The Code of Ethics

Ethics in public service is frequently perceived through a punitive lens. For years, public administrations have focused their efforts on designing regulatory frameworks whose sole apparent purpose is to curb corruption or strictly monitor the quality of services rendered, turning rules into a mere checklist of obligations. However, this view is deeply limiting and squanders the true potential of institutions. Public ethics represents a transcendental opportunity that should not be restricted to the spheres of surveillance, auditing, or the simple containment of malpractice. On the contrary, a well-grounded institutional code must be understood as a powerful instrument to achieve the common good—a space where the vocation to help citizens coexists with legality. It is in this convergence that integrity transforms into the compass that guides our decisions and dignifies the work of those who serve society.

During my tenure as Internal Control Coordinator, I took on the significant challenge of materializing this proactive vision by drafting a public service code of conduct for a metropolitan water utility (https://interapas.mx//wp-content/uploads/2024/04/SLP-INTERAPAS-CODIGO-DE-CONDUCTA-PARA-SERVIDORES-PUBLICOS-PROVEEDORES-CONTRATISTAS-Y-PRESTADORES-DE-SERVICIOS-27-MAR-2024.pdf). The primary objective was not to draft a punitive catalog, but to articulate a robust regulatory framework that would lay the foundation for a true long-term culture of legality and restore the dignity of the public servant. This regulation was conceived as a central element of the institution's integrity policy, expressly designed to strengthen the provision of public services in an ethical and upright manner. Throughout its development, the fundamental principles and values guiding the proper exercise of public functions were detailed, seeking a shared professional identity, a genuine sense of institutional pride and belonging, and highlighting the vital role of the public servant.

The design of this code involved structuring vital concepts such as service culture, which constantly seeks the greatest benefit by striving not only to respond to, but to timely anticipate citizen needs, knowing that the management of public resources goes beyond mere accountability to ensuring the functional efficiency of the services provided. By structuring these guidelines, we established an innovative deontological instrument that accurately defines the general parameters of evaluation and action to which every public servant aspires, rescuing institutional principles that carry a particular and aspirational purpose: the true meaning of assistance, thereby enabling public servants to collaborate closely and foster teamwork to achieve common objectives, holding a full conviction of the call to public service, reinforcing trust in institutions, and strengthening the common good.

How can we transform the internal regulations of our institutions so that they cease to be simple lists of prohibitions and become living tools for the common good?