Responsible Conduct of Local Government Elected Officials
Working Group on Responsible Conduct
Download the Forging the Path to Responsible Conduct in Your Local Government
A new resource released by the Working Group on Responsible Conduct (WGRC) provides guidance on ways to prevent conduct issues by local elected officials and options to address them if they do arise. Forging the Path to Responsible Conduct in Your Local Government provides advice on fostering responsible conduct, maintaining good governance and resolving conduct issues for elected officials on Councils and Boards. It also includes considerations for local governments that may be exploring an enforcement process within their existing Code of Conduct.
Download the Model Code of Conduct
and
Companion Guide.
These resources provide local government Council or Board members with a Model Code of Conduct which establishes a set of principles and general standards of conduct that can be used as a starting point to develop their own Code of Conduct. This model Code of Conduct may also be useful for Councils or Boards who already have a Code of Conduct in place but wish to review or refresh the document.
The Companion Guide provides discussion questions, things to keep in mind, and other helpful tips and resources to facilitate a Council/Board's conversation in developing their own Code of Conduct.
Background:
The Working Group on Responsible Conduct is a joint initiative of the Union of BC Municipalities (UBCM), the Ministry of Municipal Affairs (the Ministry) and the Local Government Management Association (LGMA).
The staff-level Working Group was formed to undertake policy work in response to a 2016 resolution to UBCM that addressed the issue of questionable conduct by local government elected officials. Delegates referred the matter to UBCM Executive, with the direction that further policy work should be undertaken jointly with the Ministry and LGMA.
Policy Development Process:
The Working Group began meeting late in 2016. The initial focus of its work was to develop a shared understanding of the issue and to consider how the current parts of BC’s local government framework support responsible conduct. The Working Group also explored approaches that other Canadian provinces are taking to support and strengthen responsible conduct. The Consultation Paper prepared by the Working Group reflects this research and is offered to the local government community to provide a basis for discussion.
In August 2017, the Executive of the Union of BC Municipalities (UBCM) approved a Policy Paper on Responsible Conduct of Local Government Elected Officials presented at the 2017 Convention for member consideration. The Working Group on Responsible Conduct (WGRC) developed the report that forms the basis of the Policy Paper.
In 2018, the Foundational Principles of Responsible Conduct were released to guide the development of a Model Code of Conduct for consideration by Councils and Boards.
Responsible Conduct Every Day Online Course
A new online education course will help local elected officials explore responsible conduct principles. The resource, developed jointly by UBCM, the Local Government Management Association (LGMA) and the Ministry of Municipal Affairs, explores the themes of integrity, respect, accountability, leadership and collaboration, and how each of these is essential to effective governance by B.C.’s Councils and Boards.
Local government elected officials can access the course by contacting their Chief Corporate Officer or Chief Administrative Officer for the access code.
The on-demand eLearning course is the latest resource developed by the Working Group on Responsible Conduct. This working group - drawn from staff in the Ministry of Municipal Affairs, UBCM and the Local Government Management Association - was formed in response to requests from local governments for resources to strengthen the practice of responsible conduct.
The course is based on real-life scenarios that require the learner to make choices in light of responsible conduct principles and will be an aid to newly elected Councils and Boards as they seek to identify shared standards. It is being made available at no cost to every local government elected official in B.C.
This new resource joins several others that have been developed for local governments over the past five years. The new course takes 60-90 minutes to complete. A certificate is provided to every learner that completes the course. If you have questions, please contact Paul Taylor, UBCM Director of Communications or Candace Witkowskyj, Executive Director, LGMA of BC.
