Scottish procurement: policy manual

Ethical standards and gifts and hospitality

All civil servants are required to comply with the Civil Service Code, carrying out their role in adherence to the code’s core values of integrity, honesty, objectivity and impartiality.

All procurement activity must be conducted with propriety and to the highest professional standards at all times, ensuring that suppliers and potential suppliers are treated fairly at all stages of the procurement process.

All staff must exercise care if offered gifts or hospitality. When considering whether it is appropriate to accept a gift, reward, benefit or any other form of hospitality which has been offered, refer to criteria that can be found in Scottish Government guidance.

Further guidance on ethical standards and expectations is detailed in the Scottish Public Finance Manual and Standards of Conduct on Saltire. Procurement Officers, DPOs, and all other staff involved in procurement must read and familiarise themselves with this guidance.

Procurement Officers, DPOs, and other staff who work in procurement-related roles are strongly encouraged to undertake the CIPS Ethical Procurement and Supply e-Learning and online test annually. For non-CIPS members, there is a charge associated with this e-Learning, which may be covered through learning budgets – please contact Commercial Capability for details.