Ethics in Public Administration: Sunville Case Study

Introduction

Ethics in public administration is a critical issue because it provides accountability between the government and the citizens it serves. To enhance accountability, public administrators, public service leaders, and other stakeholders are required to adhere to a code of ethics. The code of ethics gives these professionals guidelines for integrity in their work and helps ensure the public receives services in a fair manner (Academic Partnerships, 2016). However, not every professional in the field adheres to this code, due to factors such as corruption and greed. This paper analyzes the ethical dilemma facing the Deputy Director of Transportation in the City of Sunville, who must decide what to disclose at the regularly scheduled monthly City Council meeting.

Key Actors and Their Roles

The ethical scenario in the City of Sunville centers on lost inventory that was supposed to be delivered to the Sunville Physical Plant surplus warehouse from the offices of the Department of Transportation. The loss was identified after a new computer system was installed in the warehouse to track the inventory of the city's agencies over the previous five years.

The key actors in this ethical dilemma are Commissioner Richard Mitchell, his wife, Director of Transportation Nick Kellogg, the Deputy Director of Transportation, the City Council, Department of Transportation staff, and the public. Their relationships, roles, and values are summarized below.

Commissioner Richard Mitchell serves as Commissioner of the City and also manages a shelter for pregnant substance abusers. He and his wife provide foster children with a loving and supportive home. Both should uphold the values of honesty, fairness, and transparency in executing their duties.

Nick Kellogg, the Director of the Department of Transportation, manages the day-to-day activities of the department in collaboration with his deputy and other leaders. He is expected to uphold honesty, transparency, fairness, and accountability.

The Deputy Director is a subordinate of Mr. Kellogg, a friend of Commissioner Mitchell, and a member of the City Council. This individual is expected to demonstrate honesty, transparency, accountability, fairness, and incorruptibility.

The City Council holds regular meetings to evaluate public service delivery, focusing on ensuring transparency and accountability across the city's agencies.

Department of Transportation staff handle daily activities in the department and are expected to uphold transparency, accountability, honesty, fairness, and devotion to duty.

The public expects city officials to provide excellent services that meet their needs. As a result, citizens hold city officials accountable and expect transparency in public service delivery.

Core Values and Ethical Framework

The code of ethics for city officials and general ethical principles govern the values surrounding the relationships among all key actors. As Whitton (2001) notes, a minimum set of ethical principles for public service includes transparency, fairness, legitimacy, integrity, serving the public interest, and efficiency and effectiveness. These values are critical because they are the foundation for better public service delivery. Commitment to upholding these values enhances the quality of work of city officials and their staff, helping them avoid ethical issues that could negatively affect the public.

The American Society for Public Administration (ASPA) code of ethics reinforces these principles. It highlights key ethical standards such as demonstrating personal integrity, strengthening social equity, fully informing and advising, advancing the public interest, advancing professional excellence, and promoting ethical organizations (UNC School of Government, 2019).

Essential and Implied Facts

Essential Facts

The City of Sunville has experienced the loss of inventory from the Department of Transportation over the last five years. Following the installation of a new computer system in the city's Physical Plant surplus warehouse, it was discovered that thousands of dollars' worth of property removed from the offices of the Department of Transportation had never been delivered to the warehouse. This discovery attracted the attention of the City Council, which resolved to prosecute anyone involved in the theft to the full extent of the law.

As Director of the Department of Transportation, Mr. Kellogg faces the serious risk of losing his job and being charged with grand theft — which could result in jail time — despite his claim that he had no knowledge of the lost inventory and that it was worthless. Meanwhile, the shelter for pregnant substance abusers has seen impressive recent success, partly attributed to numerous anonymous donations. A review of the shelter's computer inventory list reveals that repaired furniture and equipment are city property originating from the Department of Transportation. This points to Commissioner Richard Mitchell apparently redirecting the department's inventory to the shelter, suggesting that some city officials are engaging in activities that clearly violate the code of ethics. This situation creates an ethical dilemma for the Deputy Director, who must decide what to present at the City Council meeting given the facts of the case and his personal relationship with the Commissioner.

Missing and Implied Facts

One implied fact is that Commissioner Mitchell may be collaborating with other city officials or staff in the Department of Transportation to redirect inventory. The lost property could not have found its way to the shelter without coordination between department officials or staff and shelter managers. Additionally, Department of Transportation staff may have been involved in the scandal to facilitate the removal of Mr. Kellogg — who, despite his competence and honesty, has poor social skills that have negatively affected staff morale and made job duties unnecessarily complex. Such staff may have acted in a way designed to make Mr. Kellogg appear corrupt and justify his removal. A key missing fact, however, is whether the City Council already possessed information held by the Deputy Director regarding the lost inventory being found at the shelter.

Conclusion

The Deputy Director should share the findings of his investigation and any other information relating to the case. The information should be shared in a manner that does not incriminate any of the key actors unless there is proof of their direct involvement in circumstances contributing to the loss of inventory. This approach upholds the core value terms central to the scenario — honesty, transparency, accountability, and fairness (reflected throughout the actor relationships and their roles) — as well as the principles of incorruptibility and devotion to duty that define the Deputy Director's own ethical obligations as a public servant.

References

Academic Partnerships. (2016, May 24). The importance of ethics in public administration. University of Texas Arlington.

Kure, G. M. (2018, May). Public servants' attitude towards professional ethics and its implications for service delivery in selected bureaus of the Oromia Regional State.

UNC School of Government. (2019, November 20). The importance of ethics in public administration. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Whitton, H. (2001, February). Implementing effective ethics standards in government and the civil service. OECD.