City of Edmonton - Ethical Choices

Exercise 3: City of Edmonton - Ethical Choices

Prepared by

Mohd Rahman

(Time for submission has been extended by the coach)

Introduction to Sustainability and Ethics

Brundtland report to the UN in 1987 defined sustainability as “Meeting the needs of the future generations to meet their needs”. Sustainable purchasing is creating of economic value for the stakeholders and protecting environment while purchasing. It indicates how purchasing policies helps to protect environment.

Ethics is the rules of conduct or values that guide individual or group behavior. The federal government of Canada has developed a values and ethics code for the public service. Public servants shall be guided in their work and their professional conduct by a balanced framework of public service values. Those values are respect to democracy and people, professional excellence, stewardship and integrity.

 To fulfill federal code of ethics (Ref A), the city of Edmonton has adopted ethical and sustainable procurement policies. Supplier Code of Conduct (Ref B) and Sustainable Purchasing Policy (Ref C)” of the city of Edmonton has added values and affected the suppliers in the public sector.

Supplier Code of Conduct (SCC)

The main goal of the SCC is to ensure safe and healthy workplaces for the people who make goods, construction and services for the city. It helps to fulfill federal government’s commitments to conserve and meet human and civil rights conditions internationally agreed upon and embodied in the many conventions of the International Labour Organization (ILO).

Respect to democracy: In respecting to the federal rule of law and fulfill its commitments, SCC has been made mandatory for the city’s supplier to follow all national and other applicable laws of the country while manufacturing of goods or delivery of services, including laws relating to working conditions, human rights, health and safety and the environment. (Paragraph 1)

Respect to people:  SCC has included specific performance standard for social requirement to treating all people with respect, dignity and fairness, contributes to a safe and healthy work environment that promotes engagement, openness and transparency. This helps to stop forced labour and child labour, harassment and abuse, non-discrimination, and promotes health and safety. It gives freedom for association, the rights to negotiate wage and benefit, work hours, and overtime compensation. (Paragraph 2A)

Integrity:  Surprisingly the word “Integrity” is not mentioned anywhere in the SCC. However “Fair workplace practices” included in SCC indirectly upholding the highest ethical standards, conserve and enhance public confidence in the honesty, fairness and impartiality. SCC has encouraged supplier to report ethical issues to the authority having jurisdiction. (Paragraph 1 and 2C(b))

Stewardship:   Although suppliers are not using public money, they repair and maintain public resources and sometime uses public properties during their works. SCC has policies pertaining to environmental impacts related to operational practices of both Suppliers and subcontractors. It ensures effective and efficient use public property and resources. (Paragraph 2A)