Training

Training will focus on two principal—and interrelated—areas of concern:

1. Statutory Compliance

To inform and educate elected and appointed officials concerning their legal responsibilities under Missouri law in the area of ethical conduct through a series of seminars, workshops, and conferences scheduled on a periodic basis throughout the year and eventually held in regional locations around the State of Missouri.

Expertise will be drawn from the Missouri Ethics Commission, the Missouri Attorney General’s Office, former elected officials and public administrators, as well as faculty with relevant expertise from the University of Missouri-St. Louis and other academic or public interest institutions.
To maximize reach and efficiency, programs may be held in conjunction with meetings of professional associations of government officials such as the Missouri Municipal League, the Missouri Association of Counties, or regional planning organizations.
In particular, the training program will include (but not be limited to) topics such as: conflict-of-interest regulation, personal financial disclosure requirements, public records and open meeting requirements, and lobbying regulations.
To inform candidates for public office in the requirements of campaign finance laws and the requirements to disclose and report contributions and expenditures for the evaluation of the electorate, training will be offered primarily through seminars and workshops tailored for aspirants to elective office.

2. Ethical Decision-Making

To develop ethical competence in all aspects of a public official’s conduct (not just in compliance behavior), the Center will sponsor educational events and seminars that will:

Strengthen public officials’ commitment to and motivation for engaging in ethical decision-making.
Assist public officials in the development of an ethical framework for leadership and decision-making.
Provide instruction about skills and techniques for effective ethical decision-making.
Facilitate discussion about ethical challenges or dilemmas that require a thoughtful response.
Examine good practices in official conduct which will promote ethical performance and inspire public confidence.

Programs would also include dialogue regarding best practices in the conduct of campaigns which further free, fair, open, and honest debate of the issues and candidate qualifications.

In addition, the Center will provide state and local governments with the resources and tools necessary to develop values-based codes of ethics for formal adoption by a political subdivision or agency as well as guidance on their meaningful implementation.