Ethical standards for providers of public services

We recommend that the Cabinet Office should: ■■ adopt a strategic programme to reinforce: ●● the message that the Seven Principles of Public Life apply to any organisation delivering public services; and ●● the frameworks required to support ethical standards; ■■ ensure that ethical standards reflecting the Seven Principles of Public Life are addressed in contractual arrangements, with providers required to undertake that they have the structures and arrangements in place to support this; ■■ ensure that high ethical standards are championed by Crown Representatives in their relationship with their strategic suppliers; and ■■ ensure that Crown Representatives provide specific advice to Ministers on this aspect of their relationship with suppliers; ■■ work collaboratively with the National Audit Office and HM Treasury to develop guidance on how value for money can be aligned with high ethical standards. 8 

We recommend that: ■■ accounting officers actively seek assurance that public money is being spent in accordance with the high ethical standards expected of all providers of public services and annually certify (as part of managing public money duties) that they have satisfied themselves about the adequacy of their organisation’s arrangements; ■■ ethical standards should be the specific responsibility of one non-executive board member of Government Departmental boards; ■■ ethical standards should be incorporated within the Committee of Public Accounts recommended Departmental periodic reviews of performance regimes;2 ■■ those directly involved in commissioning and contracting should always receive formal assurance by providers of their acceptance of the necessity of ethical standards in the delivery of public service.

We recommend that the Cabinet Office and departments consider ethical awareness a professional commercial capability requirement for those commissioning, procuring or managing government contracts. We recommend that the Crown Commercial Service working with Civil Service Learning and the Commissioning Academy arrange training on ethical awareness and disseminate best practice on ethical standards. 2 2 Committee of Public Accounts Contracting out public services to the private sector Forty-Seventh Report of Session 2013-14 p 8.