GGST - Global General Service Situational Judgement: Ethics Questions and Answers

Question 1

A staff member is part of a procurement committee selecting a vendor for a new IT system.
Their cousin is a senior manager at one of the bidding companies.
What is the most appropriate first step for the staff member to take?

Accepted Answer

Disclose the potential conflict of interest to the committee chair or their supervisor.

Answer

Continue serving on the committee but abstain from voting on their cousin's company.

Answer

Resign from the committee immediately without providing a reason to avoid embarrassment.

Answer

Advise their cousin on how to make their company's bid more competitive.

Question 2

A staff member is working late to finish an urgent report. They realize they need to print a 100-page personal document for a university course they are taking. The office printer is available and has plenty of paper. What is the most ethical course of action?

Accepted Answer

Refrain from using the office printer and find an external printing service for their personal document.

Answer

Wait until the next day and ask their supervisor if they can use the printer.

Answer

Print the document, as it is late and no one will notice.

Answer

Use the office printer but replace the paper and toner used from their own funds later.

Question 3

During a casual lunch with friends who do not work for the UN, a staff member is asked about a sensitive negotiation they are involved in. The details have not been made public. How should the staff member respond?

Accepted Answer

Politely decline to discuss the matter, explaining that the information is confidential.

Answer

Share some general, non-critical details to satisfy their friends' curiosity.

Answer

Create a fictional story about the negotiation to avoid revealing the actual details.

Answer

Tell their friends they are not allowed to talk about it and abruptly change the subject.

Question 4

A representative from a local partner organization, with whom a UN staff member has worked closely on a successful project, offers the staff member an expensive, handcrafted gift as a token of personal appreciation. According to UN ethical guidelines, what is the most appropriate action?

Accepted Answer

Politely decline the gift, explaining that UN regulations prohibit the acceptance of such gifts from partners.

Answer

Accept the gift but report it to their supervisor to ensure transparency.

Answer

Accept the gift, as it is a cultural gesture and refusing it could offend the partner.

Answer

Suggest the partner donate the gift to the office to be shared among all staff.

Question 5

A staff member strongly disagrees with a recent public statement made by a senior UN official. They consider posting a critical and strongly worded opinion on their personal social media account, which lists their UN affiliation. Which of the following is the most ethically sound course of action?

Accepted Answer

Use appropriate internal channels to express their disagreement rather than public social media.

Answer

Post their opinion freely, as they have a right to personal expression.

Answer

Post the criticism but add a disclaimer that the views are their own.

Answer

Create an anonymous social media account to post the criticism.

Question 6

A hiring manager is reviewing applications for a junior position. They notice an application from a candidate who is a close friend of a senior director in a different department. The candidate meets the minimum qualifications, but there are other, more qualified applicants. What is the most ethical action for the hiring manager to take?

Accepted Answer

Evaluate the application solely based on the established merit-based criteria against all other candidates.

Answer

Shortlist the candidate for an interview as a courtesy to the senior director.

Answer

Ask the senior director for their informal opinion on the candidate before making a decision.

Answer

Discard the application immediately to avoid any possible perception of favouritism.