Accountability & Integrity - A Must in Local Government

Written by Mark Crawley, CEO, Carptentaria Shire Council

Over the past couple of months, I have read and seen articles about trust in leadership, integrity, and accountability and gave some thought to putting pen to paper as we embark on promoting local government as a great place to work and build a great career. Let me be up-front and admit that I am a local government tragic. I love this tier of government for its people, its commitment to community, and the impact it makes.

So, it is disappointing and distressing for me to see some of the negative behaviours evident in leadership worldwide making their way into the sector. I believe we need to act now and do some work on cleaning up the image of local government if we are to position the sector as attractive to those who might be considering what can be a very rewarding career in public office serving the community.

Having spent more than 20 years as a CEO in Queensland councils, I’m conscious of the need to always operate with the highest level of integrity; holding ourselves and others accountable to maintain and instil trust in leadership. While this should apply to all tiers of government, big and small business alike, there has been a visible reduction in accountability demonstrated over recent years amongst our leaders.

And worse yet, while many government leaders show solid accountability and integrity, this shift towards reduced integrity is becoming a growing issue - even in local government.

There is an old saying “the standard you walk past is the standard you accept”. Regrettably, it appears that walking past below-par behaviour is becoming too often the norm and is starting to have an impact on new people entering local government. Rather than assimilating the written and stated policy of a council, they witness the behaviour displayed by their leaders (and/or the behaviours leaders walk past) and very soon start to adopt similar behaviours themselves. This is not the start we want for new people entering our level of government.

Those working in local government do so because there is no greater satisfaction than making decisions and carrying out roles that contribute to, or improve, the quality of life for members of the community. I have found in my travels that local government the world over is very similar in many aspects. Local government has many career opportunities and offers a high level of diversity, especially in the smaller local governments.

While most people go to work to do a good job, we do have some people (even in leadership roles) who are not holding themselves accountable and not operating with the highest levels of integrity that is expected of leaders.

Over the years, local government have promoted staff into management and leadership roles due to their service to the organisation, often without the necessary support and training to allow them to succeed in those positions. Now we are critical that they are not managing their staff well nor adequately overseeing the performance of those staff. As an industry, we need to urgently provide these leaders with the skills they need to ensure accountability and service delivery to the community.

If the argument for accountability is not clear, here are some thoughts from Warren Buffett (American business magnate, investor and philanthropist) who says you can spot a great leader by simply looking for this one trait: integrity. In an article on Inc.com by Marcel Schwantes, Mr Buffett explains:

1. Integrity ultimately builds trust;
2. Integrity saves you money and time; and
3. Integrity outperforms the competition.

Local government is also getting a reputation for not planning properly and spending the grant funds allocated to projects by the other levels of government (our funding partners) due to poor project management skills and resources. Representative bodies like LGAQ and ALGA are advocating for additional funds for local government and some of the responses coming back is that local government cannot spend the money they are receiving now. This was the message I got from a Federal Government Minister when I met with them in Canberra during my term as the Federal President of Local Government Professionals Australia. To address this, we need to upskill our staff where necessary and hold them accountable for the delivery of projects and programmes in accordance with the funding agreements.

For local government to be a rewarding career choice, we need to ensure that we remain professional, have the highest levels of trust and integrity, and deliver on our promises by completing projects on time and on budget – all the while holding ourselves and others accountable for a job done well.

One of the ways that I maintain my standards of integrity is by holding membership to several member-based organisations that each have a charter or a code of ethics for members as a guide to "ensure the highest standards of ethical behaviour, which is the hallmark of professionalism" (LGMA Qld - Code of Ethics). My memberships include: LGMA, Local Government Professionals Australia, International City/County Managers Association (ICMA – U.S.A.), and the Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD).

I would encourage all leaders in local government to join a member-based organisation and abide by the ethical principles and rules associated with the membership. Just as importantly, make the most of your membership by attending various functions, undertake and engage in professional development, network with like-minded individuals, and hold yourself accountable for your performance and delivery. I challenge you to go further and hold your colleagues accountable if they don’t hold themselves accountable.

Members are encouraged to abide by the code of ethics to ensure the highest standards of ethical behaviour. The LGMA Queensland code of ethics is well documented, and the principles and rules are well laid out and detailed.

Personal accountability, operating with the highest levels of integrity, and restoring trust in leadership will provide a platform for excellence in local government and create an environment where considering a career in local government is front of mind for young people.

Article reproduced with the express permission of the writer.