discussion
• This is the first time in 20 years (working in
  government) weve formally discussed these
  issues
• havent received any guidance in the 6 to 7
  years been with department dont have time to go
  to web sites
• In science, we face VE questions every day
• this is an important issue glad to see
  workshop being held issue is often overlooked
• want a frank/open discussion

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Whats on the troops minds?(contd.)

• Reality Check Desire to share experiences with
  colleagues (in other sectors)
• ... to explore ethical dilemmas with colleagues
• ... to learn from colleagues
• get a reality check outside of the lab

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Whats on the troops minds?(contd.)

• Concern over science-policy-politics interface
• to look at the tension between science and
  political issues
• about the trade-off between scientific rigor
  and release of information to the general public
• about government and departmental priorities
• about the gap between decision-making and
  giving advice
• see conflict between official decisions and
  objective scientific truths
• dont understand, sometimes, how the policy
  comes from the science (science ... answers small
  questions

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Whats on the troops minds?(contd.)

• Coming to grips with new ways of doing business
• Explore conflicts arising from
  commercialization
• How to handle partnerships
• Questions of intellectual property sharing
  financial rewards from patents between the
  individual and the organization
• Dilemmas with respect to the release of
  data/information
• Ensuring quality science in a period of cutbacks
• Maintaining the credibility of federal ST
• How to choose partners

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Whats on the troops minds?(contd.)

• Confusion over departmental values, priorities
  implementation
• Lack of leadership and ad hoc decision-making
• Lack of planning leading to crisis management
• How to prepare information for release - what is
  in and what is left out (i.e. muzzling)
• Erosion of scientific culture in the
  organization
• Lack of coordination between managers and
  researchers
• Application of promotion guidelines
• Filtering of science info./advice to
  politicians
• Frustrating feeling when department puts good
  news spin on a story why dont we just be
  honest?

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Whats on the troops minds?(contd.)

• Understand the personal and professional role of
  government scientists
• about the social role of the scientist
• about my role as a citizen versus that as a
  scientist
• about the values conflicts at the personal and
  organizational levels
• erosion of scientific culture in the
  organization
• Staff at EC need to be clear and clean bosses
  are not so! They need to be above suspicion and
  without bias

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Whats on the troops minds?(contd.)

• Desire to understand public service
• defining the public interest
• What exactly are the responsibilities of the
  scientist?
• how to interact with the media (when I dont
  entirely agree with government policy)

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Understanding ST Dilemas 5 Public Sector
Values Systems Interacting
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Understanding ST Dilemas How do ethical
dilemmas arise?

• Conflict within each system of values
• e.g. I dont believe our unit/lab is acting in
  an ethical way
• e.g. Were charging for crappy data
• Conflict among 2 or more value systems
• e.g. I dont believe our department is acting in
  an ethical way
• e.g. Government ignoring our advice on...global
  warming...fish...etc.

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Understanding ST Dilemmas Underlying conditions

• Insufficient understanding of the policymaking
  and lawmaking process
• No formal training on how policymaking or
  lawmaking work
• Learning through osmosis
• Alienation of science from policy
• Scientists often not consulted on policy
• ST only one input into policy

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Science Values Ethics Whats different?

• Science values add a layer of complexity to
  public service roles
• Often involves clash of cultures among
• Academic science values ethics
• Industrial science values ethics
• Public service values ethics
• Political values ethics

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Science Values Ethics Balancing different
families of values

• Academic values
• Search for truth, openness, curiosity-oriented,
  critical, unbiased, sharing, reluctant to
  forecast/project, credit for work done
• Public service values
• Service to public, focus on public good,
  neutrality, anonymity
• Industrial values
• Profit, IP protection, confidentiality, personal
  reward, external customer focussed
• Political values
• Avoidance of conflict, positive spin, compromise,
  suppression of bad news, (appearance) of certainty

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Ethical dilemmas out of the ordinary?

• Public servants are highly principled
• Want to do the right thing be truthful
• Want the system to adhere to their personal and
  professional values
• Conflict in values ethics is a normal
  condition
• of public service life
• of all bureaucracy
• of social life

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Understanding ST Dilemmas Underlying conditions

• Insufficient understanding of the policymaking
  and lawmaking process
• No formal training on how policymaking or
  lawmaking work
• Learning through osmosis
• Alienation of science from policy
• Scientists often not consulted on policy
• ST only one input into policy

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Science-Policy Alienation
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Why do conflicts arise?(contd.)

• Changing role of science in government
• e.g. emphasis on cost recovery
• new demands on employees
• guidelines lag behind practice
• Lack of ongoing dialogue with management
• mushroom treatment
• crisis management

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Why do conflicts arise?(contd.)

• Legitimate intellectual disagreements
• Different interpretations of what data say or
  mean
• Different view of alternatives or options
• Different view of right choices
• Inadequate guidance
• Patchwork quilt of departmental systems
• VE framework
• departmental guidelines, codes, procedures
• Unrealistic expectations

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Conclusions

• In a multi-tiered system of values and ethics,
  dilemmas are inevitable its how theyre handled
  that counts
• Government scientists have an innate sense of
  right and wrong theyre trying to do the right
  thing
• The culture of science co-exists un-comfortably
  with the culture of public policy and politics

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Conclusions (contd.)

• Government science growing more complex
• The science community is often unfamiliar with
  the workings of govt.
• VE dilemmas are not just a public sector issue
• Private, university sector equally affected

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Conclusions (contd.)

• People want an opportunity for open dialogue
  without repercussions
• Leadership starts at the top and the middle!
• Communication and dialogue are the key

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Messages for Science Managers

• Employees look to you for leadership on workplace
  values ethics
• Do expect dilemmas to arise
• Do foster an atmosphere of open dialogue on
  ethical dilemmas
• Do make consistent value judgements (e.g.
  promotion)
• Dont pigeon-hole VE discussions on the meeting
  agenda
• Dont let dilemmas fester intervene early
• Dont confuse honest debate with trouble-making
  no repercussions

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Messages for Science Managers (contd.)

• You are also at the interface between work unit
  VE systems and departmental, government, and
  political systems
• Do educate employees about the science-assessment-
  policy-politics process
• Do discuss the (changing) role of
  science/scientists in government
• Do explain how decisions were made
• Dont defend how the system works

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Messages for Science Managers (contd.)

• Assemble a VE tool-kit
• 5-NR Best Practices Initiative
• Tait Report (A Strong Foundation - Report of the
  Task Force on Public Values and Ethics, January
  2000)
• Council of ST Advisors - BEST Report SAGE
  Report
• http//csta-cest.gc.ca/csta/website/publications_e
  .html
• Departmental Code of Conduct, Vision Framework,
  Mission Statement
• Recruit volunteer Ethics Advisor?
• Respected retired/emeritus employee?
• VE Workshops

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And finally a foolproof guide to values and
ethics

• In doing our job we
• uphold the public trust
• act and negotiate in good faith
• work within the law
• speak honestly
• use processes that are visible to all
• act in fair and considerate manner
• deal with people equitably and with civility
• seek, consider, and value input, and
• accept consequences of our actions
• 
  - PWGSC