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Return to Article: Rule would require ethics policies for big contractors

• 21419
  

  Maybe Jack Abrams could run this program as a community service project!

  taxpayer Posted February 28, 2007 7:29 AM
• 21405
  

  That's a joke, isn't it? I worked for the feds for a long time, then "retired" to a major defense contractor. The place where I work now holds regular mandatory ethics training classes, both online and "in the flesh" with the supervisors. I didn't want to tell them that the management in the organizations that pay their bills (the DoD) don't take that stuff seriously. It may be an illusion, but for the first time in years, I feel as though I can actually complain to someone if I observe an impropriety or am harassed in my new organization. Lets see. If you do something to someone that you wouldn't want done to yourself, it's unethical, right? That describes a typical day at the DoD management.

  GovExec.com reader Posted February 27, 2007 5:15 PM
• 21402
  

  Shouldn't the ethical stance and ethical past performance of a company be determined, as an element of contractor responsibility evaluation, before award of a contract? If we are to have one, how about inclusion of an ethics program requirement in the Representations and Certifications? Regulating morality into the contract, as it is conveyed to the contractor, is a little late and will do little to stem abuses in the absence of a pre-existing culture of ethical expectations.

  Posters? Is this the 1930s? The emphasis given to this method of communication in the policy language is naive and markedly dated.

  Contract Specialist

  GovExec.com reader Posted February 27, 2007 2:07 PM
• 21377
  

  That will work great: Written policies, training and posters. Ha, Ha, Ha.

  You want to beef up ethics? Minimize contracting and outsourcing. Bring it in-house where the government can fully control the quantity, quality and timeliness of the work, and to take action on ethics violations.

  I'm sure in the face of huge profits, all those hanging posters on "be ethical" will really work. And what does the federal government know of ethics anyway? It is all based on silly rule-making and a weak OGE. Take a gift of $20, and it is OK. Take a gift of $20.50 and you can be fired. Running for a nonpartisan office in Montgomery County, Md. is OK but send a single e-mail from the Montgomery County Democratic Party to a co-worker and you can be fired. Such silly nonsense.

  HR Specialist

  GovExec.com reader Posted February 27, 2007 7:38 AM
• 21373
  

  "Group gave senior federal officials low marks for honesty, integrity and aptitude for evaluating progress toward meeting key goals"

  This rating came from "insiders" that would know. Seems like the requirement for an ethics policy is misplaced on the contractors when it should be on the government.

  taxpayer Posted February 27, 2007 6:47 AM