Ethics Guidance
OGE Conference

U.S. Office of Government Ethics
1201 New York Avenue, NW.
Suite 500
Washington, DC 20005

202.482.9300

USA.govE.govRegulations.gov

Training Workshops and Seminars

In addition to its annual conference, OGE offers numerous workshops and seminars throughout the year, both in Washington, DC and in other parts of the country, for executive branch ethics officials. OGE fully supports Executive Order 13160 mandating equal opportunity in all federally conducted education and training programs. In support of this policy, OGE provides procedures to follow in filing complaints alleging violations of the executive order. See EO 13160 & Rehabilitation Act, Sections 504 and 508 Procedures under Management at OGE.

 

TRAINING IN WASHINGTON, DC

All classroom training will be held at:

1201 New York Avenue, NW
Suite 500
Washington, DC 20005

Analyzing Gift Issues

Gift rules in the federal Government are designed to prevent employees from giving and accepting inappropriate gifts. This course gives you as ethics officials the tools you need to help employees make sound decisions about gifts.

Note: The material covered in this course is also covered in the New Ethics Official Orientation Course.

Course Length: 3 hours

Intended Audience: Ethics officials who want to learn the basic laws and regulations on giving and accepting gifts.

January  20  — 10:00AM – 12:00PM
March       2  —   9:00AM – 12:00PM

Registration Form


Certifying 278 Reports

This course focuses on the knowledge and skills new reviewers need to complete a review of the Executive Branch Public Financial Disclosure Report (SF 278). The course examines how to review the reports for technical accuracy and identify potential financial conflicts of interest. The course also addresses how to determine the best action to resolve various types of financial conflicts.

You have the opportunity to practice reviewing and analyzing a fictitious SF 278 with entries similar to those from a typical filer. Class format includes lecture, discussion, and hands-on exercises for each schedule of the fictitious employee SF 278.

Course Length: 7 hours

Intended Audience: Ethics officials who would like to learn the basics of reviewing and certifying public financial disclosure reports.

February  9  — 9:00AM – 4:00PM
March       9  — 9:00AM – 4:00PM

Registration Form


Certifying 450 Reports

Correctly identifying and resolving real and potential conflict of interest issues reported on OGE Form 450 reports are the hallmarks of an effective reviewer. This course shows you how to successfully complete a technical review and conflict analysis of the OGE 450 form.

Course Length: 3 hours

Intended Audience: Ethics officials who are new to reviewing and/or certifying OGE Form 450 reports.

January    21 — 9:00AM – 12:00PM
January    26 — 9:00AM – 12:00PM
February    4 — 9:00AM – 12:00PM
February  11 — 9:00AM – 12:00PM

Registration Form


Conflict-Free Post-Employment Activities

As more and more federal employees leave Government service the demand for post-employment counseling increases. Your challenge is to provide accurate counseling on how to avoid activities that violate the post-employment laws. This course focuses on the key elements of the most common post-employment restrictions and gives you the opportunity to analyze real life situations.

Course Length: 7.5 hours

Intended Audience: Ethics officials who need to provide post-employment counseling to employees and any new ethics officials looking for an introduction to post-employment laws and regulations.

March   16  — 9:30AM – 5:00PM

Registration Form



Elements of a Complete Ethics Program

This session is designed for new ethics officials. Its purpose is to clarify what an ethics program encompasses, what resourece you should have available, and what "non-ethics issues" you should familiarize yourself with. If you are not sure you are covering all the bases, this session will help you identify what you should be including in your ethics program. Please note that this is a great session to attend as a prerequisite to the New Ethics Official Orientation class.

Session Length: 3 hours

Intended Audience: All ethics officials, particularly those new to ethics.

February  17  — 9:00AM – 12:00PM
March       17  — 9:00AM –12:00PM

Registration Form


Ensuring Consistent Advice and Counsel Workshop

Providing advice and counsel to employees is an important function of ethics officials. Ensuring that the advice and counsel is consistent is a sound practice as it assures employees that responses to their questions are accurate and based on the principles of ethical conduct.

Attend the advice and counsel workshop where OGE facilitators will help you develop ways in which you can enhance this ethics program element.

