Agency-specific values

As discussed above in the section on management, according to the agency survey 78% of agencies (compared to 69% in 2003–04) had developed their own agency- specific values, principles or behaviours and 2% were developing them. Growth is not concentrated in any particular agency size. However, the practice is concentrated more highly in medium agencies (85%) and large agencies (86%). The practice has increased in small agencies to 69% from 59% in 2003–04 and 46% in 2002–03.

This is the third year in a row that there continues to be some confusion among employees about whether their agency has its own values, principles or behaviours. The proportion of employees from large agencies which do have their own values, principles or behaviours who believed this to be the case varied from 25% to 81%. This compares to a variation of between 43% and 90% last year. In agencies that had not developed their own values, between 33% and 63% of employees thought they had. This compares to between 29% and 79% last year.

The continuing level of confusion highlights the need for agencies to continue to ensure employees are familiar with both the Values and agency-specific values where these exist. This is particularly important in the case of the Values as the Act’s Code requires APS employees to behave at all times in a way that upholds the Values. There is no such direct link between the Code and agency-specific values.

Application of the Values is also a key issue in relation to Uhrig governance arrangements.⁶ While portfolio departments and their Ministers are reviewing portfolio agency governance arrangements against the Uhrig templates, the Commissioner has encouraged them to also consider whether agencies should be covered by the Act. It is expected that this will offer the opportunity to reinforce cultural coherence within the APS, as well as improve the consistency of its governance framework. It would mean that the Values are applied more uniformly to the performance of public service functions and to the way in which public servants understand themselves and what they do.

6 J. Uhrig, Review of the Corporate Governance of Statutory Authorities and Office Holders, June 2003, <http://www.finance.gov.au/governancestructures/docs/The_Uhrig_Report_July_2003>

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