Leaders set the cultural tone for their organisation through their behaviour. The APS needs to select leaders who ‘walk the talk’ on ethical values and respectful relationships. Appointing leaders who achieve results through enabling others is crucial to building a high-performing service. Greater visibility of upwards feedback will bring attention to people who lead with integrity, as well as indicating where behavioural ‘red flags’ may exist.

Actions

1. Agencies to thoroughly investigate SES candidates through recruitment checks and questions that demonstrate self-reflection, commitment to inclusive culture-building, and sustainable delivery.
2. Applicants have the opportunity to provide, through the recruitment panel chair or APS Commissioner’s representative, access to past performance appraisals and ‘360 degree’ reports (where they exist) to provide more information for selection decisions. The recruitment panel also to extend the opportunity for external applicants to provide equivalent appraisals.
3. The APSC (in collaboration with agencies) to develop guidance to support the actions above.

Integrity problems and poor ethical behaviour can arise if a culture is overly focused on results at any cost. For public servants, how we perform our role is as important as what we deliver in the job. By measuring the performance of both a leader’s results and their enabling behaviours, we demonstrate the value and necessity of both.

Actions

1. Agencies to implement, as a priority, the new SES Performance Leadership Framework which gives equal weighting to values-based leadership behaviours and the delivery of results.
2. The Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (PM&C), in consultation with the APSC, to implement a similarly-principled appraisal framework for Secretaries (through amendment of the Public Service Act 1999) and agency heads.
3. PM&C and the APSC to make both performance frameworks publicly available.
4. SES and Secretaries to be held accountable for creating the right environment for integrity through their performance discussions (for example, by discussing steps taken to build psychological safety in their departments and agencies in line with the Secretaries’ Charter of Leadership Behaviours).

What we recognise and reward sends a strong signal about what we value and creates incentives for the behaviour we want to see.

Actions

1. The Public Service Medal Committee to encourage nominations that recognise delivery of results through exemplary values-based leadership and culture-building.
2. Secretaries to review agency-level reward and recognition processes to ensure they include leading and acting with integrity.
3. Agencies to encourage managers at all levels to acknowledge and reward people who deliver results while upholding the APS Values to the highest standard.
4. APSC to include a question in the annual agency survey on whether and how integrity is recognised.

Leading with integrity means more than complying with rules. Behaving ethically is a key APS-Value. We must ensure our leaders have the skills to exercise and model ethical judgement. In addition, fostering psychological safety so that staff can speak up and raise concerns early can prevent integrity problems, increase wellbeing at work and make the APS an employer of choice. Understanding our roles as public servants enables us to engage in difficult and uncomfortable — but fundamentally important — conversations.

The APS Academy’s Craft offerings include an excellent integrity product — the SES Integrity Masterclass. All staff, starting with SES, should be trained in practitioner-led sessions to recognise the ethical dimensions of workplace situations and use immersive hypothetical scenarios to practice ethical decision making.

Actions

1. Secretaries to support all SES (particularly those newly promoted) to undertake the APS Academy’s SES Integrity Masterclass to increase their understanding of:
   • the expectations and accountabilities of leading in the APS
   • how to exercise integrity and ethical decision making in all aspects of their work.
2. The APS Academy to explore uplifting its current offerings (starting with SES) on ethical decision making and practical approaches to building psychological safety in the workplace.
   • The Academy to continue partnering with expert providers, using the latest research, neuroscience-based learning approaches and behavioural ethics.
3. The APSC to scope establishing a continuing professional development model for the APS. This would mandate core capabilities in integrity and legal frameworks for all public servants.

4. The Secretaries Future of Work Committee to:
   • develop a whole-of-service approach to building psychological safety in practice
   • identify and develop indicators for measuring what success looks like.
5. Departments and agencies to promote simple tools for ethical decision making for staff at all levels, such as the APSC ‘ReFLECT’ model and the ‘reflective practice’ model in the three-minute ‘Ethical Decision Making’ video from The Ethics Centre.
6. Secretaries and agency heads to invest in their own leadership development and publicise this to their teams.

Significant work is underway to provide clarity for public servants on the unique nature of their role. In legislation currently before parliament, the Public Service Act 1999 will be amended to add a new APS Value of stewardship and a requirement for an APS purpose statement. One gap that could be addressed is for new SES to better understand their cultural responsibilities and broader obligations. A more intentional and consistent approach to SES induction could build a greater sense of belonging and recognition of the privilege of the role.

Actions

1. Agencies to send new SES a letter of welcome which outlines their responsibilities as stewards of the APS, the significance of modelling the APS Values, and their obligations as members of the SES.
2. The APSC to host a mandatory welcome session for new SES, complementing the existing SES Orientation program and marking the significance of the promotion to SES. Established senior leaders could reflect on the role and responsibilities of the SES and the importance of leadership ‘shadow’ in building a pro-integrity culture.