09 Transparency Accountblty

8/11/2019 09 Transparency Accountblty

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TR NSP RENCY ND

CCOUNT BILITY

MANAGING

to reduce corruption;involving the staffSlides for a seminar session and discussion Denis Osborne, 2007


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Ethics and Good Governance

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INFORM, or TELL

How well do we tell clientsand general public what we

are doing and why?

Are there annual reports, pressreleases, newsletters, etc, to

target groups including end-users?

Are the messages effective?

Do people get the message?

How do we know?


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RESPOND

Invite questions; give answersPeople should know where and who to ask

Do people know where to seek information?

Give them an address, hotline number, a name.

People should find what they want to know

How readily is information given?

How quickly is it given?

OR told why they cannot be told!


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LISTEN

Information needs to flow both waysDo we listen to othersseek their viewsand inputs about the quality of service?

Do we ask for their priorities for change?Do we use suggestions boxes?

Do we conduct surveys?

Do we meet with focus groups?

Do we get their ideas, and feedback

Quality Assurance of service received?



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CONSULT

Do we involve clients and the public generally in

shaping, deciding and implementing policies?

Consultation leads to participation in whichcitizens co-operate to maintain the transparency

of government

and otherorganisations.


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SOME DANGERS

Demands for MORE TRANSPARENCYare seen by staff as an indication of mistrust

The objective needs to be explainedto

Build Trust in Government and Public Service

With a personal responsibility to ensure our

actions allow no reasonable suspicion

ALSO remember, beware targets discredited by experience in the USSR

(state farms) and the UK (health)!



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BE ACCOUNTABLE

To be accountable we must act responsiblyand report ; and give account

This means more than just responsibility

If you give me a letter to post to be responsible, I must post the letter

to be accountable, I tell you I posted it

to be more accountable, I tell youwhere and when I posted it

In French, Korean, Spanish, Thai

there is no one-wo rd translation for accoun tabi li ty



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ACCOUNTABILITY: TO WHOM?

I am accountable to the Boss to the public and their elected leaders

to clients I serve directly, to public in general

to future generations, to God

Giving account by an organisation includes:

annual reports (for different readers?)

project reports / reports to end users

audited accounts

reports of work intended, policy changes


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MORE DANGERS

Demands for MORE ACCOUNTABILITY require everybody to give account

Managers tell staff to write reports

(which they may think are never read!)

The best staff hate this most!

they want more time to do the work

to get results, give good service For what do we give account, how?

Try the checklist, select ONE target


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SET INFORMATION FREE?

Some countries and organisations have aFreedom of information policy, giving citizens

a right to know the US, Japan, the ADB.

In Japan in 2001 (as earlier in US) it changed the way people worked

it cost time, money, reduced productivity

it made Officials even more risk averse

(more meetings with less minutes)

But ADB policy excluded access

to initial policy proposals, etc


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AN EXAMPLE, THE MKSSControversialmovement in Rajasthan, India

Educated citizens

demanded access local government accounts

and gave data on wall charts to villagers.

Villagers found that payments had been issued

for clinics, schools and public toilets that had never

been built, for workers long dead,

and for disaster relief that never arrived DEMANDED MORE INFORMATION

Similar actions work well elsewhere


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A CHANGING WORK CULTURE

Getting better transparency and accountabilitychanges the Public Service work culture

From telling the public nothing,

unless authorised to tell To telling everything,

except what is expressly forbidden, and

then explaining why they cannot be told!

WITH A LOSS OF POWER

in consequence


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A KEY ROLE FOR MANAGERS Who leads? In this as said more generally:

Political will (top), people pressure (bottom-up), and

mid-level: MANAGERS private & public sector

Managers are responsible for products, services

for VFM, and for maintaining or re-building trust

Thus Managers are expected to:

Control, guide and motivate staff

Advise bosses, warn of dangers

Ensure department not cheated

+ by suppliers, customers or colleagues


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INVOLVE THE STAFF

Convince them of need to combat corruption Convince them that they can do much to help

If necessary convince them that there is an

opportunity for all of us to change behaviour Consult them on risks to Department (they may

know best), ask them to recommend actions

Brief them on risks we perceive Make action responsibility of all staff,

not only ethics or anti-corruption group?


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ADVISE THE BOSS

Of the risks for the Department Of actions proposed to minimise risks

and to build trust

Perhaps suggest they reinforce messageto staff, suppliers, clients

Warn them if their actions might risk

reasonable suspicion of corruption! Report (to whom?) if we think they

are acting corruptly


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WATCH SUPPLIERS, CLIENTS

There have been many initiatives to reducecorruption in procurement

Some forget that properly competitive bidding

depends on potential suppliers/contractors notknowing who the others are

Too much transparency is bad

Clients also cheat governments forbenefits, pensions, tax concessions

One simple test: did we get VFM?


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WATCH THE STAFF

What are signs that there may be corruption? Delays; Too keenat desk early, late, little leave

Excess wealth; Secretive; Evasive; Reassuring, etc

Too sociable with clients, suppliers, contractors

Sometimes oldest, senior, staff go bad! Why?

disappointment, anger, fear about career,sickness, relationships, drugs, blackmail

Explain to staff why Trust but Verify We trust you, but check so that others

will trust us all


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PART OF OUR TASK

AS MANAGERS, is to motivate staff and others for example, how do we explain the benefits from

writing reports that nobody will read?

(perhaps writing helps us think more clearly?)

MORE GENERALLY wise management requires

good competition and good regulation

in practice what will that mean?GOOD MANAGEMENT in all systems

as antidotes to corruption and fraud


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MANAGERS NEED HELP

Groups of managers in one speciality or onelocality may help each other grasp issues

The anti-corruption agencyor other bodiesshould be able to help in several distinct ways

Advise on good management (good governance)systems, patterns

Train managers and staff in ethics andanti-corruption issues

Help them to detect likely corruption,know what and when to report,and know how to protect evidence


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WHAT WOULD YOU DO

IF APPOINTED HEAD OF A DEPARTMENTTHAT WAS ALLEGEDLY VERY CORRUPT?

Does higher/top management know, disapprove?

Try to get support of top management, and staffYour reputation and ours is at stake

Clarify your aims

Retribution for wrongs done, the past

Better standards, for the future

Combine soft measures and tough

Focus on, target, one activity at a time


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ADAPT

These ideas are importantWe need to adapt them to our society

and to our organisation

and take ownership for what we will doRemembering

The acid test is not so much the

measures that have been formulated,but the sincerity and determination

in enforcing them.

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09 Transparency Accountblty

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