The responsible public servant

"Are public servants personally responsible for the outcomes of government actions or omissions to which they contribute? Do they have an obligation to pursue the public interest? Are there limits on the extent of their loyalty to political masters? How do they avoid conflict of interest? Is it possible to balance the competing demands of openness and confidentiality, or personal privacy and public security? To whom are they accountable? How can they build a strong ethical culture in their organization or agency? This book examines these and other difficult questions faced by public servants trying to sort out what it means to be a responsible public servant in the 21st century. The focus is the nature of responsible behaviour at all levels of government. So this is a book about professional or applied ethics, reflections on the guidance provided to public servants about how to behave in their relationships with their political masters, administrative superiors, colleagues, clients, the wider public and, lastly, with their own personal interests." --