Integrity, Ethics and Standards

The State Services Commissioner is responsible for setting standards of integrity and conduct across most of the State Services. A platform of openness, transparency and the spirit of service are critical factors in our mandate to lead the Public sector. The newly established Integrity, Ethics and Standards group provides advice to support public servants to act with the highest levels of integrity, and to build New Zealanders' trust in public services.

Supporting integrity in the Public Service

A top priority for the Commission is that public servants know how to act with integrity and in the spirit of service. In 2016/17 we supported this foundational pillar of the Public Service by acting decisively when issues of integrity arose, working with practitioners to build system capability and supporting international research into whistleblowing.

In the coming year, we are expanding our programme of integrity work, which includes setting specific expectations in key areas. The 'Speaking Up' standards have been delivered to agencie. The standards focused on encouraging staff to raise any concerns of possible wrongdoing, and in 2017/18 we will focus on proactively supporting agencies to achieve good practice. A high integrity environment will enable public servants to act confidently to deliver better public services to New Zealanders.

Code of Conduct for ministerial staff

The Commissioner has issued a Code of Conduct for ministerial staff. Ministerial staff are a small group of State servants with an important role providing direct support and advice to Ministers. They take political considerations into account, which helps maintain the distinction between the executive and political aspects of the Minister's role.

The new code recognises the unique role that Ministerial staff have. It replaces the principle of being 'Impartial' in the State Services Code of Conduct with the principle of being 'Professional'. This new principle requires ministerial staff to recognise the authority of the government of the day and the role of the Parliament. It also sets out the need to respect the duty of an independent State Services to provide free and frank advice and carry out their responsibilities free from inappropriate influence.

The new code will be supported with access to practical and relevant development and training for ministerial staff.

Official Information Act programme

This year we worked across the system to improve:

• access to official information
• openness and transparency by providing guidance on and publishing OIA statistics
• establishing good practice on requesting and responding to requests
• championing proactive release of information, and
• establishing a community of practice for leaders and practitioners.

Open government

Open government is one of the foundational pillars of the Public Service. One way the Commission encourages open government is through our coordination of New Zealand's contribution to the multilateral Open Government Partnership (OGP). In October 2016 New Zealand's second National Action Plan for the OGP was published, and it includes cross-department commitments designed to increase transparency, accountability and public participation in the Public Service.