When It’S Hard: Applied Ethics In The Public Sector

Why makes the ethics of public/government service unique.

What you’ll learn
Understanding the difference between theoretical and applied ethics
Develop an ethical framework when working in the public sector
Apply ethics in real world examples that are faced by public servants
Know the difference between laws, norms, and ethics
Identify how personal experiences, organizational culture, professional development, and community norms influence ethical development

Requirements
No experience needed. All information needed for the course will be provided.

Description
With changing demographics and leadership within government agencies, and society in general, public sector and governmental ethics is coming under increasing scrutiny by those who are entering the service and those who are working with these new entrants. This course is aimed at employees working for public sector/government organization who would like to learn more about ethical behavior in the real world setting, known as applied ethics. This course will focus on four key areas of ethical development within a government environment including: personal ethical development, organizational ethical frameworks, professional ethics, and community ethics. Most lessons will be followed by a short quiz to allow students to assess their understanding of the critical concepts. While much of the content within this course approaches government ethics through a natural resource lens, the overall content within the course is transferrable to other areas of government service. As each interaction between a government employee and a citizen is unique, surrounded by its own context involving experiences by both the employee and the citizen, the skills of critically thinking and applying a consistent ethical framework is becoming ever more vital in ensuring that we maintain the public trust. As we move into the future and face increasingly complex challenges, public services will need to be able to explain their actions in what is likely to become a very contested environment.

Overview
Section 1: Introduction

Lecture 1 Introduction

Lecture 2 Theoretical versus Applied Ethics

Lecture 3 Ethics of Public Service

Lecture 4 Personal Ethics

Lecture 5 Organizational Ethics

Lecture 6 Organizational Ethics: Mission

Lecture 7 Organizational Ethics: Budgeting

Lecture 8 Organizational Ethics: Grants

Lecture 9 Organizational Ethics: Policies

Lecture 10 Professional Ethics: Ethics in a Field of Endeavor

Lecture 11 Professional Ethics: Ethical Evolution

Lecture 12 Community Ethics: Norms

Lecture 13 Community Ethics: Laws

Lecture 14 Bureaucratic Discretion

Lecture 15 Thinking Before You Act

People thinking about working or currently working in the public sector who are interested in exploring how to apply an ethical framework to their engagement within public organizations.