Course Length: 3 hours

Intended Audience: Ethics officials who want to improve their ethics program through cooperation with the ethics community.

March 23  — 9:00AM – 12:00PM

Registration Form


How to Conduct a Self Assesment with Surveys Workshop

This interactive workshop includes a general discussion of what self-assessments are and how they can be used to help you evaluate your ethics program. Particularly, participants will learn how to conduct self-assessments with surveys. Examples of surveys used by agencies to evaluate their ethics program will be shared. Participants are provided with a framework for developing and administering surveys and will walk away with a self-assessment survey created during the workshop that can be implemented in their respectice agencies.

Workshop Length: 2 hours

Intended Audience: Ethics officials who want to learn about a variety of self assessment tools.

March   11  — 9:00AM – 11:00AM

Registration Form



Introduction to Conflicts of Interest - The Law, Appearances, and Prospective Employment

As a new ethics official, it is your job to accurately interpret the ethics rules that define ethical behavior. This requires recognizing when employees have conflicts of interest or even the appearance of conflicts. Conflicts take a variety of forms from violations of the conflict of interest laws to violations of the impartiality and seeking employment rules in the Standards of Conduct. As new ethics officials, it is important that you are knowledgeable in how to analyze conflicts. This course introduces you to ethics and shows you how to analyze conflicts of interest and impartiality issues.

Course Length: 2 Days

Intended Audience: Ethics officials who want to interpret the ethics rules that define ethical behavior.

February   2 –  3  — 9:30AM – 4:30PM
March      30 – 31 — 9:30AM – 4:30PM

Registration Form


New Ethics Official Orientation

Are you new to the world of ethics? This course is the fastest way to get up to speed with the ethics basics. In this intensive one day experience, you will be introduced to a variety of ethics issues including: conflicts of interest, gifts, and financial disclosure. If you are starting from zero and need to get up to speed fast this is the course for you. Please note that the Elements of a Complete Ethics Program session is a great prerequisite to this class.

Course Length: 8 hours

Intended Audience: New ethics officials looking for an introduction to a variety of ethics issues.

January    28  — 9:00AM – 5:00PM
February  18  — 9:00AM – 5:00PM
March       18  — 9:00AM – 5:00PM

Registration Form


OGE Form 450 Review: Web-based Training

Would you like to brush up on your OGE Form 450 review skills? In this interactive, Web-based training event you will have the opportunity to work with other ethics officials to review actual OGE forms 450 with the guidance of an OGE instructor. This two-part course is light on lecture and heavy on participation. Part one is a short, mandatory introduction to web-based learning. In part two we will jump in and start reviewing forms. This instructor-led web-based training will be available from any location provided the participant can access the internet and connect to the training session via WebEx.

Participants should have a working knowledge of OGE form 450 reporting requirements prior to taking this course.

Course Length: Part  I — 30 minutes
                              Part II — 2 hours

Intended Audience: Ethics officials who are interested in further developing their confidential financial disclosure skills.

January   12 — Part  I — 2:00PM – 2:30PM   &   January   14  — Part II - 2:00PM - 4:00PM
February 23 — Part  I — 2:00PM – 2:30PM   &    February 25 — Part II - 2:00PM - 4:00PM

Registration Form



Widely Attended Gatherings

This course covers the rules for the two gift exceptions under Widely Attended Gatherings and Other Events (WAG) -- Speaking and Similar Engagements and Widely Attended Gatherings. You will have the opportunity to analyze your questions using the six analysis steps under WAG.

Course Length: 2 hours

Intended Audience: Ethics officials who would like to learn the two gift exceptions under Widely Attended Gatherings and Other Events.

January 20  — 2:00PM – 4:00PM
March      2  — 2:00PM – 4:00PM

Registration Form

 

TRAINING IN OTHER FEDERAL REGIONS

 

REQUEST FOR AN OGE SPEAKER/INSTRUCTOR

To request an OGE speaker or instructor for your agency's training event, please fill out our online form. A representative from the Program Services Division will contact you regarding your request. If you need assistance with submitting your request, please contact Kaneisha Cunningham at ktcunnin@oge.gov.