Stewardship as a new APS Value
Australian Public Service Values in the Public Service Act 1999 have been amended to include stewardship:
The APS builds its capability and institutional knowledge and supports the public interest now and into the future, by understanding the long-term impacts of what it does.
Legislating stewardship as an APS Value reflects the important and enduring role that all APS employees have to ensure the APS serves the government, the Parliament, and the Australian community.
The APS Value of Stewardship gives employees at all levels, and in all types of jobs, a greater sense of ownership of the APS as an institution. It empowers individuals to take responsibility for their contributions to its ongoing success.
Depending on their role and responsibilities, the stewardship behaviours employees may be expected to demonstrate include:
- looking ahead when making decisions and undertaking courses of action
- connecting agency goals and responsibilities to individual work
- building and sustaining core knowledge and expertise
- reflecting on and learning from past experience
- professionally representing the APS to maintain public confidence.
The APS needs to be a trusted source of deep knowledge and expertise in the work of government. Stewardship of information is critical to providing the best advice to the government and the highest level of service to the Australian public.
The APS is responsible for information that affects all Australians. As stewards of the APS, all employees should make and keep records that provide a complete and accurate account of key actions and decisions.
The Australian Public Service Commissioner’s Directions 2022 have been updated to set out the scope and application of the APS Value of Stewardship. This follows extensive consultation in 2023 with agencies and interested stakeholders, including employee representative groups.
In advance of the start of the new APS Value of Stewardship, the National Archives of Australia and Australian Public Service Commission worked together to produce guidance on how information management relates to APS employees’ integrity obligations.
See also in this report
Fit for the future – Long-term Insights Briefings
Find out more
Parliament of Australia, (n.d.) Public Service Amendment Bill 2023, Parliament of Australia website, accessed 29 July 2024.
National Archives of Australia (n.d.) Integrity and Information Management: guidance for Australian Government agencies, NAA website, accessed 29 July 2024.