What does it mean to have professional integrity? And does it differ from place to place? On paper, perhaps not. But, as we’ve found with running Integrity Icon for the past 7 years, in practice things can appear differently in varied contexts. Values, relationships and incentives are unique to specific societies and communities, and this can affect how integrity is understood. By Blair Glencorse and Sheena Adams
When we launched the campaign in Nepal in 2014, we were measuring and assessing the honesty and the commitment to service of public servants in a defined geographical and political context. We were looking at the political integrity of our nominees as it related to how these exemplary public servants were acting in the public interest. Integrity relates to the behaviors and actions that define a set of common moral or ethical standards in a society. In many ways – and certainly for the Icons we celebrate in the campaign – integrity is also the armor that many of them use against entrenched corruption. What we heard from citizens and public servants was how trust in democractic institutions was being eroded because of a lack of accountability. There was a need for open and accountable decision-making that gained back people’s trust and rebuilt institutions decimated by corruption.
We also learnt that alarmist, negative narratives were not helpful as they led to a sense of hopelessness which worked against reform efforts. So we reimagined these narratives by “naming and faming” the best role-models we could find in the public service.
We also learnt that alarmist, negative narratives were not helpful as they led to a sense of hopelessness which worked against reform efforts. So we reimagined these narratives by “naming and faming” the best role-models we could find in the public service. And we found hundreds of examples of people who were working with integrity and impact to do the right thing, even when no-one was watching.
As the campaign grew, this overarching objective remained. Integrity Icon continues to successfully raise the profile of exemplary civil servants and supports our winners to implement reforms that strengthen governance in sectors ranging from policing and migration, to education and health (read more about the systems change it is beginning to create here too). But as the campaign has found new geographies and contexts (soon we will launch Integrity Icon in Zimbabwe, Somaliland and the DRC!) it has become clear that perceptions of values and ethics in particular countries are influenced by the local norms and beliefs in those societies. This sometimes led to situations where these local norms tempered the actions of Icons, placing their integrity at risk. One example was an Icon in Sri Lanka whose comments about a particular religious group led to him being disqualified from the campaign. Another challenge emerged in Pakistan when an Icon made questionable remarks about migrants. In this instance, their views happened to be congruent with prevailing government statements at the time.
What these incidents showed us was that we needed to clearly define the universal values and human rights underpinning our campaign- that go beyond just direct integrity within decision-making related to the use of public resources.
What these incidents showed us was that we needed to clearly define the universal values and human rights underpinning our campaign- that go beyond just direct integrity within decision-making related to the use of public resources. We need our Icons to understand that by participating in a campaign like Integrity Icon, they are expected to uphold universal values, and respect equal rights and human dignity. We require them to work towards social progress in an equitable way, as outlined expansively in documents like the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The declaration reminds us that everyone has the right to equal access to public service. Equally, we also have the rights to freedom of movement, thought, religion and expression. In working with integrity and enacting reforms, it is important to us that this work is underpinned by universal principles that defy borders and any conflicting norms or values that may exist within those borders.
We’ll be instituting a Values Pledge for our Icons this year to clarify these expectations. As part of ongoing efforts to strengthen the Integrity Icon campaign, this pledge will also make it clear that Icons are expected to uphold these rights in their workplaces and in any public statements they make during the course of their work.
Our Icons will continue to be drawn from and celebrated by local communities. But as the campaign proves each year, there are similar obligations of citizenship and of public service that exist across the world. Defining these obligations in terms of universal values like freedom, equality, solidarity and tolerance, help them endure.