The Codes of Ethics in the Public Sector and the Incorporation of Values that Promote Open Government

The Chilean Case

Abstract

The objective of this study is to analyze the Codes of Ethics in force in public entities in Chile in the light of the open government principles: transparency, participation and accountability. In order to do so, a sample of formally approved codes of ethics in public entities of the central government of Chile and published on the website www.serviciocivil.gob.cl was analyzed using a qualitative methodological design. Through a content analysis applied to a selection of the Institutional Codes of Ethics studied, it is possible to point out that in general the principles of open government are not directly or clearly integrated into the codes. A relevant result refers to the use of these codes as an instrument for human resource management, especially in relation to specific problems faced by agencies. Finally, limitations and projections are discussed.