Transcript Values for Uganda`s Children 27 Mar 06

Values for the Children of Uganda:
What Role for Public Education?
Presenter:
Chloe Schwenke, Ph.D.
Institute for Development and Research ~ Uganda
Kampala, Uganda
Stakeholders’ Workshop on the Integration of Ethical Values in the
School Curriculum; Entebbe, Uganda
March 27, 2006
Presentation Summary
The threat posed by corruption in public procurement in
Uganda
How we approach the problem
• The analytical focus
• Corruption’s nature and impact
• “Corruption” or “integrity” (“slavery” or “freedom”)?
Human nature?
• Are human beings – and their institutions - morally
deficient, if not degenerate, by nature?
• Do people aspire towards integrity and virtue?
• Do people “accept” corruption?
The moral response to corruption in procurement
The quest for integrity
• Uganda’s ethics-based strategy
Two contentions
By only looking at corruption in public
procurement, we leave potential
solutions half-addressed. Integrity
matters!
Anti-corruption procedures based only
on rules and sanctions are bound to
fail.
Economic facts of life
The “ingredients” for corruption in
public procurement:
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Eager private sector vendors
Substantial government contracts
Highly competitive environment
High level of interaction between vendors and
public officials
The underlying concepts of
“anti-corruption” in public
procurement
The impossibility of ending corruption
The “accepted” view of human nature
• Self-serving
• Greedy
• Driven by material acquisition and desire for
power
The other side of the corruption coin =
Integrity
“Anti-corruption” in public
procurement ~ current thinking
Minimize the occurrence of corruption
Cultivate professionalism
• Specifications
• Assessment criteria
• Bidders’ qualifications requirements
The legal and institutional environment
• Procurement laws & regulations
• Identify conflicts of interest
• Strict adherence to procedures & rules
“Anti-corruption” in public
procurement ~ principles
The moral focus
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Transparency
Accountability
Competition
Fairness
Honesty
Transparency
Rules and proceedings accessible,
open, and clear
Cultivate trust in the public
procurement system
Deterrence ~ openness increases the
risk of getting caught
Accountability
Public officials held to account for their
actions and decisions
Codes of conduct and rules
Disciplinary action when needed
Competition
A contest
• Qualified bidder + best terms = win the
contract
• Principle of the market ~ the buyer gets
best value through open competition
Fairness
All bidders receive the same treatment
All bidders have the same opportunity
to win the contract
• Favoritism ~ the enemy of fairness
Honesty
Or “dishonesty”?
Protect the public process from those
who lie, cheat, manipulate, bribe,
coerce, or steal
Recognize and reward honesty
Principles into action?
Why do some people not abide by the
principles?
Inadequacy of rules and “decision
procedures”:
• To capture principles
• To accommodate real situations
• To inspire people to act
Ineffective decision procedures
Truly evil persons
Decision procedures
“Decision procedures are tools; they are not
substitutes for moral wisdom. It is not sufficient
to simply hand people a decision procedure and
a list of justified principles and rules if they have
not been taught how to integrate rules,
principles, and theories in the decision
procedure.”
• David Cooper
Moral wisdom?
How does one develop moral wisdom and
integrity?
How we act, or who we are?
Behavior modification through rules?
• Not without motivation.
Motivation?
Where does the motivation to become a
“person of integrity” come from?
Reason
• Doing the right thing for the right reason –
consistently and systematically
Character
• The kinds of lives that people ought to want to
live
• The kinds of choices that people ought to want to
make
Does “virtue” matter?
The importance of good character (virtue) in
those entrusted and empowered by us
• Their decisions are made on our behalf
• Their decision affect our lives and interests
The public focus on integrity
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On the lack of it?
Public versus private integrity
How do we get it?
Who is responsible for it?
Do we honor it?
Integrity
The dictionary definition:
• Steadfast adherence to a strict moral or
ethical code
• The state of being unimpaired; soundness
• The quality or condition of being whole or
undivided; completeness
Character development
Who is responsible?
• Is there a government role?
• Codes and ethics training, or something more?
• Who stands to gain (or lose)?
The National Strategy for Mainstreaming
Ethics in Local Governance
• Cultivate (and celebrate) a culture of integrity
• Foster motivation
• A long-term endeavor
Practical Measures
Motivating integrity in public
procurement
• Fostering a dialogue of values
• Identify a common ground of values
• Raise and articulate our expectations of
civic virtue in our leaders and officials
• Education in ethics
• Strengthen our capacity to apply reason to
ethical discernment in our choices
Resources to Mainstream Ethics
Financial
Technical
Political
Moral
• Getting a “motivational grip” on people
• Tapping into our inherent moral sense