This framework is intended to support senior leaders and those in governance roles in upholding the integrity of New Zealand's public sector and navigating the ethical challenges that the public sector faces. 

The integrity of the public sector is not just about how an individual acts at a particular point in time. It is also about the collective actions of the public sector over the long term. Actions in the present are shaped by an organisation’s history and inform the organisation’s future direction. 

This integrity framework is a tool to support the development of an integrity strategy and work programme that can help an organisation to understand its integrity risks and then identify and implement clear protective factors. It is designed to build on a public organisation’s own cultural and ethical values, emphasise the importance of ethical leadership and 'tone from the top', and enhance internal controls and business practices. Operating with integrity will, in turn, continue to protect and improve the trust and confidence that New Zealanders have in the public sector.