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B. The Key Elements of a Local Government Ethics Pro�ram <br />A local governinent ethics program is not just an ethics code with a series of ethics <br />provisions. Even in a town or small county, other elements are necessary to have an effective <br />ethics program. The most important eleinents are qualit�� training and tiinely, professional <br />advice. Also essential are (1) three types of disclosure, (2) enforcement, and (3) <br />whistleblower protection. An ethics prob am is administered by an independent ethics <br />commission with enforcement authority and a monopoly on interpreting and enforcinb the <br />ethics code. <br />Other important eleinents of an ethics probram include oversight of the disclosure <br />process; jurisdiction over all agencies and over those who seek special benefits from the <br />government, such as contractors, developers, and grantees; a hotline; and adequate, <br />guaranteed funding. For larger jurisdictions, there are also lobbvist, campaign finance, and <br />transparencv laws, which may be administered by the ethics commission or by another office <br />or body; these will not be considered here. <br />1. Guidance <br />Because prevention of ethical misconduct is the principal goal of a local government ethics <br />program, the most important role of an ethics commission and its staff is to provide <br />guidance so that officials and employees can responsibly handle conflict situations. This <br />guidance consists of regular ethics training, timely, professional advice, three kinds of <br />disclosure, and ongoing discussion of the ethical aspects of decision-making. Even <br />enforcement is more important for what it teaches than for the sanctions it imposes. <br />Government Ethics Trainin� <br />The principal goal of ethics training is to gain an understanding of government ethics and the <br />ability to identify conflict situations, one's own and others' . <br />It is important to put the most resources into training those who need it the most, <br />that is, those who are in a position to make and influence important decisions, and their <br />aides: high-level officials and their staff, government attorneys, officials working in the areas <br />of land use, procurement, and grants, and ethics commission members and staff. These <br />individuals need live training. Those with less authority and, therefore, less occasion to put <br />ts <br />