Question

QUESTION 1 BUSINESS CASE: THIS IS BUSINESS In recent years, because of the Public Procurement Act, District Assemblies have been given the authority to award contracts on certain projects, which do not cost more than 150 million cedis. In view of this, at the District where I work, the Assembly was to construct three markets, at 150 million cedis per project. However, the law is that before such contracts are awarded, they should be made known to the general public by advertising in any of the local newspapers. Therefore, these three market projects were subsequently put on tender through publication in one of the Ghanaian daily newspapers. One week after the advertisement, I received an Expedited Mail Service (EMS) letter, inviting me to Accra to meet a man I did not know for an important message at a particular date. Initially I did not want to honour the invitation. However, upon reflection I decided to go and meet the man because I was expecting some important information from a brother who was in the United States. On arriving in Accra, specifically at the man’s office in the Kantamanto commercial area, I was told the man was attending a meeting at a nearby office building and had directed that I should wait for him. I met the man’s secretary at the office. He served me a bottle of malta guinness. About twenty minutes later, the man arrived from the meeting and I was introduced to him. Beaming with smiles, he in turn introduced himself by mentioning his name as Mr. Opoku Afriyie. As it was already lunchtime, he suggested that we go to a restaurant for lunch. We found ourselves in a popular restaurant. I was asked to order whatever I wished to eat. But, as I did not know why I was being entertained, I was not at ease. The man kept saying, “Oh feel free, you are at home”. There was no doubt that he wanted to impress me. We, finally, drove back to his office. It was then he introduced himself to me as a building contractor and explained why he had invited me to Accra. He told me that he had read the advertisement from my Assembly inviting contractors to bid for the construction of the three markets. He was interested, he continued. He went on to say that, at a meeting somewhere, a friend told him to contact me because I was the schedule officer for those projects, he would be grateful and he was prepared to offer something. He ended by saying: “My brother, this is business that we are talking of. Here is ¢10,000.00 and 2 packets of roofing sheets. I want you to tell me the bill of quantities and estimated quotations from your consultants, and also quotations from other bidders”. In fact, I was flabbergasted and surprised to hear that. For five minutes, I was quiet and the man was doing all the talking. First, I needed six hundred cedis to pay my younger sister’s school fees. Second, I needed about one packet of aluminum roofing sheets to renovate my parents’ building. However, because it was difficult to say no to him and at the same time, I did not want to accept the offer, I politely suggested to the man to submit his completed contract document, telling him that his chances of winning were high, as at the time nobody had come for any of the contract forms. He was persistent and was prepared to offer an additional ¢500.00. But I refused to take anything from him. I then asked to leave; he asked his driver to take me to the State Transport Yard to take a bus back. He gave me ¢500.00 to pay for my transport fare, which I took.

vii. What do you understand by the term ethical dilemma?

viii. Besides this case, mention three other ethical issues that public officials encounter in their daily work life

ix. Mention four (4) importance of values to you as an individual or the District Assembly you work with.

x. Discuss the Blanchard and Pearl’s model of resolving ethical dilemmas

Answer 1

7

An ethical dilemma is an issue in the dynamic procedure between two potential alternatives, neither of which is completely worthy from an ethical point of view. In spite of the fact that we face numerous ethical and good issues throughout our life, the majority of them accompany generally clear arrangements. Then again, ethical dilemmas are amazingly confused difficulties that can't be effortlessly fathomed. Along these lines, the capacity to locate the ideal arrangement in such circumstances is basic to everybody.

Each individual may experience an ethical dilemma in pretty much every part of their life, including individual, social, and expert.

8

For a public authorities who attempt to work as an expert, the requests of law, his obligation, unprejudiced nature, fair treatment, gives a profitable ground in which ethical dilemmas emerges. Informants face this issue in light of the fact that their revelation may initiate a wrongdoing when the on-going trouble making is serious.

Ethical norms are not sorted out, so there are consistently risks that dilemma emerges and disparities consistently happen about suitable conduct.

Essentially, Ethical Dilemmas Faced by Public Servants are as per the following:

Administrative discretion

Corruption

Nepotism

Administrative secrecy

Information leaks

Public accountability

Policy dilemmas

Administrative Discretion

Public officials are not only facilitators of public policy. They settle on choices identifying with the lives of residents, for instance, about duties, endurance and the excusal of individuals. In doing so they practice discretion. The primary concern is that they should settle on choice to stay away from ethical dilemmas. As such, the advancement of general government assistance relies upon the utilization or abuse of administrative discretion.

