The document outlines the core values of the South Australian public sector which are meant to guide employees' work and behavior. The 12 values discussed are: service, professionalism, trust, respect, collaboration and engagement, honesty and integrity, courage, tenacity, sustainability, service, professionalism, trust. The values are intended to define the public sector, guide employees, connect them, and build a strong organizational culture focused on serving the South Australian community. Living by these values will allow the public sector to continue improving the state and helping it thrive.

1. SOUTHAUSTRALIAN
PUBLIC SECTOR
VALUES

2. AS PUBLIC SERVANTS,
WE DO IMPORTANT WORK
OUR WORK HELPS PEOPLE
BUSINESSES IN
SOUTH AUSTRALIA
Thrive
&

3. thrive:
Develop or grow
successfully; prosper
or flourish

4. Our community
relies on us to
get things done
PRODUCTIVELY

5. ...and to DELIVER
QUALITY
services

6. HOW we go
about achieving
things is just as
important as WHAT
we achieve?

7. We want our citizens to have
CONFIDENCE
in how we go about our work

8. and to be
SATISFIED
with the
services
we deliver

10. We want to be a
WORLD LEADING
PUBLIC SECTOR

11. TO DO THIS, WE NEED GREAT PEOPLE
TO CREATE GREAT RESULTS
Great people & great results
are driven by
STRONG VALUES

12. HERE ARE OUR
PUBLIC SECTOR VALUES
THAT DRIVE OUR GREAT PEOPLE
AND GREAT RESULTS

13. OUR VALUESSERVICE PROFESSIONALISM
SUSTAINABILITY
COLLABORATION + ENGAGEMENT
HONESTY & INTEGRITY
COURAGE TENACITY
TRUST RESPECT

14. WE TAKE OUR VALUES
SERIOUSLY

15. Define us
Our values

16. Guide us
Our values

17. Connect us
Our values

18. Valuesare the building blocks of our culture
...and it is a great culture that helps
people deliver their best work

19. SERVICE
proudly serve the
community and Government
of South Australia
ONE

20. SERVICE
is at the heart
of what we do

21. Some of us serve our citizens
FACE-TO-FACE
...and some of us work
behind the scenes

23. And we are
COURTEOUS,
FAIR & EFFECTIVE
in all our dealings

24. We will go the extra mile
in order to deliver the
BEST OUTCOMES
That way, we can be proud
of how we serve our state

25. Help others and give
something back. I guarantee
you will discover that while
public service improves the
lives and the world around
you, its greatest reward is the
enrichment and new meaning
it will bring your own life.
ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER

26. TWO
PROFESSIONALISM
strive for
excellence

27. WHY
would we want to be
MEDIOCRE?

28. To be excellent, we do things to the
of professional behaviour

29. WE WORK CONSCIENTIOUSLY
AND COMPETENTLY
IN A POLITE AND
HELPFUL MANNER

30. We provide
HONEST,
& OBJECTIVE
ADVICE
to those in a position of power

31. We think of
and create
new &
better
ways of
doing things

32. We ensure our behaviour always
promotes the positive contribution
the public sector can make to
South Australia
Translation:
Be on our best behaviour, and don’t
do anything that will give the public
sector a bad name

33. I refuse to lower
my standards to
accommodate
those who refuse
to raise theirs.
STEVE GAMLIN
Speaker, author and
motivational ‘Firewood Guy’

34. TRUST
have confidence
in the ability of
others
THREE

35. Trust is the glue of life.
It’s the most essential
ingredient in effective
communication.
It’s the foundational principle
that holds all relationships.
STEPHEN R. COVEY
We couldn’t have
said it better
ourselves
– so we didn’t!

36. We build TRUST by embracing
responsibility and CONSISTENTLY
DELIVERING on our commitments

37. Either way, we follow through
and keep them informed
of our progress
These commitments might be to
our colleagues, or to our citizens

38. WE SHOW WE
by being
CONFIDENT
when relying on
COLLEAGUES to
help ACHIEVE
common goals
TRUST

39. 4
FOUR
RESPECT
value every
individual

40. We respect other
people’s views
and feelings
Even if it doesn’t
mean anything to
you, it could mean
everything to them

41. We respond
POSITIVELY,
& THOUGHTFULLY
to each person’s individual
circumstances, needs and contributions

42. We listen
attentively
because it shows
we care

43. We embrace
DIVERSITY
We know that different views and
backgrounds can only strengthen
our workplaces and our community

44. FIVE
create solutions
together
ENGAGEMENT
COLLABORATION and

46. So when we solve for our culturally
diverse community, we make sure
we know their different needs
and their priorities

47. We ask them questions,
share information with them,
and involve them in decisions
that affect them
This way we create better policies and
services that are tailored to their needs
SO WE DELIVER PUBLIC VALUE

