By Daniel Sleigh,Engagement and Communications Branch, APSC
Managing gifts and benefits is more than a compliance requirement – it is a core part of how the APS demonstrates integrity, transparency, and accountability in its day-to-day work. We all play a critical role in shaping capability, embedding understanding, and supporting staff to apply guidance confidently in practice.
The APSC has released new guidance to strengthen how agencies manage gifts and benefits. This includes a minimum set of requirements that all agencies must meet, providing greater consistency across the APS. For learning and development teams, this presents an opportunity to integrate practical training, scenario-based learning, and guidance reinforcement into learning programs and development initiatives.
A key focus of the updated guidance is understanding and managing risk – considering not only monetary value, but also context, relationships, and perception. Your teams are central to embedding this risk-based approach by designing engaging learning experiences, developing practical tools, and supporting managers and staff to make consistent, defensible decisions.
To support this, we are launching Public trust is the best benefit – a Gifts and Benefits campaign focused on making integrity practical, accessible, and relevant to everyday work. The campaign uses relatable scenarios – including gift cards, supplier lunches, event invitations, and travel upgrades – to help staff see how guidance applies in real situations.
Through this campaign, learning and development professionals can:
- Build staff capability to identify, decline or appropriately accept, declare and manage gifts and benefits
- Embed consistent and practical learning into induction, team training, and leadership development programs
- Promote a culture where transparency and ethical decision-making are part of everyday work
- Reinforce integrity as a core professional standard across all levels
By leveraging these resources, your teams help ensure that staff not only understand the guidance but are confident in applying it, strengthening integrity and public trust across the APS.
For campaign resources you can reach out to the team.