ABSTRACT
In the current era, it is almost impossible to discuss any organisation in the public sector without debating its corporate governance framework. Some organisations have gone as far as to appoint a director or head of corporate governance, complete with a whole department round the individual. There is a strong argument that without a moral and ethical framework to work within, people will inevitably stray, but the existence of a sound moral and ethical framework is not a guarantee that public sector employees and contractors will follow it. Codes of ethics and expected standards of behaviour have long been the norm for the professionals from lawyers to accountants through to the medical profession. It should not be possible to consider corporate governance without considering the ethical and moral code of public service and with that, the need to ensure that the right tone is set from the very top.
