Supporting resources
Vodcast Introduction
Hello, my name’s Karin Fisher. I’m Group Manager, Ethics Group in the Australian Public Service Commission.
Within my Group is the Government’s Ethics Advisory Service. The Service is open to all Australian Public Service employees and provides, among other things, advice on the application of the Australian Public Service Value and Code of Conduct and how to approach taking ethical decisions.
In Australia, we live in a democracy. We uphold the laws of that democracy and, through the Government, we are entrusted as public servants with the power, authority and resources to act on behalf of, and for, the public and to deliver public services. Given the enormous power and authority we wield, the public must be confident in the even-handedness and integrity of the Australia Public Service as a whole, as well as the individuals within it.
The APS Values and Code of Conduct apply to all of us and point the way to how we should behave. They are our professional standards as public servants. They are important because they can help us to do our jobs well. They can help us deal with those tricky problems where we have a gut feeling that something is not quite right, or where there is not an obvious answer. We all have an instinct for right and wrong, but sometimes relying on our instinct in not enough.
As part of its ethics education program, and to support the work of the Ethics Advisory Service, the Australian Public Service Commission has put together a series of short vodcasts containing scenarios based around common and uncommon tricky situations which we may face as public servants in our day-to-day work. The vodcasts will be added to and updated over time and can be used by staff, managers or agency training areas.
We hope you enjoy working with them.
