Our Code of Conduct

Introduction

Every employee of Brandon School Division is responsible at all times for their professional and ethical conduct.  Employees must conduct themselves with the highest degree of integrity, responsibility and accountability.

The Brandon School Division (BSD) Code of Conduct (Code) is a requirement under The Public Service Act.  It outlines the values and expected behaviours of Manitoba’s broader public service as stated in Part 2, Sections 4 and 5 of the Act.

Application

For the purpose of this Code, employee shall mean BSD Trustees and employees.

Adherence to the Code is a requirement for all BSD employees.

The Code is not intended to replace, but rather complement, existing policies and administrative procedures.  Employees are expected to follow all other policies, administrative procedures, or mandates that affect the unique responsibilities of their position.

The values for an ethical and effective Public Service also apply to the Brandon School Division Trustees. However, Trustees are “elected officials” who have a fundamentally different role from Brandon School Division employees. While Trustees have a clear political dimension, they must ensure their interactions with BSD employees are free from political influence.

Values for an Ethical and Effective Public Service

The Code is founded on the values for an ethical public service, as described in Part 2, Sections 4 and 5 of The Public Service Act.  These values provide a common framework to guide the public service in serving the public in an ethical manner.  The following are the values for an ethical public service, including some examples of how these values are demonstrated through the actions and behaviours of employees.

Respect for Others

Employees must treat others with respect, courtesy and dignity, and value the diversity of their fellow employees and the public we serve by being open to the exchange of different perspectives and ideas.  Employees should treat others equitably, with fairness and honesty, and remain committed to fostering workplaces free of discrimination and harassment, including sexual harassment and bullying.

Integrity

Employees must exhibit honesty, integrity, consistency and impartiality while maintaining the highest standards of personal and professional conduct.   Employees must not conduct themselves in a manner that would reflect adversely on the BSD.  To ensure employees are acting in the public interest, they must resolve conflicts of interest in favour of the public interest; maintain confidentiality of information; handle sensitive information appropriately and discreetly; and conduct themselves in a non-partisan manner.

Accountability

Employees serve the needs, interests, and expectations of the people of BSD.  Further to this, employees should demonstrate leadership and take responsibility for decisions and actions.  It is imperative that employees are fiscally responsible and are careful stewards of public resources.

Skill and Dedication

To provide high quality and prompt service, employees must give their best to meet performance standards and organizational requirements.   Employees must be open to continual learning and innovation, and must promote excellence through reflection and by maintaining and improving their knowledge, skills, abilities and competencies, as well as assist in enhancing those of their colleagues.

Service

To provide high quality service, employees must provide services fairly, reliably and competently.  Employees should focus on quality and outcomes to achieve performance standards, and be transparent to enable public scrutiny.

Collaboration

Employees should invite teamwork and collaboration to maximize strategic investment in delivering services.  Employees must engage and collaborate with the public to provide the opportunity to inform, develop and implement services; and advance reconciliation through concrete and constructive partnerships with Indigenous peoples.

Innovation

Employees need to be flexible and creative in the delivery of public services so as to adapt quickly and effectively to changes in priorities and needs of the public.  Employees must engage in strategic and predictive decision-making; and experiment and measure results to identify opportunities for new responses to complex problems.

Sustainability

Employees must exercise skill and judgement in the use of public resources in delivering services, and continually evaluate services to determine if those services are meeting the needs of the public in an efficient and responsive manner.

Action Plan and Expected Behaviours

Brandon School Division Board of Trustees and Employees demonstrate the values for an ethical public service through their actions and behaviours. The expected behaviours, actions, and procedures are detailed in the Policies and Administrative Procedures of the Division.  The Policies and Administrative Procedures are available on the Brandon School Division website.   Applicable Polices and Administrative Procedures are listed below.

Policies

• Policy 1 – Vision, Values and Mission
• Policy 3 – Board Policy Development, Implementation and Review
• Policy 4 – Role and Responsibilities of the Board
• Policy 7 – Board Member Code of Conduct
• Policy 8 – Board Development and Evaluation
• Policy 11 – Respect for Human Diversity
• Policy 12 – Learning Environment, Programs and Services
• Policy 13 – Safe Schools
• Policy 14 – Community Engagement
• Policy 15 – Fiscal Management
• Policy 16 – Appointment of Signing Officers 

Administrative Procedures

• Administrative Procedure 1010 – Community – Education Partnership
• Administrative Procedure 1020 – Consultation
• Administrative Procedure 1022 – Dispute Resolution
• Administrative Procedure 1025 – Division Foundations
• Administrative Procedure 1030 – Equity
• Administrative Procedure 1055 – Whistleblower
• Administrative Procedure 1060 – Collection and Use of Data
• Administrative Procedure 2005 – Student Code of Conduct
• Administrative Procedure 2010 – Communications
• Administrative Procedure 2050 – Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) Use by Staff
• Administrative Procedure 2065 – Records Management
• Administrative Procedure 2095 – Records Retention and Disposition
• Administrative Procedure 3000 – Accounting for School Generated Funds
• Administrative Procedure 3002 – School Fees and Fundraising
• Administrative Procedure 3005 – Banking Procedures
• Administrative Procedure 3010 – Budget: Instructional Equipment and Supplies
• Administrative Procedure 3035 – Disposal of Equipment and Materials
• Administrative Procedure 3060 – Purchasing Authority
• Administrative Procedure 4535 – Human Diversity
• Administrative Procedure 5002 – Accessibility Standard for Customer Service
• Administrative Procedure 5003 – Accessibility Standard for Employment
• Administrative Procedure 5025 – Confidential Information
• Administrative Procedure 5070 – Evaluation of Professional Staff
• Administrative Procedure 5075 – Evaluation of School Leaders
• Administrative Procedure 5080 – Evaluation of Support Staff
• Administrative Procedure 5125 – Reporting Guidelines for Support Staff
• Administrative Procedure 5130 – Respectful Workplace