European Partnership for Ethics and Integrity

<< Background >>Corruption is an important priority at EU level and since 2020 has become one of the pillars of the newly established European Rule of Law Mechanism. Education with regards to anticorruption, ethics and integrity is considered a major priority by the Group of States Against Corruption (GRECO). Anticorruption agencies have addressed the problem with specialized short-term trainings, and the methods took specific form of vocational education using a curriculum dedicated to the beneficiary target groups, designed in accordance with general training practices and concepts. The development of trainings highlighted the need for innovation and consolidation of training methods.The project addressed the following specific needs: - to diversify and innovate training in anti-corruption, ethics and integrity. - to improve training techniques for trainers on ethics and integrity. - to include and develop innovative training techniques, digital pedagogy, ways with working with groups and expertise in the use of digital tools. - to increase the capacity of anti-corruption agencies and training institutions to manage and effect change in training process and methods in the field of ethics and integrity, including through digital education.<< Objectives >>By implementing the project, we aimed to improve the training techniques for trainers on ethics and integrity, including by developing innovative training techniques, digital pedagogy, ways of working with groups and expertise in the use of digital tools, which the trainers will embrace and apply in everyday work. All partners intended to improve professional training skills, and, on the other hand, to foster the development of digital skills and or use of appropriate resources to meet learning needs. The specific objectives of the project were: 1. Improve the training skills of ethics and integrity trainers, including through the development of digital pedagogy and expertise in the use of digital tools for trainers;2. Improving the training methods and techniques used in the field of ethics and integrity in the partner countries 3. Foster attitude change of the civil servants and law enforcement at the beginning of their careers, with a view of improving quality of anti-corruption and ethical training for the civil servants and law enforcement officials at the beginning of their careers.<< Implementation >>Within the project, we included the following activities: - The production of 3 Project Results: Result 1 -Training curriculum in the field of anti-corruption, ethics, integrity for initial employee training (e.g. law enforcement initial training) with a focus on the non-formal context of the training; Project Result 2 - Training curriculum in the field of anti-corruption, ethics and integrity to be used in the continuous training and dedicated anti-corruption courses for the public officials or civil society; Project Result 3 - Training curriculum/ guideline for the anti-corruption trainers with a view of supporting the training activities either in the academic environment or in the field of continuous training: integrity adviser, anti-corruption trainers;- Organizing of 6 Learning, Teaching and Training Activities: Activity C1 - Job shadowing activity to facilitate practice exchange and critical assessment with regards to training of ethics and integrity in academic environment in Italy; Activity C2 - Job shadowing activity to facilitate practice exchange and critical assessment with regards to training of ethics and integrity in anti-corruption agencies and training institutions in Latvia; Activity C3 - Job shadowing activity to facilitate practice exchange and critical assessment with regards to training of ethics and integrity in anti-corruption agencies and training institutions in Bulgaria; Activity C4 - Pilot training using the Training curriculum in the field of anti-corruption, ethics, integrity for initial employee training (e.g. law enforcement initial training) with a focus on the non-formal context of the training; Activity C5 -Pilot training using the Training curriculum in the field of anti-corruption, ethics and integrity to be used in the dedicated anti-corruption courses for the public officials or civil society; Activity C6 -Pilot training using the Training curriculum/guideline for the anti-corruption trainers with a view of supporting the training activities either in the academic environment or in the field of continuous training;- A number of 9 transnational meetings were held (in every country) in order to ensure the proper monitoring and coordination of all project activities. The foreseen participants were representatives of the project staff. - A number of 3 multiplier events were organized in order to share our project results and to ensure an increased visibility for the project. The target group consisted of integrity/ethic advisors, experts in the NGO sector, representatives of public institutions with competencies in anti-corruption and integrity (e.g. Ministry of Justice, National Integrity Agency), as well as other stakeholders. The objectives of the events were to raise awareness on the following: 1) lack of training events and programs for trainers; 2) the need of strategic professional development planning 3) the necessity of professional networks and partnerships at EU level; 4) the existence of 3 ready-to-use professional Curricula in the field of anti-corruption, ethics and integrity.DGA ensured the project management through their dedicated Coordination Team (Project Manager, Deputy Project Manager, Financial Coordinator, Monitoring Responsible, Implementation Responsible) with a view to implement management/coordination processes, decision making & conflict resolution, risk assessment & mitigation planning.<< Results >>The need of networking and exchanging practices and innovation in the field of ethical training, including with regards to the use of new technology and online training methods became relevant in the context of diverse yet non-unitary experiences across EU Member States regarding training anti-corruption, ethics and integrity. The project European Partners for Ethics and Integrity allowed for the development of three curricula which are presented in the form of training programs differentiated in terms of key objectives given the specific competencies requested from the target groups that they address.The results of the project were applied in pilot training activities organized in 3 of the partner institutions (Police School in Catalonia, Catholic University Sacro Cuore – Italy and Anticorruption General Directorate – Romania), which allowed participating trainers and anticorruption experts to test and validate the developed content, but also to incorporate feedback from the other experts.All three curricula are intended to guide trainers on ethics, integrity and anticorruption with regards to possible options on how to run specific courses on this matter, what type of subjects to include at minimum, how to refine and/or adapt the information of a specific training on ethics and integrity to the needs of the target groups and suggests as well possible methodological approaches and tools (including references to training software, websites or training platforms) to be used in order to create an enhanced interactivity between trainers and participants.One very consistent consideration that all the experts involved in the project took note of was the need to include methods that provide more than mere knowledge related to different ethics and/or anticorruption subjects, but specifically address emotions and attitudes that stimulate ethical behaviour.