A code of conduct is a set of rules outlining the norms, rules, and responsibilities or proper practices of an individual party or an organization..jpeg)
A code of conduct can be an important part in establishing an inclusive culture, but it is not a comprehensive solution on its own. An ethical culture is created by the organization's leaders who manifest their ethics in their attitudes and behavior. Studies of codes of conduct in the private sector show that their effective implementation must be part of a learning process that requires training, consistent enforcement, and continuous measurement/improvement.
Simply requiring members to read the code is not enough to ensure that they understand it and will remember its contents. The proof of effectiveness is when employees/members feel comfortable enough to voice concerns and believe that the organization will respond with appropriate action.
CODE OF ETHICS AND CONDUCT FOR THE PUBLIC SERVICE IN TANZANIA
This code has been made by the Minister of State, President’s Office Public Service Management under the Authority of Section 34 of the Public Service Act, 2002 and Regulations 65(1) of the Public Service Regulations, 2003.
ETHICAL CODE AND BEHAVIOUR
- In order for the Public Service to be efficient and respected, public servants shall behave, conduct and observe the Code of Ethics and conduct as stipulated herein below:-1. Pursuit of Excellence in Service
- Loyalty
- Diligence
- Impartiality
- Integrity
- Accountability
- Respect of Law
- Proper use of Official information
PURSUIT OF EXCELLENCE IN SERVICE
Public Servants shall find it their responsibility to provide excellent services. In so doing, they shall:-
- be knowledgeable of and respect this Code of Ethics.
- set realistic work targets which will enable them to achieve the highest standard of performance.
- be creative, innovative and continuously strive to improve performance by enhancing knowledge and skills.
- practice meritocratic principles in service delivery.
- maintain personal hygiene, dress in respectable attire in accordance with acceptable office norms.
- strive to promote team work by:-
- giving instructions which are clear and undistorted;
- avoiding malicious actions or words intended to ridicule peers, subordinates or superiors;
- avoiding the use of abusive and rude language;
- giving due weight and consideration to official views submitted by fellow employees and subordinates;
- regularly holding meeting;
- ensuring that subordinates set realistic work targets, monitor performance regularly and encourage them to enhance their competence and skills;
- promoting fair assessment of performance;
- recognising and where possible, rewarding outstanding performers and sanctioning poor performers;
- respecting colleagues, their rights including their right to privacy especially when handling private and personal information.
LOYALTY TO GOVERNMENT
- Public Servants shall be loyal to the duly constituted Government of the day.
- Public Servants shall therefore implement policies and lawful instructions given by their Ministers and other Government leaders.
DILIGENCE
Public Servants shall endeavor to perform their duties diligently by maintaining the highest standards of discipline. They shall demonstrate their sense of responsibility by ensuring that they: -
- use their skills, knowledge and expertise to attain maximum result;
- execute duties and assigned responsibilities with maximum standards and within required time;
- disengage from any conduct which might impair work performance;
- are ready to work at any duty station; and
- are punctual in terms of office hours at workplace and official engagement.
IMPARTIALITY
- Public Servants have the democratic right of being members of any political party and can vote both for their political parties and in general elections.
- Public Servants can participate in politics provided that when so doing they do not do anything that will compromise or might be seen to compromise their impartiality.
- Public Servants shall comply with political restrictions in political activities and therefore shall not:-
- conduct or engage in political activities during official hours or at work premises;
- provide services with bias due to or against political affiliation; and
- pass information or documents availed through their official position to the service of their political parties.
- Public servants have a right to communicate with their political representatives provided that they:-
- shall not use such influence to intervene on matters affecting them which are in dispute between them and the Government; and
- shall not use such influence for furthering personal ends which are not part of the Government policy.
- Public Servants may become members of any religious sect provided that they do not contravene the existing laws. However, as the Government has no religion, religious beliefs should not be propagated when performing official duties.
INTEGRITY
- Public servants shall exercise their authorized powers within specified boundaries and they shall not use such powers for personal gain, to favour friends or relatives or to undermine others.
- Public Servants shall safeguard public funds and other public properties entrusted to them and shall ensure that no damage, loss or misappropriation occurs to them due to negligence or for the benefit of any individual or group.
- Public servants shall use public resources for public use including, machines, office equipment, office supplies, telephones, computers, copiers, utility services, buildings and other property procured with government funds or donated to the Government. (Expenses reimbursed by the Government to public servants or domestic services such as telephone, water and electricity are also deemed part of public property).
- Unless otherwise authorized, public servants shall use official time in an honest way to fulfil official responsibilities and shall not use official time for their private activities or leisure.
- Public servants shall neither ask nor direct their subordinates to perform activities other than their official responsibilities.
- Public servants shall be ready to declare their property or that of their spouse and dependent children within specified procedure to their employer or any other mandated authority when so required.
- Public servants shall conduct themselves in such a manner that even when they are out of office, their conduct does not bring public service into disrepute. This includes substance abuse (drugs and alcohol), borrowing beyond their ability to repay, disorderly behaviour and association with disreputable elements of society.
