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Last updated: 13 July 1999
Values in the APS
Please note: This document is for reference purposes only and is no longer considered by the APS Commission to be current. It may contain good practice advice and/or advice on the transitional arrangements between the 1922 and 1999 Public Service Acts.
APS Values
- The APS is apolitical, performing its functions in a impartial and professional manner
- The APS is a public service in which employment decisions are based on merit
- The APS provides a workplace which is free from discrimination and which recognises the diverse backgrounds of APS employees
- The APS has the highest ethical standards
- The APS is accountable for its actions, within the framework of ministerial responsibility, to the Government, the Parliament and the Australian public
- The APS is responsive to the Government in providing frank, honest, comprehensive, accurate and timely advice and implementing the Government's policies and programs
- The APS delivers services fairly, effectively, impartially and courteously to the Australian public
- The APS has leadership of the highest quality
- The APS establishes cooperative workplace relations based on consultation and communication
- The APS provides a fair, flexible, safe and rewarding workplace
- The APS focuses on achieving results and managing performance
Introduction
The Government is committed to building a high performance public service. High performance organisations, through their strong performance culture, find continuously better ways of achieving their aims of providing value for money to citizens, delivering responsive services to customers and providing high quality advice to government. A prerequisite to high performance in organisations is the integration of organisational values into day to day operations.
The Government's public sector reforms have been directed at achieving a public service which is governed more by adherence to fundamental values than by reliance on prescriptive legislation and regulation. In these circumstances, the APS Values gain new importance in giving public servants a framework in which to exercise discretion in decision making and to respond to emerging issues.
As part of its March 1998 administrative reforms, the Government included the newly articulated APS Values in legislation through amendments to the Public Service Regulations.
In addition to articulating the APS Values in Public Service Regulation 5, the Regulations allocate specific responsibilities with regard to them:
- Public Service Regulation 6 requires Agency Heads to uphold and promote the Values; and
- Public Service Regulation 12(2)(a) requires the Public Service Commissioner to include, in the annual State of the Service Report, an evaluation of the extent to which agencies incorporate the APS Values.
The Code of Conduct also requires APS staff to behave at all times in a way that upholds the Values.
To meet the responsibilities given to them by the Regulations, Agency Heads will need to have systems in place to ensure that staff understand and apply the Values. They will also need to be able, where necessary, to demonstrate to government, Parliament, and the Australian community that they uphold and promote the Values.
The leadership of agency heads will thus become increasingly important in articulating the role of the Values and how they complement the agency's overall corporate vision and organisational goals. The Public Service Commissioner is responsible for monitoring and reporting to Parliament on the maintenance of the Values across the APS. In this context, this document provides agencies with advice and guidance on how the Values might be applied in the workplace. The paper:
- describes each Value and provides a suggested check list which might be used by agencies and staff to assist them to apply the Values to organisational goals and to personal behaviour; and
- provides a list of indicators that could be used as signposts that particular Values are being applied from both an agency and a Service wide perspective. The list of indicators is not intended to be exhaustive.
The nature of the APS Values is such that some descriptions and some indicators will be common to a number of them. Rather than repeat them in each case, we have aligned indicators directly to the primary Value.
The challenge is for agencies themselves to consider how they may best assess their performance and to develop indicators which focus on outcomes that reflect the application of the Values.
The APS is apolitical, performing its functions in an impartial and professional manner
One of the primary roles of the APS is to advise on and give effect to the policies of the government of the day. In doing so it must fulfil its functions in a way that is effective and efficient and consistent with the law. This Value requires the APS to be managed and staffed on a basis that is independent from the political party system and from political bias and influence. It also requires APS employees to provide the same high standard of service to the elected government, irrespective of which political party is in power and irrespective of their own political beliefs.
This means that:
- agencies are committed to excellence and staff demonstrate a high degree of professionalism;
- advice is impartial, relevant and useful to Ministers and the government of the day; and
- legislation is implemented in a non-partisan way and the policies of the government of the day are administered impartially.
Indicators
The agency has systems to monitor the effectiveness and quality of its advice to the government and can demonstrate that its advice is objective, impartial, timely and provides the government with a clear and sufficient analysis of all relevant issues and options. The agency has clear, accessible systems in place to facilitate the fair and timely resolution of concerns or grievances, including those relating to political influence.
The APS is a public service in which employment decisions are based on merit
It is essential that all employment decisions are made without patronage, favouritism or unlawful discrimination. In practice this means that employment decisions, including recruitment, promotion, transfers, development opportunities, performance management, redeployment, retrenchment and retirement should be based on an assessment of the relationship between a person's attributes and those required for effective and efficient organisational performance.
