Office of the Public Sector Standards Commissioner

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West Australian Public Sector Code of Ethics

All public sector agencies and employees covered by the Public Sector Management Act 1994 must comply with the Code of Ethics.

The Code of Ethics provides the overarching ethical framework for the public sector. The principles of the Code of Ethics articulate the standards of conduct and integrity expected of all public sector employees.

Conduct Guide

All public sector agencies covered by the Public Sector Management Act 1994 must develop, implement and promote a code of conduct. Codes of conduct must be consistent with the Code of Ethics.

A Conduct Guide developed by the Commissioner for Public Sector Standards provides a framework to assist agencies to develop their own codes of conduct. The Conduct Guide sets out the accountability framework established by legislation and across-government requirements such as Premier’s Circulars and Treasurer’s Instructions.

The Conduct Guide is based on the principles of the Code of Ethics. It assists agencies to practically apply the Code of Ethics within their workplace.

Conduct Guide for Boards and Committees

Government requires high standards of all its officers, and these are documented clearly through the Western Australian Public Sector Code of Ethics. Boards and committees that are created for a public purpose must observe and comply with the WA Public Sector Code of Ethics.

OPSSC has developed this Conduct Guide to help your board or committee prepare a code of conduct binding on the Board. It is based on the Western Australian Public Sector Code of Ethics.

Managing Interest: a checklist

Conflicting interests occur frequently in public life and are not necessarily unethical or wrong. It is how the conflicts are identified and managed that is important.

Public authorities must promote this common understanding that having an interest is not in itself wrong. By encouraging early disclosure, your agency can ensure that it manages effectively any potential conflicts. If people feel that your agency is not managing an interest properly, this can undermine the integrity of your organisation.

You can find details of possible areas for action, and guidance on minimising risks in the management of interest in your agency in the following document:

Ethics Framework

OPSSC developed an ethics framework to assist agencies to develop practices and procedures to develop and sustain an ethical culture. The ethics framework provides a suite of strategies that your agency can apply to promote ethical behaviour in your workplace.

First Impressions: an integrity induction

OPSSC is developing this document in response to a request from the Integrity Coordinating Group (ICG). The group has asked for new starters in the West Australian Public Sector to be equipped with a broad understanding of integrity issues.

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Page last updated: July 09 2009