Practical Initiatives For Enhancing Transparency in Local Self-Government - Lviv Workshop, April 2008

Public Ethics Benchmark and Improvement Programme

- Council of Europe project in Spain, Moldova, Ukraine and Romania

- 5 participating Ukrainian municipalities

- Producing : 1.Scorecard of model

transparency initiatives 2. Handbook of local self-

government law

Transparency Initiatives

• Registers of councillor interests, expenses and allowances

• Guidance on – - political party funding - elections & monitoring• Codes of Conduct for

councillors and officers • Policy on access to

information

• Revised councillor and officer training

• Peer reviewing• Publication of: - annual anti-corruption strategy - public survey results - available positions - tenders for contracts

Codes of Conduct – Ethical Values The 7 “Principles of Public Life”

• Selflessness• Integrity• Objectivity• Accountability• Openness• Honesty• Leadership

Transparency & Standards

Through: - Codes of Conduct- Publicising the Code and

standards- Toolkits (scorecards,

guidance, audits)- Publicising case results- Ethics Committees- Annual report on the

ethical framework

Code of Conduct for Councillors

• Promote equality• Treat people with respect

Members should not - • Bring the authority into disrepute• Misuse their position to advantage or disadvantage

themselves or others• Disclose confidential information• Stop someone seeing papers they are allowed to• Not unduly influence authority officers• Misuse council resources

Code of Conduct (cont.)

Addressing:• conflicts of interests• incompatible posts

Obligation to declare -• personal interests• prejudicial interests• gifts and hospitality

Experience from the UK & Serbia

Achievements in –- Councillors removed

for misconduct- Established Ethics

Committees- Improved councillor

conduct- Improved public

confidence in local government

NGOs and Ethics Committees

Assisting:- Political neutrality- Appointments to the

Committee- Committee resources- Publicise its work

through public seminars and in the media

- Publicise case outcomes

Tenders for public contracts

• Information and Meet-The-Buyer meetings

• Public guidance• Simplify tender process• Adopt e-procurement• Offer feedback to

unsuccessful tenders• Encourage sustainable

procurement