Business, Commerce and Management Studies Public Administration

Ethics Principles For Municipal Government Employees Training

SAQA US 116343 | NQF 6 | Credits 10 | Duration 7 Days
From $1,523 per delegate

Description

This course equips municipal government employees with a robust understanding of ethical principles, enabling them to navigate complex moral dilemmas and uphold integrity in public service. Participants will learn to apply ethical frameworks to decision-making, fostering trust and accountability within their municipalities.

Learning Outcomes

  • Apply ethical principles and frameworks to resolve moral dilemmas in municipal governance.
  • Analyze case studies to evaluate the consequences of unethical behavior in public service.
  • Evaluate the role of transparency and accountability in fostering public trust.
  • Implement strategies to promote ethical conduct within municipal teams and departments.
  • Demonstrate understanding of relevant legislation and codes of conduct governing municipal employees.
  • Design a personal ethical decision-making model for consistent application in the workplace.

Target Audience

This course is designed for all municipal government employees, including managers, administrators, and frontline staff, who are committed to upholding ethical standards in their daily work.

Prerequisites

None — open enrollment.

Course Outline

Day 1: Introduction to Ethics and Municipal Governance

Objectives:
• Define ethics and its importance in public service.
• Understand the legal and constitutional framework for municipal ethics in South Africa.
• Identify key ethical dilemmas faced by municipal employees.
• Recognise the consequences of unethical behaviour.

Topics:
• What is ethics? Morality vs. ethics.
• The South African Constitution and Batho Pele principles.
• Overview of the Municipal Systems Act and Code of Conduct.
• Case studies: ethical breaches in municipalities.
• The role of ethics in building public trust.

Day 2: Core Ethical Principles for Public Officials

Objectives:
• Explain principles of integrity, accountability, and transparency.
• Apply the principle of impartiality in service delivery.
• Discuss the duty of loyalty to the public interest.
• Distinguish between personal and professional ethics.

Topics:
• Integrity: doing the right thing even when unobserved.
• Accountability: taking responsibility for decisions.
• Transparency: openness in processes and records.
• Impartiality: serving all citizens equally.
• Professionalism and conflict of interest basics.

Day 3: Identifying and Managing Conflicts of Interest

Objectives:
• Define conflict of interest in a municipal context.
• Recognise actual, potential, and perceived conflicts.
• Apply strategies to disclose and manage conflicts.
• Understand the implications of non-disclosure.

Topics:
• Types of conflicts: financial, personal, organisational.
• Gifts, favours, and hospitality: what is acceptable?
• Disclosure procedures and recusal practices.
• Case studies: conflict scenarios and resolutions.
• Post-employment restrictions and revolving door issues.

Day 4: Ethical Decision-Making Frameworks

Objectives:
• Utilise ethical decision-making models.
• Apply the REACH model (Recognise, Evaluate, Act, Check).
• Analyse case studies using ethical frameworks.
• Balance competing values in decision-making.

Topics:
• Overview of ethical theories: deontology, utilitarianism, virtue ethics.
• The REACH model step-by-step.
• Applying the Batho Pele principles to decisions.
• Group exercise: resolving an ethical dilemma.
• The role of ethics committees and advisors.

Day 5: Ethics in Procurement and Financial Management

Objectives:
• Understand ethical procurement principles.
• Identify corruption risks in supply chain management.
• Apply rules regarding tenders and contracts.
• Promote financial integrity and anti-fraud measures.

Topics:
• The Municipal Finance Management Act (MFMA) and ethics.
• Procurement processes: fairness, equity, transparency.
• Red flags for fraud and corruption.
• Whistleblowing: protections and procedures.
• Case studies: procurement scandals and lessons learned.

Day 6: Reporting Misconduct and Whistleblowing

Objectives:
• Understand the legal framework for whistleblowing.
• Identify internal and external reporting channels.
• Recognise the risks and protections for whistleblowers.
• Develop a personal action plan for reporting misconduct.

