You are here
Designated Ethics Aides
Friday, August 9th, 2013
Robert Wechsler
The idea of a designated driver was a great idea (thank you,
Scandinavia). The idea of the designated hitter was a lousy idea
(yes, I'm a National Leaguer).
How about a designated ethics aide? A staff member assigned by a local legislator, or department or agency head, to be her point person on conflicts of interest is much more like a designated driver than a designated hitter. Like someone with a few drinks under her belt, an official in a conflict situation has a blurry vision of her conflicts and poor judgment in handling them. What she needs is someone who can see the situation clearly and from the outside.
Every official is surrounded by people who are capable of doing this, but it isn't easy to speak up about a superior's conflict situation or to check with the ethics officer on the sly and then report the advice to one's superior. An aide designated to get special ethics training (or, if that's not available, study the relevant ethics laws and read at least Local Government Ethics Programs in a Nutshell), ask questions to see if there is a possible conflict situation, and ask the ethics officer for advice when it's not clear how to responsibly handle the situation, will have no hesitation speaking up. That's his job every bit as much as a designated driver's job is to drive everyone home, no matter how much one of the others wants to get behind the wheel, insisting, "I can handle it" in the same voice as an official might say, "No one can buy me."
A legislator or agency head who, without being required, designates an ethics aide has come a long way toward a recognition that dealing responsibly with conflict situations is valuable not only to the community, but also to herself.
Robert Wechsler
Director of Research-Retired, City Ethics
---
How about a designated ethics aide? A staff member assigned by a local legislator, or department or agency head, to be her point person on conflicts of interest is much more like a designated driver than a designated hitter. Like someone with a few drinks under her belt, an official in a conflict situation has a blurry vision of her conflicts and poor judgment in handling them. What she needs is someone who can see the situation clearly and from the outside.
Every official is surrounded by people who are capable of doing this, but it isn't easy to speak up about a superior's conflict situation or to check with the ethics officer on the sly and then report the advice to one's superior. An aide designated to get special ethics training (or, if that's not available, study the relevant ethics laws and read at least Local Government Ethics Programs in a Nutshell), ask questions to see if there is a possible conflict situation, and ask the ethics officer for advice when it's not clear how to responsibly handle the situation, will have no hesitation speaking up. That's his job every bit as much as a designated driver's job is to drive everyone home, no matter how much one of the others wants to get behind the wheel, insisting, "I can handle it" in the same voice as an official might say, "No one can buy me."
A legislator or agency head who, without being required, designates an ethics aide has come a long way toward a recognition that dealing responsibly with conflict situations is valuable not only to the community, but also to herself.
Robert Wechsler
Director of Research-Retired, City Ethics
---
Story Topics:
- Robert Wechsler's blog
- Log in or register to post comments