The most important employment decisions for organisational effectiveness and performance, and for which agencies are likely to be held most accountable, are those which determine who will be recruited to and promoted in the APS. In these cases, particularly, decision-making processes must be unbiased, transparent and able to produce quality outcomes.
This means that:
- staffing decisions are free from political interference and unlawful discrimination;
- information on the requirements of jobs to be filled and the selection process are determined in advance and are readily available to potential applicants;
- eligible persons in the relevant labour market have reasonable opportunities to apply for vacancies;
- appointment and promotion processes are transparent and directed toward selecting the best applicant on the basis of an assessment of the relative claims of applicants against the attributes and skills required by the organisation; and
- selection processes are applied fairly to applicants.
Indicators
Decisions relating to the recruitment and promotion of staff are clearly linked to an assessment of the skills and experience needed by the agency to meet its business goals.
Eligible applicants have appropriate opportunity to demonstrate their suitability/efficiency against criteria which define the necessary attributes of the job and which are able to be assessed in a practical way.
The agency provides clear information to staff and potential employees on the processes it uses in making employment decisions and the reasons for these decisions, where required.
The agency has systems in place which enable it to demonstrate that there is no political influence in the recruitment, promotion or deployment of staff.
The APS provides a workplace which is free from discrimination and which recognises the diverse backgrounds of aps employees
This Value complements the merit value in that it helps ensure that all Australians have fair access to APS employment and that the APS has access to talented people from diverse back-grounds. It also recognises that specific recruitment programs may be necessary to ensure fair access by all groups to APS employment.
This Value also regognises that a diverse workforce is a source of new ideas and ways of working and can lead to improved quality and more innovative policy advice and service delivery.
This means that:
- people are not subject to unlawful discrimination or unfair treatment in their employment;
- people from diverse groups are able to compete for recruitment, promotion, career development and mobility;
- agencies recognise tensions between work and family and other personal commitments, and develop workplace arrangements which help staff to balance these responsibilities; and
- the diverse backgrounds of staff are valued so that the agency can operate more effectively and productively in a complex environment.
Indicators
The agency has a Workplace Diversity Program which meets the requirements of the Public Service Act 1922 and Public Service Commissioner Guidelines: Managing Workplace Diversity issued under the Act.
The agency clearly informs staff of their rights and responsibilities under the anti-discrimination provisions of the Public Service Act 1922, Workplace Relations Act 1996 and other Commonwealth anti-discrimination legislation.
The agency is able to demonstrate progress in achieving a level of representation of women and members of the other designated EEO groups that is consistent with their representation in comparable industries, taking into account the agency's business goals, the cultural background of its clients and relevant skill requirements.
Results of staff surveys held from time to time indicate that staff are satisfied that the agency adheres to this Value.
The APS has the highest ethical standards
Public servants occupy positions of trust within the community. Many public servants have access to significant public resources and exercise judgements that can materially affect large numbers of citizens. The public and the Parliament need to be confident that public servants, in exercising their functions, have the highest standards of conduct and that deviations from those standards are addressed and dealt with in a fair and systematic way. The APS Code of Conduct both articulates the standards of behaviour required of APS staff and is a measure against which a public servant's behaviour can be tested.
This means that:
- staff are aware of the standards of conduct required of them, both in terms of the APS Code of Conduct and any supplementary conduct requirements their agency might have;
- managers are aware that their own behaviour acts as a model for other members of staff;
- staff are aware that there are consequences to breaching the Code of Conduct and are confident that their agency will address allegations of misconduct in a timely and systematic way;
- staff understand the provisions relating to public interest whistleblowing disclosure and are prepared to make such disclosures, should they become aware of a breach of the Code of Conduct; and
- there are mechanisms in place for staff to raise conduct issues in the workplace confidentially.
Indicators
The agency has procedures for staff to seek guidance on conduct issues that arise in the workplace and a culture that encourages it.
The agency has processes to educate managers about the importance of modelling standards of ethical behaviour for other members of staff.
The agency has processes to ensure that staff understand that there are consequences to breaching the Code of Conduct.
Staff are confident that their agency addresses allegations of misconduct in a fair, timely, systematic and effective way.
The agency has procedures for dealing with public interest whistleblowing disclosures and has promulgated information about them.
The agency has developed and informed staff about an effective Fraud Control Plan that is consistent with the Government's Fraud Control Policy.
