The Office of the Controller and Auditor-General has just released an integrity framework for the public sector aimed at supporting senior leaders and those in governance roles to deliver on their stewardship responsibility to support the integrity of New Zealand’s public sector.

Read the integrity framework on the Office of the Controller and Auditor-General’s website.

According to Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index, New Zealand’s public sector consistently ranks as one of the least-perceived corrupt in the world, and this is echoed by New Zealanders’ own high levels of trust in the public service. However, the Office of the Controller and Auditor-General emphasises that we must remain vigilant rather than become complacent in our ongoing maintenance of this strong foundation. Furthermore, there are already existing gaps in public perception – for example, trust in the public service is lower amongst Māori, Pasifika, and people with disabilities.

John Ryan, Controller and Auditor-General, says “we know trust, when lost, can take a long time to rebuild. This is particularly so when an integrity failure occurs in a public organisation.” Drawing on research into organisational integrity from New Zealand and abroad the Office has developed a framework and guidance “to support senior leaders and those in governance roles to deliver on their stewardship responsibility to support the integrity of New Zealand’s public sector”. This consists of six ways of working as well as nine building blocks.