Special advisers at Stormont will face greater levels of accountability as well as a reduction in the maximum salary they can receive.
Finance Minister Conor Murphy has published an updated code for special advisers (Spads).
It comes after the inquiry into the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) scheme heard questions around how, during the last Assembly, some special advisers behaved and what influence they wielded.
The new code was agreed by the Northern Ireland Executive this morning.
The updated code includes an £85,000 cap on the maximum salary a Spad can receive, a reduction from £91,809.
Spads will also have to declare details of gifts and hospitality and meetings with external organisations, must keep good records and use official email accounts and serve the Executive as a whole as well as their appointing minister.
Mr Murphy described Spads as "a critical part of the team supporting ministers".
"Special advisers should be subject to, and adhere to, the high standards expected of those in public life," he said.
"Given the public's legitimate concerns in this regard I have moved quickly to produce and agree strengthened rules.
"If public confidence in these institutions is to be rebuilt it is essential that these rules and the values that underpin them are put into practice."
Traditional Unionist Voice leader Jim Allister expressed disappointment, saying Mr Murphy's statement on special advisers did not go far enough.
He has proposed a bill which seeks to reduce the maximum salary further to around £70,000 and cut the number of Spads in the Executive Office from eight to four.
It would also create a specific criminal offence for a minister or special adviser to communicate confidential government information to a third party.
Much of the content of changes to the Code of Conduct I do not disagree with, but the fundamental point remains: for a Code of Conduct to be given bite it needs to be complemented by legislation underscoring its provisions and providing for enforcement," he said.
"I look forward to engagement on all these issues when my proposed Bill comes up for debate, but certainly nothing I see in Mr Murphy's statement dissipates the need for my bill."
