Abstract
This article examines the institutional effectiveness of ethics commissioners within Kazakhstan’s civil service through a citizen-centric governance framework. The study combines data from a national survey of 1188 respondents and the 2024 state evaluation report on ethics commissioners’ activities. Despite a 70% decline in ethical violations between 2016 and 2024, the analysis reveals persistent structural gaps, including insufficient independence of commissioners, lack of standardized performance indicators, and low public awareness of ethics oversight. This research advances understanding of integrity systems in transitional governance contexts and offers evidence-based strategies for strengthening public trust and administrative efficiency. It also highlights the growing demand for accountability. Keywords: citizen-centricity, human resource management, ethics commissioners, civil service, ecosystem, digitalization.