Critical analysis of the effectiveness of the national ethical values policy: Case study of the district of Mbale, Manafwa, and Bukedea 2013-2017

Abstract

The purpose of this case study was to critically assess the effectiveness of the National Ethical Values Policy (2013) in addressing Unethical behavior in the public service in the local governments in the district of Bukedea, Mbale and Manafwa. The specific objectives set were: To establish the strengths and Weaknesses of the National Ethical Values Policy, to establish the Challenges of the Implementation of the National Ethical Values Policy and to suggest improvement of the National Ethical Values Policy as instrument for curbing unethical conduct in the public service. Virtue theory of ethics framed the research study supported by the Pragmatic ethics theories. Using purposeful, simple random sampling, structured questionnaire, interview guide, documentary review methods, content and discourse analysis. The findings majorly revealed the following: The policy is implemented in isolation, not localized, has grammatical errors, not punitive hence difficult to enforce the NEVP pillars or frame work not well explained, the policy is not known to the stakeholders. It also indicated the challenges of policy implementation and are; inadequate staff, inadequate resources, limited collaboration with stakeholders, the implementer use a lot of effort to fight immorality at the expense of broader unethical behavior. The government should create more visibility of the National Ethical Values Policy through integrating Ethical values in the school going children, increase on funding of the implementing agencies, increase on the number of the technical staffs in the directorate for ethics and integrity of enable popularization of the policy in the Ugandan society, and address the broader unethical behavior, strength collaboration with stakeholders and policy review. The studies revealed the following recommendation and are; the policy should not be implemented in isolation; therefore, the anti-corruption legal frame work like the Leadership Code Act, Anti-Corruption Act, and Access to Information Act, Whistleblowers Protection Act and the Anti-immoral law like the Anti-Pornography Act must be integrated together during implementation. It also revealed that the entire Ethics Infrastructure in Uganda should collaborate and strengthened their partnership. It also revealed that for effective implementation of the National Ethical Values Policy there is a need to address the inadequate Capacity of the staff of the Directorate for Ethics and Integrity who spearhead coordination and policy implementation. The study finally revealed that there is need for resource enhancement to enable dissemination of the ethical values to the whole country. Review the NEVP to correct the grammatical errors through policy review, and localize the policy to look more Ugandan for example defining Ethics in localized way, signing memorandum of understanding with stakeholders, the Directorate to address the wider unethical behavior not limiting on issues of immoralities a lone.