Topics:
• Protected Disclosures Act and relevant policies.
• Reporting mechanisms: hotlines, ethics officers, ombudsman.
• Overcoming fear of retaliation.
• Role of the Public Protector and Auditor-General.
• Scenario-based role play: making a disclosure.

Day 7: Embedding Ethics in Municipal Culture and Assessment

Objectives:
• Develop strategies to promote an ethical culture.
• Create a personal ethics action plan.
• Participate in a comprehensive assessment.
• Commit to ongoing ethical development.

Topics:
• Building an ethical organisational culture.
• Leadership and role modelling.
• Training and awareness programmes.
• Review of unit standard outcomes.
• Summative assessment: case study analysis and reflection.
• Course evaluation and certificates.

Practicals

No practicals for this training.

This course is made up of exercises and case studies delivered alongside the theory — no separate practical sessions are required to complete it.

Summatives

Each delegate is assessed continuously throughout the course and a final summative test at the end.

Daily Exercises — 30%

Every training day ends with a multiple-choice exercise scored out of 100%. The scores from each daily exercise are averaged across the duration of the course to produce a Daily Average mark, which contributes 30% to the final total.

Final Test — 70%

On the last day a final summative test is written. It is a multiple-choice paper with multiple-answer questions: each question may have more than one correct option, and a single wrong selection on a question marks the entire question wrong — no partial credit. The final test is scored out of 100% and contributes 70% to the overall mark.

Final Total
Component Out of Weight
Daily Average (multiple choice) 100% 30%
Final Test (multi-answer multiple choice) 100% 70%
Final Total 100%

All marks are recorded on the AATICD LMS and visible to each learner under their account.

Certificate

Certificate of Completion

Awarded to delegates who achieve an overall mark of 50% or higher on the Final Total (Daily Average 30% + Final Test 70%).

How it works
  • Certificates are auto-generated on the AATICD LMS as soon as the marks pass the 50% threshold.
  • Each certificate is a branded PDF with the delegate's name, the course title, the unit standard ID, NQF level, credits, and the date of issue.
  • You can download or print your certificate from your LMS dashboard at any time after issue — there's no reissue fee and no expiry date.
  • If you scored under 50% you can sit the final test again at the next scheduled session at no extra cost.
Where to find it

Sign in to the LMS, open your dashboard, and your certificates appear under My Certificates. Each entry has a View / Download button and a print option.

Training Discounts

Group discounts apply automatically — the more delegates you enrol, the greater the saving. Discounts are calculated at 3% per 5 delegates, scaling up to 40% off for 100+ delegates.

Delegates Discount
5 3% off
10 6% off
15 9% off
20 12% off
25 15% off
30 18% off
50 30% off
75 35% off
100 40% off

3% discount per 5 delegates, up to 40% off for 100+ delegates. Contact us for a custom group quote.

