March 27, 2014
by Walter M. Shaub, Jr.
OGE recently assembled ethics officials from a number of federal agencies for a day-long workshop in which they developed new ethics training products and refined existing products to share with the entire federal ethics community. This week, OGE unveiled the fruits of that labor in a virtual training symposium for approximately 150 ethics officials from agencies throughout the executive branch. From presentation slide decks to videos to written guidance, the symposium showcased well-crafted products addressing the diverse training needs of agency ethics programs, providing both general training and training targeted to specific groups of federal employees.
OGE’s goals in hosting the event were to expand the reach of ethics training for federal employees; increase both the consistency and the accuracy of ethics training across the executive branch; and save the taxpayers money by eliminating duplication of efforts. The training products will remain available on a shared collaborative site that OGE’s Institute for Ethics in Government maintains for the executive branch. Ethics officials can rely on these shared products rather than having to create products of their own to satisfy training requirements.
This event is an example of how ethics officials from many different agencies can come together and produce quality training for our entire ethics community. I would like to thank the agency ethics officials who put in the time to develop and share these products. Your efforts demonstrate that the executive branch’s ethics program is thriving. I look forward to continued collaboration between OGE and our partners in the federal ethics community.