deliver / ethics in delivery for public sector teams

Public sector teams are delivering in an environment of scrutiny, complexity and constant change. Trust is fragile: every project or service has the potential to be questioned, whether it’s the way data is handled, the fairness of procurement, or how openly risks are reported. When ethical standards slip, even unintentionally, the result can be reputational damage, loss of public confidence and disruption to delivery.

This programme gives teams the confidence and practical tools to navigate those pressures. It brings the Nolan Principles and the Civil Service Code into the day-to-day reality of project and service delivery, using real scenarios and dilemmas. It is especially suited to project and transformation teams balancing multiple stakeholders, operational teams making difficult trade-offs, procurement and commissioning teams under pressure to stay impartial, and leadership groups who need to set the tone.

The course is most valuable when teams are newly formed, about to take on sensitive or high-profile work, responding to audit or governance concerns, or adapting to organisational change. It focuses on building shared habits, decision frameworks and cultural norms that make ethical delivery the default, even under pressure.

enquire

    • Detect and respond to ethical tensions in real delivery work (projects, operations)

    • Use accessible decision frameworks integrating values, rules and consequences

    • Navigate negotiation, pressure, data integrity and transparency demands with ethical clarity

    • Embed standards and checkpoints into delivery rhythms - not as side notes but as built-in guardrails

    • Strengthen team culture around accountability, trust, speaking up and safe dissent

    • A clear practical framework for making ethical decisions in delivery work.

    • Greater confidence in responding to dilemmas involving data, stakeholders or suppliers.

    • Stronger teamwork through shared language and norms for accountability.

    • Tools and techniques for building ethical checkpoints into planning, reporting and reviews.

  • 09:30 – Welcome and introductions

    • Setting the scene: why ethics matter more than ever in public service delivery.

    • Framing the day with the Nolan Principles and Civil Service Code.

    • Agreeing expectations and building a safe space for open discussion.

    09:45 – Values in practice

    • Exploring what ethical behaviour looks like in delivery teams.

    • Mapping examples of when ethics has been tested in participants’ work.

    • Group discussion on where teams feel most exposed to ethical pressure.

    10:15 – Ethical dilemmas in initiation and briefing

    • Working with short project briefs that contain built-in ethical tensions (e.g. stakeholder pressure, hidden conflicts, unclear scope).

    • Teams apply a structured decision framework that balances stakeholders, values, rules and consequences.

    • Groups share back their reasoning and trade-offs, with facilitated reflection on different approaches.

    11:15 – Break

    11:30 – Roles, accountability and communication

    • Analysing how role clarity and power dynamics shape ethical choices.

    • Exploring how communication styles can either reinforce or undermine integrity.

    • Practical exercise: role-play a scenario where a senior stakeholder requests that data be adjusted or risk information be softened.

    12:15 – Negotiation and conflict

    • Identifying where negotiation can cross ethical boundaries.

    • Techniques for handling pressure from contractors, vendors or stakeholders without compromising standards.

    • Simulation: groups negotiate with hidden agendas built in, then debrief on the ethical red lines they set.

    13:00 – Lunch

    13:45 – Risks, reporting and whistleblowing

    • Viewing risk management as both a technical and ethical practice.

    • Exploring reporting, escalation and whistleblowing routes in delivery settings.

    • Case study exercise: a project audit reveals irregularities, teams must decide how to respond and justify their choice.

    14:30 – Team culture and motivation

    • Understanding how team culture supports or undermines ethical behaviour.

    • Identifying practical ways to build trust and psychological safety so concerns can be raised early.

    • Group exercise: drafting a short “team ethical charter” that captures shared commitments.

    15:15 – Break

    15:30 – Embedding ethics into delivery

    • Identifying points in the project lifecycle where ethical “checkpoints” should sit (initiation, change requests, reporting, close-out).

    • Introducing simple tools and routines that make ethics visible in daily work.

    • Reflection activity: participants map where in their own workflows ethical checks could be added or strengthened.

    16:15 – Commitments and next steps

    • Summarising key takeaways from the day.

    • Individual reflection: one ethical habit or behaviour each participant will commit to.

    • Team discussion: collective commitments and follow-up actions to embed ethics in delivery practice.

    • Signposting further resources and professional codes.

    16:30 – Close

  • Full-day programme
    Delivered virtually or face-to-face.

    Follow-up session (3 months later)
    A 2-hour virtual session to:

    • Reconnect as a team

    • Review progress and challenges

    • Refresh commitments and embed learning

Teamshaper's Innovate training module