Values and civil service ethics
Central government values
One objective of central government personnel policy is to reinforce and draw on the government’s shared underlying values and uniform operating culture. These values were defined in the Government decision in principle on state personnel policy line adopted in 2001, which states that central government activities are value based and of a high ethical standard. Reinforcing the underlying values and high ethical standards means that all personnel members adopt these values as part of their daily work.
The shared underlying values of the central government are effectiveness, transparency, quality and strong expertise, trust, the service principle, impartiality and independence, equality and responsibility.
A manual to support work on values
Values in daily life - Public officials’ code of ethics (2005) is a handbook intended to support central government units and officials in translating the values and ethical principles into practices. The handbook describes the content of the central government’s shared values as well as the key principles of a public official’s position and leadership from the perspective of maintaining high ethical standards. Giving this handbook to supervisors and personnel members and using it as induction and training material is recommended.
Action plan on civil service ethics 2018–2022
The Public Governance Department of the Ministry of Finance has prepared a plan of actions for promoting a high standard of ethics among public officials.
Action plan on civil service ethics 2018-2022 (in Finnish)
Training on civil service ethics
The Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Justice published a training package on civil service ethics on 17 December 2019. This package intended for central government agencies, which takes half a day to complete, contains the basics of civil service ethics and anti-corruption actions, providing public officials with tools for ethically sustainable work.
If your agency is planning a training day on ethics, please contact valtionhallinto(at)vm.fi for detailed instructions on running the day (slides and use of an electronic tool).
Sample slides for a training day on ethics (in Finnish)
You can also find training on civil service ethics in the central government’s digital learning environment, eOppiva, where two courses have been published: Introduction to civil service ethics and Civil service ethics in practice. Public officials are encouraged to complete these courses on eOppiva.
Introduction to civil service ethics (in Finnish)
Civil service ethics in practice (in Finnish)
International work on ethics
The Ministry of Finance’s Public Governance Department participates in the work on reinforcing good governance and high ethical standards in the member states carried out by the Directorate of Public Governance in the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). This work has included developing tools for preventing conflicts of interest and evaluating how well the member states have attained their integrity and good governance targets. OECD has published the ‘OECD Recommendation for Public Integrity’, which offers decisionmakers a new type of starting point for formulating a strategy on integrity in public administration. The recommendation shifts the focus from ad hoc integrity policies to a context dependent, behavioural, riskbased approach with an emphasis on cultivating a culture of integrity across the whole of society.
Whistleblower channel for central government organisations as part of EU Whistleblower Protection Directive implementation
The EU Directive on the protection of persons who report breaches of Union law came into force on 16 December 2019. The Directive has to be transposed into national law by 17 December 2021. The Ministry of Justice has set up a working group on the national implementation of the Directive. The working group’s tasks include determining the legislative amendments needed for implementing the Directive, and drafting the necessary legislative amendment proposals. The Directive aims to improve effectiveness in the implementation of European Union law by establishing uniform minimum requirements at EU level for the protection of anyone reporting breaches of EU law (‘whistleblowers’). The intention of the Directive is to ensure that anyone who, in connection with their work, notices or suspects activities that are contrary to the public interest within separately specified areas of EU law can safely report the matter. This should prevent any threats or serious harm to the public interest.
The Ministry of Finance is responsible for ensuring that the reporting channel referred to in the Directive is technically available within central government organisations by 17 December 2021, and that the main specifications for the reporting channel are planned in cooperation with the ministries, agencies and bodies that will have access to the channel. The Ministry of Finance has therefore set up a working group to determine the reporting channels’ main specifications, with the purpose of arranging a call for tenders for the necessary technical solution and preparing it for central government organisations to use.
The Ministry has agreed that the State Treasury, as the owner of the reporting channel, will be responsible for the preparatory work and for the channel’s procurement, operation and further development. The aim is to secure centralized funding for the reporting channel.
Further information
Hospitality, benefits and gifts, 1 October 2023
Post Government employment waiting, 10 August 2017
The state of civil servants ethics and morals - citizens' survey results
State of Civil Service Ethics in Finland, August 2017
Comparative Study on the Publicservice Ethics of the EU Member States 20017
OECD Ethics and Corruption in the Public Sector
Public Sector Integrity: A framework for assessment
TI - Transparency International
Prime witnesses? Case studies of staff assessments for monitoring integrity in the European Union
Flyer Integrity in international perspective
Contact information
Timo Moilanen
Ministerial Adviser
Tel. +358 2955 30455
[email protected]
Kati Orkola
Senior Officer for Legal Affairs
Tel. +358 2955 30108
[email protected]