In late 2004, Randwick City Council began a concerted effort for organisational renewal and performance improvement. At the heart of the renewal strategy was the development and implementation of a strong set of corporate values.
All Council staff had the opportunity to take part in developing a set of core values and in defining the behaviours that demonstrated each value.
The vales adopted are summed up in the word ICARE – integrity, customer focus, accountability, respect, and excellence.
A staff photographic competition was held where staff took photos which illustrated the five values.
The winning photos have been used for posters on ‘values walls’ that are in all Council workplaces.
A Values Action Kit for staff was distributed at a series of workshops attended by staff from all parts of Council including rangers, planners, IT officers, community workers, lifeguards and outdoor staff.
The ICARE values are now incorporated into Council’s recruitment, induction training, and annual performance appraisals.
The new corporate values were also picked up in ‘ICARE about safety’ the revised OH&S program and ‘ICARE about learning’ Council’s staff learning and development program.
What made this project unique and exciting was that every step in the process was owned by the staff, who gave generously of their time and enthusiasm.
