The Board of Ethics and Government Accountability (BEGA or Board) was established in 2012 to perform several important functions, including administering and enforcing the Code of Conduct. The Board also is responsible for appointing the Director of the Office of Open Government (OOG). The OOG, which began operations in April 2013, ensures greater government transparency through enforcement of the Open Meetings Act (OMA) and the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).
Now in its second full year of operations, BEGA has accomplished its core mission by investigating and enforcing Code of Conduct violations, conducting training sessions and producing training materials for District government employees and public officials, and giving advice, both informally and in formal written advisory opinions. The experience gained from those efforts has prepared BEGA well to meet another of its principal responsibilities – conducting an annual assessment of ethical standards for public employees and officials, including a review of national best practices of government ethics, and presenting recommendations for amending the Code of Conduct.