Values are defined as what the community of interest that is served by the organisation collectively care about their desired future. These are not necessarily operational values such as efficiency and responsibility. These form the basis of how the organisation works, but not what it works for. There is also a stark difference between goals and values. For example, a culturally rich and vibrant community may be a goal, but the value that underpins this goal is cultural richness and vibrancy.
There are some shared values among all cultural organisations, but collective values can vary differently dependent on history, existing practices, assets, resources and challenges. It is important to consider the context of the defined geographic area when defining values. Some values are impelled my legislation. For example, the Victorian Local Government Act 1989 impels councils ‘to improve the overall quality of life of people in the local community’. It can be assumed, therefore, that all councils in Victoria share a value around the (good) quality of life of their residents.
Action Step 1: Identify and reflect on values that underpin your Council Plan
The first Action Step is identification of values that are usually implicit, but sometimes stated, in your organisation constitution. For examples, see the values that underpin the five policy domains listed here.
Question for Cultural Development Planner: What values about a desired future for your community underpin your Council Plan?
Tips
How do I include these values in my plan?
There are multiple ways that you could state the values in your Cultural Development Plan. Some examples are:
- A short paragraph in your introduction
- A short section about your council’s values
- An infographic displaying your council’s values
- What if values in my organisation’s founding document are not clear?
What if values are not clear in my organisation?
Values may not be clear in existing organisation plans or constitution, and will often be implicit; not specifically stated. Where this is the case, cultural development planners will need to interpret the available documents to articulate the values that will inform their work. Documentation from values-determining exercises such as community consultation will be useful to help identify your organisation’s values where they are not clear.