Leading in Practice: report
The Committee on Standards in Public Life has published its report on the role of leadership in embedding an ethical culture in organisations.
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On 24 January 2023, the Committee published Leading in Practice, the report of the Committee’s review into how a variety of organisations have sought to integrate ethical values into their policies and ways of working.
The review is part of a package of work that began with our 2021 review, Upholding Standards in Public Life, which addressed the need for stronger rules and more independent regulation to prevent misconduct. In Leading in Practice, we explore the practical steps leaders can take to ensure that such rules are given meaning by a shared understanding of the ethical values that underpin them. Effective regulation and an ethical culture are both needed for high public standards. Rules and regulations, while important, will only take an organisation so far. It is just as important to develop a culture where people are encouraged to discuss the ethical implications of their work and the expected common standards of conduct articulated by the Principles of Public Life.
We spoke to a variety of organisations in the public, private and charitable sectors and our report features the experiences and practical case studies shared with us. It also includes a series of questions for leaders in the public sector which are intended as a resource for leaders to prompt discussion and reflection on their own leadership and organisational practices.
The report illustrates that an ethical culture does not happen by accident, but requires constant attention. Sustaining the ethical health of an organisation is an ongoing commitment, and the response of each organisation must evolve over time as new risks emerge and understanding of good practice develops.