Special Adviser Code of Conduct Revision

The Special Adviser Code of Conduct should be revised. How these changes are achieved will need to be a matter for the political representatives concerned in the construction of a system in which the public can have confidence. The Inquiry’s findings suggest the following ought to be considered for inclusion in a revised code:

the accountability of a SpAd to his/her appointing Minister and clarity as to the responsibilities of each;
clarity about the working relationship between SpAds based in Departments and SpAds in the Executive Office;
responsibilities of SpAds to the Executive as a whole;
with whom and how SpAds should register their interests;
how SpAds should act when conflicts of interests arise, cross-referencing to departmental requirements on how such conflicts should be identified, reported and managed;
SpAds’ duty of confidentiality, cross-referencing to their employment terms under the Civil Service code;
expectations and rules for SpAds when handling and emailing official information;
guidance about use of personal email addresses and personal mobiles for official business;
protocol for handling disputes between a Minister and a SpAd;
clarity on the routes for handling grievances and disciplinary matters;
guidance on dealing with party political matters, and on interacting with party officials; and
the need for an office to be responsible for periodic updating of the SpAd Code of Conduct.

Any revised SpAd code should be published. In the meantime, should SpAds come to be appointed before a revised code takes effect, the Inquiry recommends that there should be robust compliance with both the letter and spirit of the Civil Service (Special Advisers) Act (Northern Ireland) 2013 and the codes emanating therefrom approved by the Assembly.