The Concept of Integrity in Legislative, Personal, and Collective Dimensions: the Aspen Institute’s Kyiv Seminar “Integrity and Governance”
On June 25, the Aspen Institute Kyiv held the “Integrity and Governance” seminar as part of the “Good Governance” Program.
Denis Poltavets, Director of Program Development at the Aspen Institute Kyiv, emphasized that the concept of integrity became the Institute’s focus in 2016 and has held a special place in its program activities since then.
— We consider integrity one of the foundations of a good society. It is important to have a deeper understanding and clearer vision of integrity, to know how to define it, and to conclude that one is dealing with an honest person. These questions are an important part of the Institute’s program activities.
Mariyam Simonova, Head of the international research company RMTeam International, highlighted the importance of dialogue between the state and regional representatives to ensure the principles of good governance. She also thanked international partners for continuing to invest in supporting Ukrainian institutions. In particular, the “U-LEAD with Europe” Program has supported and continues to support the decentralization reform.
Incompetence of Certain Public Servants, Presence of Dishonest Actors, Insufficient Highlighting of Positive Examples: Causes of Dishonest Behavior
Participants discussed the causes of dishonest behavior among public servants, including incompetence and unprofessionalism. Clear regulations, where every public servant understands their function and responsibilities, can be an effective safeguard. Some public servants’ dishonest behavior may also be influenced by a lack of decisiveness and courage, leading to a problem with discretion.
Some participants emphasized the presence of dishonest actors who contribute to dishonesty in the system. The response to this challenge should be building strong institutions and developing a corporate culture: “We seek honest people, place them in dishonest organizations, and expect them to change these organizations. Instead, honest organizations are more likely to reform dishonest individuals.”
Leading by example is an important factor in maintaining a culture of integrity—when a leader is honest, it influences the behavior of the entire team. Therefore, developing the institution’s reputation is one of the necessary factors for ensuring integrity, along with implementing clear procedures to prevent hasty decisions.
Communicating Integrity: Positive Examples and Societal Values
Participants discussed the importance of highlighting negative examples of dishonest behavior among public servants and positive ones. This includes “invisible agents” who monitor adherence to integrity in society. According to participants, it is important to make investigative journalism or becoming an employee of an anti-corruption body prestigious. At the same time, it is necessary to learn to communicate mistakes honestly when they occur.
A significant part of the discussion was about communication regarding public service — both external and internal. It is necessary to stop using terms like “official” or “bureaucrat” and instead use “public servant.” Additionally, horizontal connections should be developed between them to ensure effective interaction among public servants.
Integrity as Legal and Philosophical Categories: Education and Development of Personal Qualities
Participants discussed responsibility for decisions made and process organization. Education plays an important role in instilling a culture of responsibility in people. It is also crucial to shift from collective to individual responsibility—when it is taken on by a specific executor, not the institution. Thus, the discourse on integrity introduces the category of personality.
In modern conditions, categories like honesty, integrity, decency, etc., cannot be clearly defined by legislative norms alone. Instead, integrity is one of a person’s fundamental characteristics.
The problem of dishonesty begins with upbringing — the basic level of virtues should come from the environment in which a child grows up and becomes a citizen. Therefore, the prevailing values in society are essential. Integrity is an important category that is not an end in itself. It is a small but significant step towards change. The Aspen Institute Kyiv is open to initiatives to develop a culture of integrity and will continue working on this topic.
Denis Poltavets, Director of Program Development at the Aspen Institute Kyiv, and Roman Kobets, Research Fellow at the H. S. Skovoroda Institute of Philosophy of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, moderated the seminar. Olena Fomina, Policy Program Director at the Aspen Institute Kyiv, coordinated the discussion.
The seminar was held with the support of the “House of Integrity” Project.
RMTeam International implements the “House of Integrity” Project with the support of the European Union and its member states Germany, Poland, Denmark, and Slovenia as part of the “U-LEAD with Europe” Program.
