handbook/handbook-main/team-norms/principles.txt

# Principles

How we work with clients and build teams that deliver.

## 1. Create impact for all
We create services that balance user needs, policy goals and what's possible now. Public services exist to create an impact on people's lives. Good services deliver positive outcomes for society that are fair and equitable for all. Be it cleaner air, safer roads, more jobs or better use of taxes - we understand that everything we do has an impact, no matter how large or small. 

## 2. Build successful teams
Success comes from our people. To build the right team, we strive to truly represent the communities we serve. We bring people together with a mixture of skills and experience. And we give everyone the opportunity to explore. We trust one another, respect hands-on skills, and always assume best intentions.

## 3. Everyone can learn
We’re passionate about learning. We strive to leave our clients, partners and suppliers with the skills, enthusiasm and credibility to keep delivering. Learning works both ways - we understand that others can teach us as much as we can teach them. 

## 4. Make real solutions
We measure value in our work by delivering real things that impact our clients, citizens and society. By inviting feedback and seeking the shortest path to deliver real value, we see the change our work creates in people’s lives. 

## 5. Do less to achieve more
By working in agile teams, designing fewer features and using words everyone understands, we make a meaningful impact sooner, and create strong foundations to build on.

## 6. Deliver little and often
By delivering features step by step we can get the small stuff out first, giving real value to the people who need it - quickly. We invite feedback early and to learn, iterate and reduce risk.

## 7. Earn trust
Openness is at the core of everything we do. We use open ways of working on our projects, in our business and with one another. Sharing our successes and failures builds trust, gives us room to grow and holds us accountable. This lets others reuse and give feedback on our work so we all learn and improve. 

## 8. Be brave, be curious
We have the courage to challenge the status quo and the curiosity to innovate. By exploring new ways of doing things and taking lessons we've learnt, we can build services the public sector needs. We recognise there's always a different way to solve a problem, often supported by proven practices and technologies.

## 9. Believe in compromise
There's no such thing as perfect and we acknowledge that tradeoffs can often be part of our work. When making challenging decisions, we focus on quality and work within our limits. We recognise when to shift deadlines and make smart business decisions - always with a humble approach.

## 10. Nurture long-term relationships
As trusted advisors we always aim to go above and beyond. We collaborate with our clients, working with them to design and build the future of their services. We support them to define and solve their challenges, building long-term partnerships. 

## 11. Work ourselves out of a job
Real change means helping our clients deliver services independently and long term. We nurture long term partnerships so we can support the next challenge rather than locking ourselves in to the last one. 

## 12. Leave things better than we found them
Our work involves trying to meet the often-competing needs of our people, clients and users while building solutions that really work. This means knowing that, sometimes, we must build trust now to create a bigger impact later on.