The Audit Office of the Institutions of Bosnia and Herzegovina has published a performance audit report titled “Adoption and Implementation of Codes of Ethics in the Institutions of Bosnia and Herzegovina.”
Audit Office of the Institutions of Bosnia and Herzegovina published a performance audit report titled: Adoption and Implementation of Codes of Ethics in the Institutions of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The objective of this audit was to assess whether the process for adopting and ensuring the implementation of codes of ethics in the institutions of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) is efficient. The audit aims to support improvements in the ethical infrastructure of the institutions of BiH, with the broader goal of drawing attention to the need for continuous enhancement of ethical behaviour among public officials—an essential precondition for strengthening public administration. The key findings and recommendations are summarized below, and the full report can be found on the N.ET website in the Public Sector Ethics Audit/Audit Reports section.
Key Findings
1. The adoption of ethical codes was not timely.
The Council of Ministers and most institutions of BiH did not adopt ethical codes regulating the conduct of employees in a timely manner.
The objective of this audit was to assess whether the process for adopting and ensuring the implementation of codes of ethics in the institutions of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) is efficient. The audit aims to support improvements in the ethical infrastructure of the institutions of BiH, with the broader goal of drawing attention to the need for continuous enhancement of ethical behaviour among public officials—an essential precondition for strengthening public administration. The key findings and recommendations are summarized below, and the full report can be found on the N.ET website in the Public Sector Ethics Audit/Audit Reports section.
Key Findings
1. The adoption of ethical codes was not timely.
The Council of Ministers and most institutions of BiH did not adopt ethical codes regulating the conduct of employees in a timely manner.
- It took four years - from the amendment of the Civil Service Law, which mandated the adoption of a code for civil servants - for the Council of Ministers to adopt the code proposed by the Civil Service Agency.
- Prior to the adoption of this code, half of the institutions had not established their own codes of conduct, despite being formed between 1996 and 2010.
- Only 10 out of 73 institutions introduced rules of conduct for their employees in the same year they formally began operating.
- Despite recommendations from the Council of Europe, no ethical code has been adopted for individuals employed through appointment or designation to positions within institutions (appointed officials).
- Approximately 30% of BiH institutions have not published their ethical codes on their websites, and only one of the 73 institutions displayed the code on its homepage.
2. Institutions are not efficient in ensuring mechanisms for applying codes of ethics.
- Most institutions have not developed guidance to clarify behaviours that may constitute breaches of ethical codes, nor guidance to help civil servants assess ethically sensitive situations.
- Institutions generally do not monitor the implementation of ethical codes, do not report on their application, and do not update them regularly.
- Records of reported potential violations are not centralized and are not used to analyse areas at higher risk.
- In the reviewed final decisions related to disciplinary proceedings, ethical codes and specific breaches were rarely referenced.
- Although ethics-related training is offered regularly within BiH institutions, a significant share of civil servants in 40% of the institutions did not attend any ethics training in the past three years.
Recommendations
Based on the findings and conclusions reached during the audit, the Audit Office issued recommendations.
Recommendation to the Council of Ministers of BiH:
Based on the findings and conclusions reached during the audit, the Audit Office issued recommendations.
Recommendation to the Council of Ministers of BiH:
- Consider the need to adopt an ethical code for appointed officials in BiH institutions.
Recommendations to BiH Institutions:
- Ensure that valid ethical codes are easily accessible to all interested parties.
- Develop and strengthen mechanisms that support the effective implementation of ethical codes.
- Maintain and improve record-keeping, analysis, and regular updating of ethical codes.
- Provide regular ethics training for civil servants.
Recommendation to the Civil Service Agency:
- Conduct an assessment of whether the existing civil service code requires improvements.
