Ethics is central in the study and practice of public administration and the need to inquire into it has been recognized in the academe. Nowadays, integrating ethics in managerial decision making appears in demand in view of the fact that unethical practices cost, not only the government but the society at large, a lot. This article addresses the lack of systematic assessment of ethics in decisionmaking, particularly among local government officials without access to public funds. Among others, the author point outs that local government officials and employees are exposed to various forms of ethical risks. To address this problem, the author recommends the strengthening of ethical safeguards, protection of the whistle blowers, and the reduction of incidence of distortion of managerial roles.
