4.1 Integrity education and capacity

Induction (or on-boarding) involves acquainting new officers with the workplace. Where no or poor induction processes are in place, new officers receive messages that are largely uncontrolled and more likely to reflect a version of the culture that has become custom and practice in a team or division.

Induction is the first formal opportunity to build integrity capacity. It is the most appropriate time to:

• describe how values, expectations and standards are demonstrated
• describe what it means to be a public officer and act in the public interest, especially for officers from the private sector or those new to government
• define duties, professional standards and other responsibilities of employment.

Ideas for good and better practice for induction

Good practice

• Conduct formal induction for all new officers and build integrity capacity early by:
  • promoting the established culture
  • explaining the benefits when everyone acts with integrity
  • communicating expectations, values and standards – and possible consequences of non-compliance
  • discussing integrity risks associated with the authority’s functions, and any risks associated with an officer’s role and team/division
  • requiring a declaration that officers have read the code of conduct and understand how to comply with it.
• Have new public sector officers complete the online Induction to the Western Australian public sector.
• Collect participation records and regularly monitor them to make sure new starters do not miss induction.
• Complement and expand induction with additional integrity training, including code of conduct training (required for public sector agencies), 
  fraud and corruption prevention, and public interest disclosure awareness.

Better practice

• Start induction pre-employment by:
  • including expectations and values in job advertisements, job descriptions and applicant packs
  • having applicants address integrity-based questions at interview
  • conducting integrity screening as part of recruitment and selection.
• Reinforce the practical application of values, standards, integrity policies and procedures, and the risk framework.
• Tell new officers where to find integrity information and make it clear that expectations, values and standards inform practice.
• Where relevant, provide labour hire (or contract for service) workers with the same or similar induction, screening, training and supervision as other officers. This means valuable opportunities to set expectations such as the treatment of confidential information are not overlooked.

Integrity training is formal and planned. Face-to-face and online are common delivery methods. Selecting which method is most appropriate, including a combination of methods, depends on the size, location and preference of the authority and what delivers best results for the workforce.

Ideas for good and better practice for integrity training

Good practice

• Deliver relevant, fit for purpose training on the standards (code of conduct).
  • For public sector agencies, code of conduct training is mandatory.
  • While not mandatory for other authorities, code of conduct training is good practice.
• Maintain an integrity education and training plan, update it each year and make improvements based on feedback.
• Develop and provide training that has a positive and constructive tone. Make the training relevant by explaining its relationship to day to day work. For example, when we all act with integrity we protect our resources and reputation.
• Review training periodically or as circumstances change to ensure content is appropriate, fit-for-purpose and up to date.
• Include content that builds officers’ knowledge and skills around identifying ‘red flags’ which may provide an early warning of misconduct or corruption.
• Use relevant scenarios and case studies to help officers develop appropriate situational responses. Include ethical decision making tools to reflect on potential responses to scenarios and case studies.
• Collect, maintain and analyse training completion data. Act on any gaps.
• Provide opportunities for specialist training for officers in high risk positions and functions. This may include investigators holding qualifications like the Certificate IV in (Government) Investigations or higher.

Better practice

• Allow officers time during and after training to:
  • share experiences (with appropriate confidentiality observed)
  • talk about integrity risks and controls, and what works or does not work
  • discuss and resolve ethical dilemmas linking answers back to legislation, values, the code of conduct and integrity policies
  • ask questions, acknowledging that questions are treated respectfully, seriously and, where necessary, confidentially.
• Conduct training in detecting, identifying and preventing fraud and corruption. Consider the operating context and risk profile to decide if dedicated fraud and corruption training is required or can be included in general integrity training.

Staff performance processes are open, continuous communications between an officer and manager about expected performance. This involves setting individual goals, planning for their achievement, reviewing and assessing progress, and developing officers’ knowledge and skills to get there.

Well-designed and implemented performance processes provide an opportunity to:

• build and maintain culture by reinforcing expectations, values and standards; and testing for an understanding of these
• discuss and address where an officer’s behaviour falls short of expectations, values and standards.