The APS is accountable for its actions, within the framework of ministerial responsibility, to the government, the parliament and the Australian public
Ministers are accountable to Parliament for the effectiveness of their portfolios, but for operational efficiency they must be able to delegate substantial powers to staff in APS agencies. Ministers must therefore be able to have confidence in the performance of the APS and must also be able to account to Parliament, and through it to the public, for actions undertaken by the APS on the government's behalf.
The accountability framework also encompasses other relationships. Statutory office holders may in some circumstances be responsible directly to Parliament. Some agencies, by virtue of their legislation, have been given responsibilities to other bodies by Parliament. APS staff are accountable for the way in which they administer government policies.
This means that:
- agencies must meet their statutory and administrative reporting obligations;
- agencies are able to account for the effective, efficient and ethical use of resources provided to deliver programs;
- staff understand the accountability framework in which they operate;
- agencies are able to provide timely, regular and comprehensive information and other support to Ministers to help them meet their accountability obligations to Parliament and the public;
- agencies maintain efficient and effective management systems, including goal setting and high quality performance management; and;
- agencies are able to account effectively to review bodies for the administration of government policies and utilisation of public resources.
Indicators
The agency's corporate planning processes and individual performance agreements are clearly linked to its business outcomes. The agency's reporting arrangements provide a clear account of the agency's performance and the effective, efficient and ethical use of resources for the achievement of outputs and outcomes in the reporting period. The agency is able to demonstrate that due process has been followed in its actions and decisions, including through the existence and maintenance of good record keeping systems.
The APS is responsive to the government in providing frank, honest, comprehensive, accurate and timely advice and implementing the government's policies and programs
The APS has a responsibility to advise and assist the government of the day in implementing the law and in developing and applying the government's policies and programs. This Value, which complements the apolitical service Value, will ensure that governments have a comprehensive view of issues and have access to a full range of options on which to make decisions.
This means that:
- agencies understand the government's objectives and the environment in which it operates and are able proactively to devise and propose solutions to meet these objectives;
- agencies monitor and keep the government briefed on the range of developments and contingencies which might affect policy decisions;
- agencies are responsible for implementing government decisions professionally and with integrity, irrespective of the nature of the advice that they might earlier have given; and
- agencies' advice is frank, honest, comprehensive, accurate, timely and forward-looking, taking into account best practice here and overseas.
Indicators
Agency advice to government is balanced, comprehensive, impartial, timely, adequately documented and provides government with a clear and sufficient analysis of all relevant issues and options.
The agency has systems which enable it periodically to assess and review the effectiveness of its advice to government, taking appropriate account of the views of stakeholders.
The agency has reporting arrangements that enable it to demonstrate that it is responsive to the government through its effectiveness in implementing government policies and programs.
The APS delivers services fairly, effectively, impartially and courteously to the Australian public
It is the responsibility of government to decide the nature of the services and other forms of assistance that should be provided to the Australian public. It does this on the basis of its assessment of the needs and interests of client groups and of the Australian community. The responsibility of the APS is to achieve high quality service delivery consistent with the government's decisions.
This means that:
- agencies demonstrate a strong service culture;
- information is available to the public about their rights and entitlements and the processes by which they can access them;
- services are delivered to the public effectively, conscientiously and courteously;
- service delivery strategies and systems monitor and feed back into improved service delivery;
- within the overall framework of government policy and resources, agencies take account of the particular interests and sensitivities of their clients, including their right to privacy; and
- agencies support staff who are required to be firm in the face of unreasonable demands or behaviour by clients.
Indicators
The agency's corporate planning and goal setting processes take into account the need for effective customer service.
Where an agency has dealings with the public, it has developed a service charter to meet the requirements in the Government's Principles for Developing a Service Charter, including those relating to monitoring and review.
The agency complies with the Government's Charter of Public Service for a Culturally Diverse Society under the Commonwealth's Access and Equity Strategy.
The agency regularly reviews its service performance.
The APS has leadership of the highest quality
Within an environment of change, the quality of leadership in the APS is crucial to the achievement of high performance. Leadership is important at many levels in the APS, and in particular, Agency Heads and Senior Executives play a key leadership role within agencies and across the wider APS.
A primary outcome of effective leadership is the achievement of organisational results. A number of elements of leadership, such as shaping strategic thinking, cultivating productive working relationships, exemplifying personal drive and integrity and communicating with influence, contribute to the achievement of agency objectives.
APS leaders have a special duty to uphold and promote the APS values and ethical framework as set out in the APS code of conduct. They must demonstrate the highest standards of integrity and honesty, building trust through their dealings, behaving in a collegiate manner and avoiding favouritism or bias in interactions with others.
