Snakes and Ladders of Values and Ethics
Long Description of Snakes and Ladders
What is the Values and Ethics Code for the Public Service?
A guide for all our actions and decisions
What are the Public Service Values:
Democratic: Helping Ministers, under law, to serve the public interest.
Professional: Serving with competence, excellence, efficiency, objectivity and impartiality.
Ethical: Acting at all times in such a way as to uphold the public trust.
People: Demonstrating respect, fairness and courtesy in dealings with both citizens and fellow public servants.
How to play:
Each player chooses a playing piece.
All players start at square 1. There are 56 squares.
Roll the dice to determine the number of squares the playing piece should be moved.
If a player lands on a square containing the bottom of a ladder, the player moves to the square at the top of the ladder.
If a player lands on a square containing the tail-end of a snake, the player slides down the snake to the square containing the head of the snake.
The first player to reach square 56 wins.
Ladders Explanation:
Box 4: The Values and Ethics Code for the Public Service (the Code) is a condition of employment, therefore, every Public Servant should read it.
Box 16: Public Servants shall endeavour to ensure the proper, effective and efficient use of public money.
Box 25: Managers, whose responsibility it is to exemplify public service values, must strive to create and maintain a work environment that encourages dialogue on organizational values and on the ethical dilemmas unique to their operations. Consult the Values and Ethics (V&E) Web site or contact the V&E team for more information.
Box 34: Public Servants shall not accept or solicit any gifts, hospitality or other benefits that may have a real or apparent influence on their objectivity in carrying out official duties or that may place them under obligation to the donor.
Box 43: Public Servants must report, within 60 days of a first appointment or any subsequent appointment, transfer or deployment, all outside activities, assets, and direct and contingent liabilities that might give rise to a conflict of interest with respect to official duties.
Snakes Explanation:
Box 12: Accessing departmental databases for non work-related reasons is not acceptable and is contrary to the Code. This action also contravenes the laws aimed at protecting personal information and can lead to disciplinary action, up to and including termination of employment.
Box 21: Public Servants should not step out of their roles to assist private entities or persons in their dealings with the government where this would result in preferential treatment to the entities or persons.
Box 30: Respect for human dignity and the value of every person should always inspire the exercise of authority and responsibility. Colleagues need to be treated with respect.
Box 39: Public Servants shall loyally implement ministerial decisions, lawfully taken. Advice contrary to the department's position or interpretation is not to be provided.
Box 53: 50/50 lotteries or similar schemes are considered illegal without valid licensing by a provincial authority as per the Criminal Code of Canada.
For more information on Values and Ethics, visit the Office of Values and Ethics Web site Or contact us by email at: NC-OVE-AC-BVE