You are a public-sector manager for a front-line government service who is
accountable to no one. This means there is no oversight and you can basically
set your own rules within your department. A new position in your department
has come available. You are told that you are expected to apply the rules
uniformly to everyone, but you know one person, a family member, who is
hard up on their luck and could use a job. You happen to think they are
qualified and would be well-suited for the job, but you also know that posting
the position publicly might mean that other, more qualified applicants could
apply.
Remember that you have complete authority to make this decision without
having to worry about sanctions or penalties. If you are being honest, what
would you do? Would you follow your own value system or would you hire
your family member? Why or why not? How does your answer demonstrate
the need for accountability mechanisms that can hold the public sector to
account? How effective do you think existing accountability measures are at
ensuring public sector workers remain accountable to the public interest?
Sample Solution