Officers’ actions and behaviours are more likely to be aligned with what is recognised and rewarded. While measuring and appropriately recognising integrity can be challenging, including it in performance processes is a practical way to approach it.

Ideas for good and better practice for staff performance processes

Good practice

• Set out in policy that performance processes reinforce expectations, values and standards, and raise any concerns about where an officer may fall short.
• Encourage officers to reflect on their own conduct. This may include any complaints made against them. Have officers identify how situations may have been handled better.
• Build skills of managers to undertake performance processes. Raise awareness of common ‘red flags’ which may provide an early warning of misconduct or corruption and that may need further examination. This is important for prevention as individuals who engage in misconduct and corruption sometimes have human resources ‘red flags’ in their work history, for example poor performance assessments or concerns about their treatment of other officers.
• Assess if leaders understand their accountability obligations, role model integrity and manage the behaviour of their staff.
• Identify integrity related development opportunities. Make them available to officers who request or require them, for example fraud and corruption prevention training.

Better practice

• Seek integrity declarations as part of performance processes. This may include asking if officers have any new conflicts of interest to declare (including secondary employment) or if their situation has changed in relation to current declarations.
• Use performance processes to recognise officers who display integrity in exceptional ways. Consider how this is recorded and acknowledged during the process.

Integrity consciousness refers to officers being aware of and responsive to the authority’s expectations, values and standards. Behaviour is guided by what comes to mind directly before taking action. Reminders close to the point of decision making can help bring integrity top of mind, for example posters about the use of public resources in supply areas and screensavers about the appropriate use of confidential information attached to official systems and databases.

Integrity consciousness is about taking every opportunity, on the job and through daily interactions to reinforce expectations, values and standards, and build integrity knowledge and skills.

Ideas for good and better practice for integrity consciousness

Good practice

• Have integrity advisors with good knowledge and skills provide high quality advice to the workforce on applying values and standards. Make sure these advisors are aware of external advice available, for example websites of integrity bodies and any advisory functions they have.
• Have officers meet regularly to discuss advice sought and provided (with confidentiality in mind) to ensure consistency of advice.
• Provide decision making tools, rubrics and ready reckoners to embed training and help officers comply with expectations, standards and policies. These tools make it harder for officers to rationalise decisions and actions that do not align with what is expected.
• Discuss ‘integrity moments’ – topical integrity issues or hypotheticals – to reinforce values and standards relevant to a work area.
• Have signature or digital boxes at the top of forms so officers acknowledge that what they are about to declare is true and accurate.
• Recognise and celebrate examples of ethical behaviour at team, division and authority meetings and events.
• Remind those in high risk positions and functions that their decisions need to be beyond reproach. This could include notes on the front of investigation files stating the process is to be conducted with integrity, without bias and observing the principles of natural justice.
• Have officers attend workshops and refer to reference materials to stay up to date with integrity developments.

Better practice

• Provide networking internally and externally. This helps build officers’ integrity knowledge and skills by providing opportunities to:
  • talk with others who can offer different perspectives and new insights on resolving ethical dilemmas or overcoming difficult process roadblocks
  • share best practice, learn what works in a practical sense and stay ahead of new prevention trends
  • connect with those who can help resolve common and persistent integrity concerns.
• Develop a mentoring program or have officers participate in one that incorporates integrity. Consider:
  • how mentors are selected, how they demonstrate integrity and their ability to enhance mentees’ skills to perform better with integrity in mind
  • how mentees are selected – they should be motivated to succeed; willing to learn; have a positive attitude, be respectful, honest and confident; have good communication skills and time to dedicate to the relationship
  • parameters around the relationship like work time used and confidentiality as a safe environment built on respect, trust, mutual effort, open communications and the highest levels of personal and professional integrity are required.

In this section of the framework, detail the formal and informal actions and initiatives to develop officers’ integrity knowledge and skills.

While reinforcement of integrity occurs informally and locally, outline the authority’s planned approach to integrity. Refer to:

• staff performance processes
• mentoring and/or networking programs and opportunities
• where officers can seek integrity advice or guidance if not from their direct supervisor.

Include or refer to the annual integrity education and training plan. Here is an example.