The U.S. Office of Government Ethics approach to preventing conflict of interest

Abstract

The manager is a leader who promotes ethics, prevents conflicts of interests, combats corruption and increases transparency. This type of leadership will contribute to public institutions becoming more transparent and efficient. In recognition of the importance of leadership support of the ethics program, the Office of Government Ethics (OGE) launched a leadership initiative in 2007 at its National Government Ethics Conference. OGE is committed to raising the level of discourse between the leadership of executive branch agencies and the ethics community. Commitment and action by agency leadership is the keystone for ensuring the integrity of an agency's ethical culture and for fostering public confidence in the decision-making processes of government.

Concrete actions by agency leadership in support of an agency's ethics program ensure that agency employees appreciate the importance of the ethics program, understand the responsibilities of Federal employees, and are held accountable for compliance with ethics laws and regulations. One of the main goals of the OGE Leadership Initiative is to provide agency leaders with suggestions for concrete actions that they can implement to fulfill their ethics responsibilities. OGE is also continuing its commitment to increasing public confidence in the government. High level officials in the executive branch must file public financial disclosure reports.

Because of this reporting, public confidence in government is increased, the high level of integrity of the vast majority of government officials is demonstrated, conflicts of interest arising because of official activities are deterred, persons whose personal finances would not bear public scrutiny are deterred from entering public service and the public is better able to judge the performance of public officials in light of an official's outside financial interests. As a prevention measure using the public financial disclosure requirement, OGE plays a central role in the confirmation process of the President's nominees to the highest positions in the executive branch. OGE's review and opinion of the individual's public financial disclosure report has become an integral part of the confirmation/appointment process, and new appointees are aware before they take office of the conflict of interest requirements to which they must adhere. Finally, by providing systematic training and counseling, OGE continues to increase its commitment of raising awareness among the 4 million federal employees and the 6,000 ethics officials of the importance of adhering to the 14 principles of ethical conduct.