Upcoming Training Sessions
Online training — attend live sessions from anywhere via our virtual classroom.
Start End Delivery Season Price Action
Mon 07 Sep 2026 Tue 15 Sep 2026 Virtual Spring 2026 $1,523 Register
Fri 02 Oct 2026 Mon 12 Oct 2026 Virtual Spring 2026 $1,523 Register
Thu 22 Oct 2026 Fri 30 Oct 2026 Virtual Spring 2026 $1,523 Register
Thu 10 Dec 2026 Fri 18 Dec 2026 Virtual Summer 2026 $1,523 Register
Wed 13 Jan 2027 Thu 21 Jan 2027 Virtual Summer 2026 $1,523 Register
Tue 16 Feb 2027 Wed 24 Feb 2027 Virtual Summer 2026 $1,523 Register
Mon 01 Mar 2027 Tue 09 Mar 2027 Virtual Autumn 2027 $1,523 Register
Fri 12 Mar 2027 Mon 22 Mar 2027 Virtual Autumn 2027 $1,523 Register
Thu 18 Mar 2027 Fri 26 Mar 2027 Virtual Autumn 2027 $1,523 Register
Wed 09 Jun 2027 Thu 17 Jun 2027 Virtual Winter 2027 $1,523 Register
Tue 29 Jun 2027 Wed 07 Jul 2027 Virtual Winter 2027 $1,523 Register
Mon 19 Jul 2027 Tue 27 Jul 2027 Virtual Winter 2027 $1,523 Register
Fri 10 Sep 2027 Mon 20 Sep 2027 Virtual Spring 2027 $1,523 Register
Thu 30 Sep 2027 Fri 08 Oct 2027 Virtual Spring 2027 $1,523 Register
Wed 20 Oct 2027 Thu 28 Oct 2027 Virtual Spring 2027 $1,523 Register
Thu 09 Dec 2027 Fri 17 Dec 2027 Virtual Summer 2027 $1,523 Register
Wed 29 Dec 2027 Thu 06 Jan 2028 Virtual Summer 2027 $1,523 Register
Tue 18 Jan 2028 Wed 26 Jan 2028 Virtual Summer 2027 $1,523 Register
On-Campus training — face-to-face sessions at our training venues across Africa and beyond.
Showing all 492 sessions across 26 venues
Start End Venue Season Price Action
Mon 10 Aug 2026 Tue 18 Aug 2026 Dubai, UAE Winter 2026 $5,929 Register
Tue 11 Aug 2026 Wed 19 Aug 2026 Pretoria, South Africa Winter 2026 $2,284 Register
Wed 12 Aug 2026 Thu 20 Aug 2026 Abu Dhabi, UAE Winter 2026 $5,929 Register
Thu 13 Aug 2026 Fri 21 Aug 2026 Durban, South Africa Winter 2026 $3,607 Register
Thu 13 Aug 2026 Fri 21 Aug 2026 Mauritius Winter 2026 $4,525 Register
In-House training — we bring the trainer to your organisation, tailored to your team.
Start End Delivery Season Price Action
Tue 15 Sep 2026 Wed 23 Sep 2026 Your Premises Spring 2026 $1,982 Register
Mon 05 Oct 2026 Tue 13 Oct 2026 Your Premises Spring 2026 $1,982 Register
Fri 30 Oct 2026 Mon 09 Nov 2026 Your Premises Spring 2026 $1,982 Register
Fri 18 Dec 2026 Mon 28 Dec 2026 Your Premises Summer 2026 $1,982 Register
Thu 21 Jan 2027 Fri 29 Jan 2027 Your Premises Summer 2026 $1,982 Register
Wed 24 Feb 2027 Thu 04 Mar 2027 Your Premises Summer 2026 $1,982 Register
Tue 09 Mar 2027 Wed 17 Mar 2027 Your Premises Autumn 2027 $1,982 Register
Mon 15 Mar 2027 Tue 23 Mar 2027 Your Premises Autumn 2027 $1,982 Register
Fri 26 Mar 2027 Mon 05 Apr 2027 Your Premises Autumn 2027 $1,982 Register
Thu 17 Jun 2027 Fri 25 Jun 2027 Your Premises Winter 2027 $1,982 Register
Wed 07 Jul 2027 Thu 15 Jul 2027 Your Premises Winter 2027 $1,982 Register
Tue 27 Jul 2027 Wed 04 Aug 2027 Your Premises Winter 2027 $1,982 Register
Mon 13 Sep 2027 Tue 21 Sep 2027 Your Premises Spring 2027 $1,982 Register
Fri 08 Oct 2027 Mon 18 Oct 2027 Your Premises Spring 2027 $1,982 Register
Thu 28 Oct 2027 Fri 05 Nov 2027 Your Premises Spring 2027 $1,982 Register
Fri 17 Dec 2027 Mon 27 Dec 2027 Your Premises Summer 2027 $1,982 Register
Thu 06 Jan 2028 Fri 14 Jan 2028 Your Premises Summer 2027 $1,982 Register
Wed 26 Jan 2028 Thu 03 Feb 2028 Your Premises Summer 2027 $1,982 Register
Training Discounts
Delegates Discount
5 3% off
10 6% off
15 9% off
20 12% off
25 15% off
30 18% off
50 30% off
75 35% off
100 40% off

3% off per 5 delegates, up to 40% for 100+

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