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The main purpose of ethics laws lies not in punishing wrongdoing, but in preventing it, not in catching people, but in teaching them. In ethics, education is the name of the game.
The main purpose of ethics laws lies not in punishing wrongdoing, but in preventing it, not in catching people, but in teaching them. In ethics, education is the name of the game.
-Mark Davies
Former Executive Director & CounselNYC Conflicts of Interest BoardTraining
Training
The Board’s training program is the keystone of its efforts to increase honesty and integrity in City government. Training sessions are designed to provide critical information to City employees and officers about City and State ethics laws and how those laws apply in the real world. The past fiscal year saw updates to and significant expansion of training offerings.
In FY2020, Board Staff delivered 48 training events to nearly 1,200 City employees, appointed officers, board and commission members, elected officials, and campaign finance stakeholders through a mix of in-person and virtual learning. Training modules include:
General Ethics Training for new City appointed officers & employees
Ethics Refresher Training for elected officials, department heads, and members of City Boards & Commissions
Campaign Finance training for candidates, consultants, political committee treasurers & staff
Political Activity Info Sessions for City officers & employees
Since March 2020 all trainings have been held virtually via Zoom or Microsoft Teams.
Outreach
Outreach
In FY2020, the Board partnered with multiple offices including Human Resources, the Chief Integrity Officer, the District Attorney’s Office, and the City Commissioners to expand its outreach efforts. Over the next year, the Board plans to increase its offerings in all areas and kick off semi-annual lobbying training. The Board will also continue to look for unique opportunities to educate and engage City employees and officers, board and commission members, as well as members of the community who do not work for City government.
More information about and electronic links to the Board’s outreach resources, including the Board’s two Twitter accounts and Training Schedules, are listed on the Contact Us page.
Resources
Resources
In FY2020, Board Staff created numerous educational guides and resources, updated manuals, and FAQs. Board Staff also launched resource blogs aimed at improving access to helpful information on regulatory changes and notable questions answered through informal guidance.
All of the Board's current educational materials are available on the Board’s website. Highlighted below are some of the noteworthy educational materials published in FY2020.
General Ethics Topics
General Ethics Topics
Summarizes the ethics rules as they apply to City appointed officers and employees & provides examples of how the rules apply to common scenarios. Includes key Charter sections, Ethics Code, and Regulation 8.
Summarizes the ethics rules as they apply to City Council staff & provides examples of how the rules apply to common scenarios. Includes key Charter sections, Ethics Code, and Regulation 8.
Hosted by Ethel the Ethics Seal, this blog-style archive is the new home for General Counsel's monthly Questions of Note, plus other helpful ethics tidbits, news, & resources.
Political Activity
Political Activity
Advisory alert summarizing recent changes to the Charter's political activity rules.
Blog-based repository providing electronic access to key documents related to the City’s political activity rules, including the 2020 amendment process for Regulation 8, Charter history, and educational materials.
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