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Annual Report of the Ombudsman 2004

Chapter 4 - The Civil Service Code of Standards and Behaviour

The Civil Service Code of Standards and Behaviour

In September 2004 the Department of Finance issued Circular 26/04: The Civil Service Code of Standards and Behaviour. The Code has to be signed up to by all civil servants and now forms part of their conditions of service. It underpins existing rules and covers three broad areas viz. Standards Underpinning Service Delivery, Behaviour at Work and Standards of Integrity. It also introduces new rules governing gifts, hospitality and the acceptance of appointments outside of the civil service.

There is an acknowledgement in the Code that it builds on the principles set out in The Ombudsman’s Guide to Standards of Best Practice for Public Servants which was first published in 1997 and updated in 2003. The guide emerged from experience gleaned by the Ombudsman in resolving complaints.

The Code brings greater clarity to what is expected of civil servants in the performance of their functions. In contributing towards improved standards of behaviour it will also help to improve the quality of service to the general public. It is also a clear example of how the lessons learned from the resolution of individual complaints can lead to better standards in public administration generally.

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