IN CONCLUSION

Not everything that is possible is also desirable from an integrity perspective. Across all areas of integrity management, organisations should weigh the advantages and disadvantages of using digital technologies. An integrity-based digital workplace also requires attention to complex legislation and regulations and to the responsible use of the wide range of digital technologies available. Additional attention should be paid to the importance of human oversight of processes that depend on digital technology, to weighing values and interests when using digital technologies, and to the societal risks associated with digital technologies that use AI. In doing so, it is important to regularly update your organisation’s integrity policy. The seven components of the Authority’s Integrity Infrastructure model can be of help in this regard.

HOW TO PUT THIS BROCHURE INTO PRACTICE TOMORROW

You can do this in three ways:[1]

1. Organise a brief meeting with key figures. The aim of this meeting is to quickly build support and set priorities. Invite management, HR, IT and the integrity officer or coordinator to a brief meeting. During this meeting, discuss:

• What digital technologies (e.g. AI, monitoring and data analytics) does the organisation currently use?
• What are the biggest risks or concerns that employees and managers currently perceive in relation to digital technologies?
• What is management’s vision on digital integrity? The result is a short list of 2-3 urgent points to consider for the short term and management’s vision on using digital technologies with integrity. 

2. Start by communicating clearly to all employees

The goal of this action point is to increase awareness among employees and promote transparency. Send a short email or message to all staff with:

• A brief explanation of why working digitally with integrity is important for the organisation and what the organisation’s vision is on using digital technologies with integrity.
• An overview of existing rules (e.g. from the code of conduct) and where employees can access these rules.
• A request to raise concerns and questions with a point of contact (e.g. HR or the integrity coordinator).
• An announcement about a short training or Q&A session on this topic (see action point 3).

This results in employees being aware that this topic is receiving attention within the organisation and knowing where they can go if they have questions.

3. Plan a brief, practical training session or workshop on using digital technologies with integrity

The aim of this workshop or short training session is to immediately improve employees’ knowledge and skills regarding the use of digital technologies with integrity in the organisation. Organise this session, lasting between 30 and 60 minutes, at short notice (e.g. within two weeks) for all employees and focus on:

• The basic principles of digital integrity (e.g. handling AI, data and privacy).
• Recognising risks, such as bias in AI, data breaches and unintended misuse.
• Where and how employees can report concerns or incidents.

For this workshop or training session, consider bringing in an external expert or an internal IT staff member who can explain the basics of digital integrity. Such a workshop will result in employees feeling heard regarding their concerns about digital integrity and knowing what is expected of them in terms of using digital technologies with integrity. This will help them take immediate action.

Extra step: establish a small working group

The organisation can also decide to establish a small working group of 2-3 motivated employees from different departments to work on the following actions in the short term:

• Evaluating the outcomes of the meeting with key figures and the short training session.
• Preparing a proposal for an initial update of the integrity policy (e.g. a section on digital integrity).
• Drawing up a list of frequently asked questions about digital integrity for the intranet.