Values for Public Servants in Wales: Putting Them into Practice?

An ambitious approach to values has been outlined in Wales, which identifies a set of public service values and behavior which is to form a key part of what is called “One Welsh Public Service.” These values are expected to guide the way that public servants in Wales work in the future, shape their behavior, and change culture. They are intended to work alongside a key piece of legislation in Wales – the Well-being of Future Generations Act 2015 which has received widespread international interest. A much repeated quotation is that of Nikhil Seth, the Director of Sustainable Development at the United Nations who said that “what Wales is doing today, the world will do tomorrow. Action, more than words is the hope for our current and future generation.” Some of the “One Welsh Public Service” values sit well with previous approaches, while others are more of a step change. The enablers and challenges of embedding this new framework of working will be analyzed, and the lessons for public managers in Wales and further afield are identified.