Integrating Values into Public Service: The Values Statement as Centerpiece

The public administration community needs to focus more attention on how values can be integrated into the structures, processes, and systems of public organizations. In particular, greater emphasis should be placed on the values statement as the central component of a values regime. This article examines the content and format of values statements in four Westminster-style governments, initiatives to make values a pervasive influence in public-service operations, and learning points for other countries. Each government's values statement should capture the essence of public service. Leaders must serve as both exemplary models of values-based behavior and skillful practitioners of the art of values management. A values statement expressing values that are shared at all organizational levels—combined with the dispersal of leadership roles throughout the organization—provides an especially strong foundation for integrating values into public service.