Corruption

In government workplaces, corruption is significant issue. Most of civil servants keep up the elevated requirements required by public office and are excited to advancing the general government assistance. The ethical measures of public authorities are, be that as it may, straightforwardly identified with society all in all. In the event that the public acknowledges that so as to make sure about a brisk reaction from a public authority some money related or other motivator is fundamental, and the authority acknowledges the impetus, at that point the norms of ethical lead of authorities and the public are in truth in congruity from the perspective of the public. The corruption of public authorities by private interests is typically backhanded, for instance, favors by the public to the authority under commitment and he step by step substitutes his public loyalties to those doing him favors

Administrative Secrecy

In government workplaces, another major ethical dilemmas is the mystery lead of public business. This is particularly so on the grounds that secrecy can give a chance to conceal unethical conduct. Secrecy is a partner of corruption and corruption is constantly rehearsed covertly way. It is commonly perceived that in a popular government, the individuals reserve a privilege to recognize the working of the legislature and it would be in light of a legitimate concern for the public for the organization of public undertakings to be led transparently.

Nepotism

It is extremely normal practice in government workplaces. Nepotism is the arrangement of relations or potentially companions to public positions and therefore, disregarding the legitimacy standard, may prompt the declining of the nature of the public assistance. This bombshells trust and bringing about unethical administration, attributable to the capacity of a chosen few to debilitate control quantifies because of their own relationship with the policy-producer, and by reason of their not being effectively excused or supplanted by others. It happens in private and government part both. Private-segment organizations that include in nepotism chance interior dismay.

Information Leaks

It has been seen that administration official are reckless to the point that there are instances of information spill. Official information is frequently a touchy nature such a pending duty increments, rezoning land, cost-cutting of staff that exposure of the information can prompt unrest, degenerate practices or, for certain people, inappropriate monetary benefits. Releasing authority information at a date preceding the public declaration thereof is a debasement of procedural solutions and can bring about an ethical dilemma.

Public Accountability

Public authorities have incredible duty to actualize key public strategies. They should be responsible for their official activities to their bosses, the courts and the public. It is nonetheless, feasible for them to take cover behind recommended systems, the shroud of ability and even political office-bearers.

Policy Dilemmas

Policy producers in government bodies are frequently tested by clashing duties. They have unmistakable loyalties to their managers, yet in addition to society. They have freedom to follow up for benefit and in light of a legitimate concern for other people, however they should be liable to other people, their bosses and society for their activities. The official's commitment to regard the political procedure may struggle with his view on how the objects of policy making are dealt with. It very well may be comprehended that the dilemma of the public authority is the conflict between his assessment of the public intrigue and the prerequisites of law.

9

Values are the suffering convictions that a particular method of lead or end-reality is by and by or socially ideal.

These are progressively hard to change or adjust.

As ethical lead gets greater perceivability in the work environment, the significance of values is expanded as a subject of conversation in the executives.

Values are general standards to direct our everyday conduct. They provide guidance to our conduct as well as goals and destinations in themselves.

They are the statement of a definitive finishes, objectives or motivations behind social activity.

Our values are the premise of our decisions about what is alluring, wonderful, legitimate, right, significant, advantageous and great just as what is bothersome, terrible, inaccurate, ill-advised and awful.

10

Blanchard and Peale model says that individuals essentially know directly from wrong however put themselves into unpleasant situations since they have purposely settled on dishonest decisions.

They recommend 'it is anything but difficult to charge ahead without intuition and then legitimize your conduct after the occasion. In any case, the truth is THERE IS NO RIGHT WAY TO DO A WRONG THING".

Hazy areas

Blanchard and Peale battle that the very existence of a "hazy area" among good and bad is no reason for dispensing with morals.

They recommend that a great part of the "grayness" can be removed from moral issues by setting aside the effort to weigh up a decision.

Morals CHECK

Blanchard and Peale recommend an Ethics Check – responding to three inquiries when confronted with a moral issue.

On the off chance that the response to any of the three inquiries is NEGATIVE, the decision ought to be the same.

1. Is it legal? Will I abuse either considerate law or organization strategy?

2. Is it balanced? Is it reasonable for all worried in the present moment just as the long haul? Does it advance win-win connections?

3. How will it make me feel about myself? Will it make me feel pleased? Would I feel great if my decision was published in the paper? Would I feel great if my family thought about it?