Part 1: Introduction
Integrity in the public sector
The public sector in New Zealand is entrusted with wide-ranging powers. It is responsible for providing essential services that impact the lives of communities, hapū, iwi, whānau, families, and individuals.
People who access public services are directly affected by the integrity of the public organisations they engage with. It is important that public organisations demonstrate a genuine commitment to caring for, and upholding the dignity of, the people they serve.
Integrity in the public sector is not just an individual responsibility – it is a collective effort that extends through every level of an organisation. Everyone working in the public sector contributes to its overall integrity through their words, decisions, and actions.
This guide is designed to help you think about how to approach monitoring organisational integrity – how to do it effectively and in a way that adds value to your organisation. It is intended to complement work that you might already be doing as part of your strategy to improve organisational integrity.
Organisational integrity
Organisational integrity is the culmination of an organisation’s collective actions in legitimately pursuing its purpose for the public good.
To maintain public trust and confidence, public organisations need to operate with honesty and treat people fairly in all their activities, while being accountable, transparent, and accepting responsibility for their actions. Integrity also means that organisations need to base relationships on mutual trust, respect, and care.1
Using this guidance alongside the integrity framework
Throughout this guide we refer to the integrity framework, which we set out in Putting integrity at the heart of how public organisations operate.2 The integrity framework serves as a foundational resource for understanding and embedding integrity in public organisations, and it complements this guide.
The integrity framework provides essential context on the broader ethical principles, leadership responsibilities, and cultural factors that shape integrity practices. We encourage readers to refer to the integrity framework for deeper insights about organisational integrity.
This guide outlines five practices for monitoring organisational integrity. They are:
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| Strengthen organisational connections | Use a diverse range of meaningful integrity indicators | Ensure clear accountabilities for your integrity monitoring programme |
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| Commit to continuous monitoring | Collect and use data responsibly |
We explore each of these five practices for monitoring organisational integrity in their own section. We have also included case studies and quotes throughout this guide to illustrate good monitoring practices.
1: These reflect the five values in the Public Service Act 2020. They are also commonly expected of public organisations in other countries. See, for example, Denhardt, J V and Denhardt, R B (2015), The new public service: Serving, not steering (4th edition), and the United Kingdom guidance “The seven principles of public life” (also known as the Nolan principles) at gov.uk.
2: See Controller and Auditor-General (2024), Putting integrity at the heart of how public organisations operate: An integrity framework for the public sector – second edition, at oag.parliament.nz.