This means that APS leaders:
- establish a clear vision about what needs to be achieved and work broadly across government to meet objectives;
- use varied information and opportunities to inform policy development and program delivery, challenging ideas and practices;
- create productive working relationships, both internally and externally to the organisation, and encourage collaborative working environments which respect and utilise diversity;
- communicate, listen and work to develop a shared sense of commitment and purpose within their organisations to ensure that all effort is congruent with the corporate vision and direction;
- scrupulously model APS and organisational values and conduct, maintaining the highest standards of behaviour in the workplace; and
- engender a culture of achievement and delivery by demonstrating an ability to focus on objectives and to achieve goals even in difficult circumstances
Indicators
Agencies have articulated a strategic vision and performance objectives to be achieved.
Leaders demonstrate a commitment to collegiate and whole-of-government approaches.
The agency gives staff appropriate opportunity to develop and demonstrate leadership qualities.
Results of staff surveys taken from time to time indicate that staff understand the vision and direction of their agency as articulated by leaders, and how their work contributes to its achievement.
The agency encourages collaborative working relationships, both internally and externally.
Staff are motivated and committed to maximising the performance of their agency.
The APS establishes cooperative workplace relations based on consultation and communication
Innovation and flexibility, particularly in a devolved environment, are dependent on the ability of individuals and teams to cooperate, adapt and manage themselves, and to be willing to be held accountable for their performance. Effective devolution of responsibility requires understanding and commitment to organisational goals.
This means that:
- staff have an appropriate opportunity to contribute their views on issues which affect their workplace;
- staff are aware of, understand and are committed to the corporate goals and responsibilities of the agency;
- staff understand the way in which their work contributes to their achievement; and
- staff understand the parameters of consultation and recognise the decision-making responsibilities of management.
Indicators
The agency has systems for consulting with staff about workplace relations issues.
The agency has systems to ensure that staff have appropriate opportunity to provide input to the corporate planning process, are fully informed of the goals of the agency and understand the way in which their work contributes to their achievement.
The agency has systems that enable staff to have an appropriate opportunity to provide their views on issues that affect the workplace.
Results of staff surveys taken from time to time indicate that staff are satisfied that the agency adheres to this Value.
The APS provides a fair, flexible, safe and rewarding workplace
This Value calls for harmonious workplaces that are safe and harassment-free. It also recognises that valuing the contributions of staff is a strong motivator towards improving performance. Decisions on employment matters must be transparent, embody equity and procedural fairness and maintain appropriate confidentiality.
This means that:
- staff treat each other with respect and courtesy and without harassment;
- agencies have the flexibility to adapt their employment arrangements to assist individuals who are seeking to balance individual need and the achievement of organisational goals;
- agencies and their staff meet the requirements of occupational health and safety duty of care ; and
- staff grievances are dealt with in a fair and equitable manner.
Indicators
The agency has effective systems to promote acceptable workplace conduct and practices.
The agency has effective systems to facilitate the resolution of grievances, complaints of workplace harassment and allegations of misconduct.
The agency informs staff of their rights and responsibilities under Commonwealth occupational health and safety legislation.
The agency's Certified Agreement and/or Australian Workplace Agreements contain provisions which support a flexible and rewarding workplace.
Results of staff surveys taken from time to time indicate that staff are satisfied that the agency adheres to this Value.
The APS focuses on achieving results and managing performance
In a flexible operating environment the effectiveness of the APS is measured through the achievement of its outputs and outcomes within the integrity framework provided by the Values. The objective of performance management is improved agency performance, including through the encouragement of individual and team innovation and creativity and through effective and relevant development programs. Performance management systems are a tool to assist agencies to align individual and team performance with outcomes.
Performance management systems should include fair procedures that are clearly understood by staff, a remuneration system linked to performance, effective feedback and planning processes, reward and incentive schemes, effective induction, management of underperformance and performance measurement against organisational values, skills or behaviours.
This means that:
- the outputs and outcomes of government are being met effectively and efficiently;
- agencies foster a strong performance culture;
- management strategies for achieving effective agency performance are integrated into the agency's planning processes; and
- performance management systems are designed to meet the specific needs of the organisation.
Indicators
The agency's reporting arrangements provide an account of the effectiveness of the agency's outputs during the reporting period, and the agency is able to demonstrate that it has directed adequate resources to the achievement of the outcomes expected by the government. The agency has a performance management system which is linked to the maintenance of the APS Values and which gives consistent messages in the way it manages its staffing decisions. The agency's performance management system includes a fair performance feedback process which is linked to its training and development strategies and which is understood by staff. Agency performance is evaluated and benchmarked in a systematic manner.
