Ethics and Integrity in the Romanian Public Administration: The Role of Ethics Advisor

Abstract

In public administration, ethics and integrity are key factors for the proper functioning of public authorities and institutions at both the central and local level. Public organisations aim to ensure a proper ethical framework so that staff in public organisations serve the public interest, manage public money properly and make fair decisions for a modern, transparent, and therefore honest public administration. In this study, we focus on the role of the ethics advisor in promoting ethics and organisational integrity in the public sector, starting from the assumption that the ethics advisor is essential for implementing the ethics standard, as well as for promoting ethics and organisational integrity in the public sector. This is quantitative research conducted at the level of local public authorities: county councils and city halls, using an opinion survey through a self-administered questionnaire distributed to ethics advisors.