We believe there are seven characteristics of excellence for public service organisations. Our vision is practical and comprehensive. Knowing the characteristics makes it possible to take concrete actions and move along the path towards excellence.

• High energy reflected by people's passion, persistence, creativity and dedication to their work.
• Internal trust which enables staff and councillors to focus on outcomes, to fully commit themselves to their work and to communicate effectively about their progress.
• Citizen insight which means there is an in-depth knowledge of citizens needs and expectations based on ongoing dialogue.
• Hunger to learn so that staff hunt down others' views on their own performance and continually seek ideas, inspiration and insight from elsewhere.
• Capacity to refresh, ensuring there is a capability to design and redesign services, renewing and remodeling how they operate and making the best use of technology investment.
• Smart resourcing, getting the most from resources so that taxpayers' money delivers as much as possible for frontline services.
• Natural partners who enter effectively into joint enterprises to deliver seamless and effective services.