Ethics Training Program
City of San Diego Council Policy 000-04 requires that all City officials complete ethics training upon assuming office and every two years thereafter. This requirement applies to the following groups who file Statements of Economic Interests (Form 700) with the City Clerk as required by their Conflict of Interest Code:
Ethics training covers key provisions of the City's Ethics Ordinance.
Elected Officials
The City’s elected officials receive ethics training upon taking office, and every two years thereafter. The training is offered in person or via virtual meetings for each office and lasts approximately two hours. If an elected official or their staff are unable to attend, they are invited to attend an unclassified employee live training offered four to six times each year.
Additionally, if an elected official has completed the State of California Fair Political Practices Commission’s AB1234 ethics training within six months of their City ethics training due date, they should submit a copy of their completion certificate to the Administration & Training Compliance Program Manager, Victoria Bermudez, at vbermudez@sandiego.gov. Ms. Bermudez will assign the supplemental training required to meet the City’s requirements. The supplemental training module takes approximately 20 minutes to complete.
City Agency Employees
San Diego City Employees’ Retirement System (SDCERS), the San Diego Housing Commission (SDHC), and Convention Center employees are offered an online ethics training course. The online program is conducted through SuccessFactors.
SDHC and Convention Center employees will receive a SuccessFactors account activation email from ias@notification.sap.com, sent by the City’s IT department. New users will need to follow the instructions in that email to set up their SuccessFactors account before gaining access to the training. This training takes approximately two hours to complete. If the training is left idle for longer than 10 minutes at any time, the progress will not be recorded. It is recommended to set aside two hours to complete the training.
Board and Commission Members
The Historical Resources Board (HRB) and Planning Commission (PC) are offered live ethics training sessions arranged through their respective liaisons. The Ethics Commission provides an online training course for all other board and commission members who are required to adopt a conflict of interest code under state law. If HRB or PC members are unable to attend the live training course, they will be assigned the online course.
The online program is conducted through SuccessFactors. The City’s IT team will send out a SuccessFactors account activation email from ias@notification.sap.com. New users will need to follow the instructions in that email to set up their SuccessFactors account before gaining access to the training. This training takes approximately two hours to complete. If the training is left idle for longer than 10 minutes at any time, the progress will not be recorded. It is recommended to set aside two hours to complete the training.
Lobbyists
Council Policy does not require ethics training for lobbyists, lobbying firms, organization lobbyists, and expenditure lobbyists, but ethics training is available upon request to lobbyists seeking guidance on properly completing quarterly disclosure reports and may be suggested by the Commission’s Investigative Program Manager. This training takes approximately 30 minutes to complete. Email the Ethics Commission at ethicscommission@sandiego.gov for more information.
To subscribe to the Commission’s Quarterly Lobbying Update, please visit our Interested Persons Email Lists page, enter your email address, and click the "Go" button.
Unclassified Employees
Unclassified Employees may sign up for a live training session through SuccessFactors. The remaining training dates for 2026 are July 24 and October 22, both from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.
The Ethics Commission generally conducts virtual meeting training sessions for unclassified City officers and employees four times per year. The Commission plans to increase this number to six per year on a trial basis beginning in FY 2027.
Training Credit Fulfillment
The live course is approximately two hours long. Remember that if you are late or otherwise unable to attend the entire course, you will not receive credit.
Training Materials
The PowerPoint presentation with answers to the hypotheticals is available online for reference, but should not be relied upon in place of advice. Please contact Education Program Manager, Ryan O’Connor, for advice at roconnor@sandiego.gov.
Consultants
The Ethics Commission offers an online training course for all City consultants who are required to file a Statement of Economic Interests (Form 700) with the City Clerk.
The online program is conducted through SuccessFactors. The City’s IT team will send out a SuccessFactors account activation email from ias@notification.sap.com. New users will need to follow the instructions in that email to set up their SuccessFactors account before gaining access to the training. This training takes approximately two hours to complete. If the training is left idle for longer than 10 minutes at any time, the progress will not be recorded. It is recommended to set aside two hours to complete the training.
For questions about how to access online training, attend live training, or receive credit, contact the Administration & Training Compliance Program Manager, Victoria Bermudez, at vbermudez@sandiego.gov.