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Improving APS Values

Welcome to the Our Values online consultative site

The online discussion forum Revising the APS Values  has now closed.  Many thanks to all who have provided comments.  For further information about the initiative please contact the Ethics Advisory Service on 02 6202 3737.

 

Consultation — Round One

Between 30 June and 2 August 2010 the Commission asked APS employees and interested members of the public to provide submissions about revising the APS Values to make them more relevant and effective in a modern public service.  

At the same time an online discussion forum was established which enabled APS employees to discuss topics related to the working of the Values and how they could be improved.

We had an excellent response and we would like to thank you for the time and thought you contributed. We would also like to ask you to participate in Stage 2 of the process.

Consultation — Round Two

We have finished analysing the feedback we received and have developed a proposed set of Values which will be complimented by a proposed set of Employment Principles that will guide employment and workplace relationships in the Australian Public Service.

Views are again being sought from a wide range of stakeholders, including from APS employees, the government, community, private sectors and relevant unions. We would be very grateful for your perspectives and ideas about the proposed Values and Employment Principles.

You can contribute by accessing our online blog site at  www.ourvalues.govspace.gov.au or you can send your comments and submissions directly to ourvalues@apsc.gov.au.

About the reforms

In September last year, the Prime Minister established an Advisory Group to review Australian Government administration and develop a Blueprint for reform of the Australian Public Service. That Blueprint was delivered to Government on 30 March 2010 and the Government has accepted all of its recommendations, including the recommendation to revise the APS Values.

The Blueprint identifies a number of challenges for the APS:

  • we need to meet the changing expectations of the community, including involving them when designing programs and services and publishing more public sector data
  • we need to adapt more quickly to technological change, and harness the opportunities it offers
  • we need to get better at attracting new talent to work with us
  • we need to strengthen our capability to provide the Government with high quality policy advice, and
  • we need to keep a focus on doing our jobs efficiently.

Two common themes within the submissions made to the Advisory Group were that:

  • the content of the current Values is broadly right, but the language is too complex and difficult to remember and apply, and would benefit from being streamlined, and
  • the current Values need to be reconsidered to include different values that are more closely aligned to the contemporary business of government.

Taking this feedback into account, the Government has tasked the Australian Public Service Commission with revising the APS Values.

The Blueprint proposed the following qualities as a starting point for this discussion:

  • accountable
  • frank, impartial and non-partisan
  • results-oriented
  • ethical
  • merit-based employment.

Document library

Ahead of the Game - Blueprint for the reform of Australian Government administration

available from the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet website

Ahead of the Game - Blueprint for the reform of Australian Government administration

First Round Discussion Paper
available in HTML / MS Word / PDF

APS Values

APS Values (Word)

Contact us

If you would like any further information about the Values consultation process, or would like to discuss any point in your submission, please send an email to ourvalues@apsc.gov.au or contact the Ethics Advisory Service on (02) 6202 3737.