Being accountable means we are responsible for what we do. We work to the best of our abilities and can answer for our work, actions and decisions.
Ngā paerewa The standards
Being open to scrutiny and accountable for what we do
We must be able to explain our decisions and actions to the people affected by them and to the public. We can do this through:
- keeping accurate records of our decisions and actions
- providing information about our decision-making to individuals, and
- providing authorised information on organisation websites, other digital channels like social media, and in official information responses.
Even when we work carefully, mistakes may happen. If we make a mistake, we are open about it, take responsibility for it, fix it quickly and share what we’ve learned so others can improve too.
Treating information with care
We handle information responsibly. This means only collecting what we need, using it for the right reasons and storing it securely.
We must only obtain and use information for proper purposes. We comply with all legal and other requirements about information, including privacy, confidentiality, commercial sensitivity, classifications and national security, official information, and third-party access.
We never make deliberate and unauthorised disclosures or ‘leak’ non-public information that is in our care, or that we have access to. We must be careful about who we share information with and safeguard sensitive government information.
Treating resources with care, including using public money responsibly
We are responsible for using public money and resources wisely and the public trusts us to do so. We act prudently, honestly and responsibly when dealing with public funds within our control. We must also use our work time wisely and only use our resources for proper purposes, while safeguarding them against waste, abuse or neglect.
We follow government spending rules and financial management legislation, keep adequate records, and use fair and transparent procurement processes to ensure value for money.
Aiming to improve the performance and efficiency of our organisations
We aim to improve our organisation’s performance and efficiency by looking for ways to improve what we do and how we work. We can do this by:
- collaborating effectively with others
- working to the best of our abilities
- embracing innovation, for example, responsible use of new technologies
- identifying ways to streamline processes and deliver timely services, and
- providing opportunities for feedback from the people we interact with to help improve our work.