Ethics Advice: Who Needs It?                            May 2001

The answer to this question is---everyone! Who among us is wise enough to naviagate without guidance through difficult ethical dilemmas that confront us from time-to-time? Who among us is wise enough to know how to spot an ethical dilemma coming at you head-on? If you believe that you are among those who have the capacity to spot a dilemma before it has you by the throat, hurrah for you. You are likely to be one of the fortunate few. But even if you are among the few, it is entirely likely that you have learned how to seek counsel in some form or fashion.

As a member of the American Society for Public Administration, have you ever sought ethical advice from a fellow member? Maybe or maybe not? Have you ever sought ethical advice from ASPA as an institution? The answer here is likely to be "no." Why not? The answer here is that there is currently no place in ASPA where one can go for ethical advice. ASPA once had an Ethics and Professional Standards Committee that occasionally received inquiries from members but the committee was abolished a few years ago on the grounds that it served no practical function and ASPA needed to streamline its operations thus jettisoning un-needed committees.

Perhaps it is time to rethink the wisdom of this decision and put into place a vehicle for insuring that ASPA not only provides members with ethics advice but becomes a loud and clear voice in promoting ethical public service. What follows is a proposal that could take an important step toward accomplishing these tasks.

Proposal

ASPA should establish an Ethics Advisory Council that would (a) receive and act on requests for ethics guidance by the membership, (b) review allegations of behavior said to be contrary to ASPA's Code of Ethics, and (c) make recommendations to National Council regarding how to (i) promote ethical behavior and (ii) take steps to address a member's behavior if it is deemed contrary to the Code of Ethics.

The Ethics Advisory Council would consist of five ASPA members who serve staggared five-year terms. Board members would be appointed by the President and have at least five consecutive years of membership in ASPA. The Chair of the Ethics Advisory Council would be a person with recognized expertise as an ethicist and/or recognized experience in resolving an ethics issue or problem.

The creation of an Ethics Advisory Council is fully consistent with ASPA's Strategic Plan which proclaims as its first goal "to improve the effectiveness of democratic governance by positively influencing public policy and management and the ethical performance of public service worldwide."

Is it time to move forward with the establishment of an Ethics Advisory Council? What say ye members of the Society?