48. SOLVING FOR OUR COMMUNITY and DELIVERING
GREAT SERVICES also means that we need to
Collaborate & Share Ideas
with other teams within our organisation,
and across the public sector

49. We know our decisions are
better when we get input from others
with relevant knowledge or a vested
interest in the outcome
Afterall, two heads are better than one

50. Coming together is
a beginning, staying
together is progress,
and working together
is success.
HENRY FORD

51. SIX
act truthfully,
consistently, and fairly
INTEGRITY
HONESTY and

52. Real integrity is
doing the right
thing, knowing that
nobody’s going to
know whether you
did it or not.
OPRAH WINFREY

53. INTEGRITY
is the foundation of your
reputation – and that of the
Public Sector

54. In fact, integrity is
so important that we have a
CODE OF ETHICS
to help us do the right things
We uphold the Code of Ethics in everything we do,
because it helps us make better decisions and
supports better behaviour

55. If you have integrity,
nothing else matters.
If you don’t have
integrity, nothing
else matters.
ALAN SIMPSON

56. WE ARE ACCOUNTABLE
FOR OUR OWN ACTIONS, SO:
We do what is right, not what is EASY
We make sure ALL of our decisions
and actions can withstand scrutiny
We fully and accurately disclose
information and share resources without
being prompted
We make considered, unbiased decisions
based on reliable evidence

57. Integrity requires good judgement.
Here’s the cheat sheet for good judgement.
Don’t solve for your
personal interests at the
expense of the public sector
and the citizens we serve
CITIZENS > PUBLIC SECTOR > SELF

58. Sometimes it takes
courage to do the
right thing or be
completely honest
But courage is our middle name, and
we approach difficult conversations and
tough issues with fearlessness and tact
We have courage to address unethical
behaviour, and we have the courage
to look at our own biases and how they
can influence our decisions
Dame Roma Mitchell –
Australian lawyer, Judge and
Governor of South Australia

59. Wisdomis knowing the right path to take…
INTEGRITY
is taking it

60. Humility is not about
thinking less of yourself,
it is about thinking of
yourself less.
C.S. LEWIS
Integrity also requires
some humility...

61. never give up
TENACITY
COURAGE and

62. We like people
with courage...
They THOUGHTFULLY CHALLENGE
the way things are done
They are UNAFRAID OF TRYING
OUT DIFFERENT WAYS of doing things
And they STICK UP FOR WHAT IS RIGHT

63. We have a history
of courage in
South Australia
South Australian suffragist
and social reformer

64. We have a bias for
Tenacity...
We expect CHANGE, and we expect the UNKNOWN.
We expect our jobs will sometimes be really tough, and
that sometimes our projects will be so BIG that they will
take a really, really long time.
But we don’t give up.We work until it works.
NOPE. WE DON’T GIVE UP.

65. tenacity:
The quality of
persistence;
determination
CREATIVE COMMONS
Source Lleyton Hewitt, Author Carine06 from UK
Aegon Championships, Queen’s Club, June 2015.

66. Even when faced with
failures and setbacks, we will focus on the
bigger picture, and push through anyway.
TENACITY
is what gets us results*
*Unless it is the kind of “dog with a bone” tenacity that makes you stubborn
or hold firmly onto one idea without considering others. That kind of tenacity
can be unproductive. We like people to understand multiple perspectives.

67. The most difficult thing is
the decision to act, the rest
is merely tenacity.
AMELIA EARHART

68. Courage & Tenacity
Have the guts to start
something if it needs to be done
...and then finish it!

69. SUSTAINABILITY
work to get the best
results for current and
future generations of
South Australians

70. In EVERYTHING we do, we remind ourselves
that the prosperity of South Australia
depends on the decisions we make and
actions we take... TODAY

71. We don’t implement unconsidered
solutions in order to achieve quick wins
NO TOKEN GESTURES FOR US!
We are in it for the
long haul
We want the best long term solution,
not just the easiest or cheapest

72. We balance the future benefits
against the amount of time
and resources necessary to
achieve success
We use our limited resources wisely
and consider the availability of
resources in the future

73. We are working together to leave a
lasting legacy for future generations

74. These
Values
underpin all the
different work we do…

75. … across South Australia
EVERYDAY

76. Guided by our
VALUES
we will continue to improve
our wonderful state in
countless ways

77. Our Values
are who we are and
who we aspire to be...
let’s live them

78. PUBLIC SECTOR
VALUES
ALL

79. ACROSS SOUTH
AUSTRALIA
ALL

80. OF THE TIME
ALL

81. We are the
SOUTHAUSTRALIAN
PUBLIC SECTOR
We help South Australia THRIVE

82. The Office for the Public Sector
http://www.publicsector.com.au