Welcome to the Institute for Ethics in Government

OGE’s Institute for Ethics in Government (IEG) offers a flexible approach to ethics officials’ professional development designed to:

  • assist new and aspiring ethics officials to navigate rewarding career paths;
  • help experienced ethics officials maintain and sharpen their skills; and
  • support ethics program leaders to direct ethics programs that protect their agencies.

Below you will find brief descriptions of the offerings from the IEG.

Orientation for New Designated Agency Ethics Officials (DAEOs) and Alternates (ADAEOs)

OGE developed the DAEO/ADAEO Orientation program to help new DAEOs and ADAEOs get to know OGE, the duties and responsibilities of their new roles, the essential functions of an effective ethics program, and the responsibilities of others within their agencies to help prevent conflicts of interest. OGE will continue to offer this program on an as-needed basis, typically two to four times per year.

Accelerated Curriculum in Ethics (ACE)

The IEG offers ACE for new and aspiring ethics officials who would like to be able to support all aspects of an executive branch ethics program. Over four months, the virtual program provides a comprehensive introduction to all aspects of the ethics program, including program administration and leadership, advice and counsel, financial disclosure, and education and communication. OGE holds the program, which requires an application and review process, at least once a year for 30 officials per session. Upon successful completion of the ACE program, which includes an attendance standard, satisfactory performance on evaluations, and completion of assignments, attendees will receive a certification of achievement.

Skill Builders

OGE offers Skill Builders for ethics officials and others who support the ethics program in a targeted way and who would like to build their skills in a particular program area or add to their ethics competencies over time. OGE offers several Skill Builders each year on topics such as confidential financial disclosure, public financial disclosure, nominee financial disclosure, advice and counsel, program management, communication, and education. Each Skill Builder requires participants to complete 6-20 hours of instruction and assignments to develop a solid foundation in the topic area. Successful participants will be awarded a certificate of completion. Admission to a Skill Builder will be first-come-first-served, and open to as many attendees as feasible for the topic area.

Interactive Trainings

OGE offers interactive training on a wide range of ethics topics. These interactive training courses use a variety of formats including:

  • Lectures (live or recorded)– Lectures help explain an ethics topic or topics.
  • Demos– Demos showcase tools and processes that assist with the implementation of the ethics program.
  • P2P Workshops– P2P Workshops are opportunities for ethics officials to exchange program practices with each other.
  • Workshops- Workshops are opportunities for ethics officials to learn new skills and practice those skills.
  • Roundtables– Roundtables are facilitated conversations with ethics officials on current or emerging topics.
  • Quick Start Guide– Quick Start Guides are brief video introductions to ethics topics and pathways to further learning.
  • Micro-Learning– Micro-Learning products are short videos or texts that introduce a discrete ethics topic.
  • Job Aids– Job Aids are tools that help ethics officials perform a particular function or understand a specific concept.
  • Flash Networking Events– Flash Networking Events provide opportunities for ethics officials to meet each other.
  • Mentorship Program– The mentorship program helps ethics officials build their professional networks either as a mentor or mentee.

On-Demand Learning Library

OGE continues to maintain a library of hundreds of learning tools, including on-demand lectures, self-paced courses, job aids, and other educational materials. Agencies are highly encouraged to use these tools to provide in-house training to their ethics staff at all levels to build or refresh their skills.

Courses of Study

OGE offers multi-part, on-demand courses of study in critical skills for ethics practitioners. Topics include financial disclosure review, advice and counsel, and ethics education. Courses of study are designed as comprehensive introductions to ethics skills. They are recommended for ethics practitioners who are new to a particular task or skill area.

Annual Professional Ethics Practitioner (PEP) Certificate

OGE designed the annual PEP certificate for ethics officials who are performing some or all functions of an ethics program at full competency and who wish to maintain their skills and stay current with policy changes and developing practices in the ethics profession. OGE will hold a variety of PEP offerings each year, such as virtual lectures on recent advisories, peer-to-peer and other workshops, networking opportunities, community meetings, and recorded and interactive trainings on a wide range of ethics topics.

Ethics officials who attend/complete six or more such offerings in a calendar year may self-certify completion to OGE to earn a certificate. Ethics program leaders are encouraged to make earning an annual PEP certificate a part of the professional development plan of officials spending a significant portion of their time supporting the ethics program.