Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) Diplomatic Service Selection Civil Service Ethics, Governance and Professional Conduct Syllabus

What rules govern the acceptance of gifts and hospitality by civil servants?

Gifts and hospitality must be declared and recorded; they should generally be refused where they could be seen to compromise impartiality, and departments maintain a gifts/hospitality register with value thresholds for declaration.

What are the 'business appointment rules' (BAR) and whom do they cover?

Rules requiring civil servants (and ministers) to seek approval before taking up outside appointments or employment after leaving the Civil Service, to prevent improper use of contacts or information; the most senior cases are overseen by the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments (ACOBA).

What is the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) and what is its remit?

A House of Commons select committee that scrutinises the value for money, economy, efficiency and effectiveness of public spending, holding accounting officers to account; it does not examine the policy itself, only its implementation and use of money.

What is the role of the National Audit Office (NAO) and who heads it?

The NAO independently audits central government accounts and conducts value-for-money studies, reporting to Parliament; it is headed by the Comptroller and Auditor General (C&AG).

Who is the 'Accounting Officer' in a government department and what is their core personal responsibility?

Usually the Permanent Secretary, personally responsible and accountable to Parliament for the regularity, propriety, value for money and feasibility of the department's use of public funds.

What is a 'ministerial direction' in the context of accounting officers?

A formal written instruction a minister gives when an accounting officer has objected (on grounds of regularity, propriety, value for money or feasibility) to a course of action; it transfers responsibility to the minister and is normally disclosed to Parliament and the NAO.

What are the 'Osmotherly Rules'?

Government guidance on how civil servants should give evidence to parliamentary select committees, emphasising that officials appear on behalf of their minister and account to, rather than are accountable to, committees.

Name the four standards an accounting officer must satisfy when using public money.

Regularity, Propriety, Value for Money, and Feasibility.

What is the key Treasury document setting out how public bodies should handle public funds?

'Managing Public Money' (HM Treasury).

Define 'regularity' and 'propriety' as used in Managing Public Money.

Regularity: spending complies with the relevant legislation, delegated authority and Parliament's intentions. Propriety: spending meets high standards of conduct, including fairness, integrity and the expectations of Parliament and the public.

What does the '3 Es' framework of value for money stand for?

Economy, Efficiency and Effectiveness (sometimes extended to a 4th E, Equity).

What is 'stewardship' of public money?

The duty to safeguard public funds and assets, ensure they are used efficiently and for their intended purpose, maintain proper records, and protect against fraud, loss and waste over the long term.

What are the three tiers of the UK Government Security Classifications (GSC) policy?

OFFICIAL, SECRET and TOP SECRET.

What type of information falls under the OFFICIAL classification, and what is OFFICIAL-SENSITIVE?

OFFICIAL covers the majority of routine government business and public services where compromise would have moderate impact. OFFICIAL-SENSITIVE is a handling caveat (not a separate tier) for the most sensitive OFFICIAL information needing tighter need-to-know controls.

When is information classified as SECRET under the GSC?

When its compromise could threaten life, seriously damage national security or international relations, or impede investigations into serious organised crime; it requires very high assurance protective controls.

When is information classified as TOP SECRET under the GSC?

When its compromise could cause exceptionally grave damage to national security or international relations, e.g. widespread loss of life; it demands the highest level of protection.

What does the 'need-to-know' principle require?

That access to classified or sensitive information is limited to those who genuinely require it to perform their official duties, regardless of seniority or clearance level.

Name the main UK national security vetting levels from lowest to highest.

Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS), Counter-Terrorist Check (CTC), Security Check (SC), and Developed Vetting (DV).

What are the two key pieces of UK data protection legislation, and what regulator enforces them?

The UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018, enforced by the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO).

State the seven data protection principles under UK GDPR.

1) Lawfulness, fairness and transparency; 2) Purpose limitation; 3) Data minimisation; 4) Accuracy; 5) Storage limitation; 6) Integrity and confidentiality (security); 7) Accountability.

Within what timeframe must a notifiable personal data breach be reported to the ICO?

Without undue delay and, where feasible, no later than 72 hours after becoming aware of it.

Which legislation gives the public a right of access to recorded information held by public authorities, and what is the standard response deadline?

The Freedom of Information Act 2000, with a standard response deadline of 20 working days.

What is the legal framework governing the management and disposal of official records, and which body advises on it?

The Public Records Act 1958 (and 1967), under which records are reviewed for transfer to The National Archives, generally under the '20-year rule'.

What is 'counter-espionage awareness' designed to protect against?

The threat of hostile state and non-state actors seeking to obtain classified or sensitive information through espionage, recruitment, cyber-intrusion or insider exploitation.

What is the 'insider threat' and what behaviours might indicate it?

The risk posed by individuals with legitimate access who misuse it (deliberately or unwittingly) to harm security; indicators include unexplained affluence, unauthorised access or copying, secrecy, vulnerability to coercion, and disregard for security procedures.

Which UK organisation provides protective security advice for national infrastructure (formerly CPNI)?

The National Protective Security Authority (NPSA), part of MI5.

Under the Equality Act 2010, what are the nine protected characteristics?

Age; disability; gender reassignment; marriage and civil partnership; pregnancy and maternity; race; religion or belief; sex; and sexual orientation.

What is the Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED) under section 149 of the Equality Act 2010?

A duty on public authorities to have due regard to the need to eliminate discrimination, advance equality of opportunity, and foster good relations between people who share a protected characteristic and those who do not.

Distinguish direct discrimination from indirect discrimination under the Equality Act 2010.

Direct discrimination: treating someone less favourably because of a protected characteristic. Indirect discrimination: applying a provision, criterion or practice that disadvantages people with a protected characteristic and cannot be objectively justified as a proportionate means of achieving a legitimate aim.

What is the recruitment and assessment framework used across the modern UK Civil Service, and what are its elements?

The 'Success Profiles' framework, assessing candidates across Behaviours, Strengths, Ability, Experience and Technical (skills/knowledge).