- Public servants shall not offer improper favours, solicit, force or accept bribes from any person whom they have served, they are serving or likely to serve either by doing so personally or through another person.
- For the purpose of this Code, corruption is a private gain, which is acquired through misuse or abuse of office or public power.
- Public servants or members of their families on their behalf, shall not solicit, receive or give gifts to persons, which might compromise or might be seen to compromise their integrity.
- Public servants shall not give gifts to their fellow officers.
- For the purpose of this Code, the following do not fall in the category of gifts:-
- items of intrinsic value which are intended solely for presentations such as greetings cards, trophies, calendars, diaries, pens;
- anything for which the public servant pays or refunds its value; and
- anything paid for by the government.
- Any gift not qualifying under this definition will be declared and surrendered to the employer in writing and the employer will acknowledge receipt and enter the gift into the register of declared and surrendered gifts which shall then be given to charities in the name of Government.
- Upon leaving the public service, public servants shall not use their previous positions to seek or receive preferential treatment in the public service for themselves or anyone else.
- A former public servant shall not represent another person or their organization before the government on matters, which they dealt with while they were public servants.
ACCOUNTABILITY TO THE PUBLIC
- Public Servants shall treat their clients and colleagues courteously and shall pay extra attention when dealing with the more vulnerable members of the society such as elderly, women, children, the poor, the sick, people with disabilities and any other disadvantaged group.
- When public servants are requested by members of the public to clarify or to provide direction on issues arising from laws, regulations and procedures, they shall do so promptly, with clarity and without bias.
- Public servants shall act while recognizing themselves as being the servants of the public.
RESPECT FOR THE LAW
- Public servants shall familiarize themselves with rules, regulations, and procedures and appropriately abide by them.
- Public Servants shall apply the prevailing laws, regulations and procedures when discharging their duties and in the process identify gaps, which need to be rectified.
- Public Servants shall not discriminate or harass a member of the public or a fellow employee on grounds of sex, tribe, religion, political affiliations, nationality, ethnicity, marital status or disability.
- Public Servants shall discourage all forms of sexual relationships at the work place and during working hours.
- Likewise, they will avoid all types of conduct which may constitute sexual harassment which include engaging in, or containing:-
- pressure for sexual activity or sexual favours with any person;
- rape, sexual battery and molestation or any form of sexual assault;
- intentional physical contact which is sexual in nature such as unwelcome touching, pinching, patting, grabbing and/or brushing against another person’s body, hair or clothes;
- sexual innuendoes, gestures, noises, jokes, comments or remarks to another person about one’s sexuality or body;
- facilitating or receiving preferential treatment, promises or rewards for offering or submitting to sexual favours; and
- viewing, displaying, or sharing inappropriate sexually explicit material or material that may be deemed morally offensive in work environment or during working hours.
- Public Servants asked by senior officers to breach a law or Code of Ethics and Conduct for the Public Service or a Professional Code of Ethics should report the matter through Government Machinery of handling the grievance and complaint handling procedure. Provided that where it is not possible to report within their institutions, the matter may be reported directly to the Permanent Secretary, President’s Office, and Public Service Management who will deal with the matter accordingly.
PROPER USE OF OFFICIAL INFORMATION
- Public Servants shall not disclose to unauthorized persons, official information, confidential or otherwise, which has been communicated to them in confidence, or received in confidence from others without permission and shall, in that respect maintain confidentiality of official information even after they have left the Public Service.
- Public servants shall not distort or frustrate government policies and plans by making unauthorized premature disclosures.
- Public Servants shall not use any official document or information obtained in the course of discharging their duties for personal ends.
- Official information will be released to the media by officials who have been authorized to do so according to the laid down procedures.
- Public servants shall route any information they wish to pass over to the media through the information, communication and education officers or their superiors.
Weakness of code of conduct for teachers in Tanzania
- Code of conduct of Tanzania concern more with public civil servants rather than TEACHERS in specifics as stipulated on code of conduct of Australia.
- There is no peculiar professional board for teachers which have been stipulated in code of conduct as compared to the rest of the world.
- In Tanzania code of conducts are created from top to bottom compared to other countries such as South Africa whereby code of conduct for teachers is created by teachers themselves through their professional body.
- Code of conduct in Tanzania teachers does not show clearly criteria’s for professionalism and professional development and maintenances.
- Induction teachers in Tanzania are allowed to teach while in other country like USA is strictly prohibited Induction teacher to teach in both public and private institutions.
- Teacher’s professionals are not protected by Code of conduct for teacher in Tanzania like other countries such as United Kingdom and Canada.
- In Tanzania code of conduct for teachers are abide to the public services regulations compared to other countries whereby code of conduct for teachers are stipulated differently such as in Kenya, Botswana and Canada.
- The content of code of conduct for teachers in Tanzania does not prohibit a teacher to distribute pornographic materials to fellow employees, learners or public.
- The content of codes of do not include the recent global changes and how to redress them wherever arises.
- The code of conduct in Tanzania inspires in colleges during training but no further indication of what to be done for its orientation when individual is employed.
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