Chapter 4: Integrity and fairness

Abbreviations

A list of the abbreviations used in this report is available in the Glossary

The APS Values, together with the Code of Conduct, provide an ethical framework that underpins relationships with the Government, relationships with the public, relationships at work and personal behaviour.

The Values allow agencies to develop their own approaches to their individual business and management environments without centralised prescription. The effectiveness of this approach depends on the successful integration of the Values and Code of Conduct into an agency’s operations so that they are embodied in daily decision-making and behaviour.

The Values affect the performance of the APS in a number of ways.

At the most fundamental level, they play an important role in defining key behaviours linked to performance. For example, they focus on the achievement of results and managing performance, service delivery, effective workplace practices, and the establishment of appropriate relationships with the Government of the day.

The Values also have a strong focus on issues linked directly to integrity and fairness including ethical standards, merit and equity in employment, the recognition of diversity and the fair review of decision-making. These Values underpin the establishment of ethical governance processes within organisations. They influence both employees’ satisfaction with the integrity and fairness of an organisation and the organisation’s public reputation, which affect its capacity to recruit and retain employees and to achieve its business goals.

Internationally, considerable attention has been devoted to the appropriate expression of codes of conductand values statements for public servants. For example, the UK Cabinet Office released a new Civil Service Code in June 2006 aimed at making the code more relevant and accessible to civil servants across all classifications and work areas.¹ The standards of behaviour highlighted in the Code include integrity, honesty, objectivity, impartiality and political impartiality. In NZ, the State Services Commissioner has decided to develop a single code of conduct for state servants, including those working in non-public service departments, to replace the existing code for public service departments.²

The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) has also placed increased emphasis on ethics codes and codes of conduct and has established a working group which examines such codes in OECD countries. Most OECD countries have established written, formal codes of behavioural standards as well as supplementary codes for specific positions, in particular public office holders and senior civil servants, as well as professions working in sensitive areas.

In the APS, the Australian Public Service Commissioner has reviewed the effectiveness and relevance of the Public Service Act 1999 (the Act) to ensure that it meets the future needs of agencies. A range of issues have been identified where change could be considered, including refining the Values and Code of Conduct, liberalising non-ongoing arrangements, and clarifying both Commissioners’ roles. The Government does not intend to change the Act before 2008.

In examining issues of integrity and fairness, this chapter draws on both employee perceptions and agency practices. The issues discussed include the extent to which the Values and Code are embedded in agencies, the application of the Code of Conduct, the extent to which fairness and merit are perceived in employment decisions, and the operation of APS review mechanisms.

In this chapter

Chapter 4: Integrity and fairness	PDF	Word	Excel
Integrity and fairness
Embedding the APS Values and Code of Conduct
Table 4.1: Measures used by agencies in performance assessments to ensure employees demonstrate and consistently apply the Values, 2002–03 to 2005–06
Operation of the Code of Conduct
Table 4.2: Person(s) authorised to receive whistleblower reports, 2005–06
Table 4.3: Whistleblower reports received during 2005–06
Table 4.4: Elements of the Code suspected of being breached in investigations finalised during 2005–06
Table 4.5: Number of employees by types of misconduct in investigations finalised during 2005–06
Table 4.6: Outcomes of finalised investigations into suspected breaches of the Code, 2005–06
Table 4.7: Reviews related to Code breaches or sanctions, 2001–02 to 2005–06
Merit and access to APS employment
Table 4.8: Employees' perceptions of recruitment and selection processes, 2006
Table 4.9: Employees’ perceptions of merit about various types of employment decisions, 2003–04 to 2005–06
Table 4.10: Merit training provided by relevant agencies, 2005–06
Review of employment actions
Table 4.11: Information or training provided by agencies to line managers on internal review processes, 2006
Table 4.12: Promotion decisions reviewed and varied, 2000–01 to 2005–06
Key chapter findings

UK Cabinet Office, Civil Service Code, 2006; <http://www.civilservice.gov.uk/publications/pdf/cs_code.pdf>
NZ State Services Commission 2005, Integrity and Conduct—Setting Standards for Crown Entities; <http://ssc.govt.nz>