If you’ve used older NSW Government application advice, capability examples, or role description guidance before, it’s worth knowing that the NSW Public Sector Capability Framework was revised in January 2026.
But before you start panicking and thinking you need to rebuild every example from scratch, you probably don’t.
That’s the main thing I want you to take from this.
This is not one of those changes where all your existing examples suddenly become useless overnight.
The overall structure of the framework is still very familiar. For most applicants, the practical adjustment is much smaller than it sounds. You are usually not looking for completely new examples. You are looking for small shifts in emphasis so your existing examples better match the current language and behavioural focus.
According to the official factsheet for the revised NSW Public Sector Capability Framework, published by the Office of the Public Service Commissioner on 19 January 2026, the framework still has the same:
- 20 capabilities
- 5 capability groups
- 5 capability levels
So structurally, the framework has not been rebuilt.
What has changed is the emphasis inside some of the capabilities and behavioural indicators.
The three biggest changes
1. Customer service was strengthened
The largest updates were made in Commit to customer service.
Customer service in the public sector is no longer framed as just being polite or responsive. It is more explicitly linked to outcomes, service experience, and the fact that public sector staff often serve both external and internal customers.
For applicants, that means your examples should usually go beyond “I helped people” and show how you improved service, responded to need, or delivered a better customer experience.
2. Diversity and inclusion was uplifted, including cultural capability
This is one of the most important changes.
The revised framework embeds cultural capability across the framework, not just in one isolated place. The official cultural capability factsheet explains that this includes elements of:
- cultural awareness
- cultural safety
- cultural competency
You can now expect stronger attention to inclusive behaviour, lived experience, and the way you engage with diverse colleagues, customers and communities.
That does not mean every application needs performative language. It does mean that inclusive behaviour is more clearly built into what “good” looks like.
3. Technology was modernised
Technology capability set was revised to better reflect:
- cyber security
- digital tools
- automation and AI
- privacy, records and information management
Technology is no longer just about whether you can use Microsoft Office, TRIM, SAP, Salesforce, or whatever internal system the agency uses.
It is more about responsible digital work practices. For applicants, that means you may need to show judgment, not just competence.
For example:
- How did you use systems accurately?
- How did you manage sensitive information?
- How did you improve a process using a digital tool?
- How did you protect privacy or records?
- How did you adapt to new technology?
- How did you use automation or AI responsibly, if relevant?
The point is not to sound like a tech expert. The point is to show that you can work safely, effectively and responsibly in a modern digital environment.
Other areas strengthened
The January 2026 changes to the NSW Capability Framework also strengthened:
- leadership
- change management
- ethical behaviour
- strategic workforce planning
- psychological safety
I’ve read through all the new behavioural indicators, and there are no significant changes. The overall direction remains the same.
What has not changed
The NSW Capability Framework still uses the same five levels:
- Foundational
- Intermediate
- Adept
- Advanced
- Highly Advanced
It also keeps the same 20 capabilities and the same five groups:
- Personal Attributes
- Relationships
- Results
- Business Enablers
- People Management
So if you already understand the basic structure of the Capability Framework, you do not need to relearn the whole thing. You just need to update how you interpret some of the behaviours.
What this means for applicants
There are three practical takeaways.
First, use current language
If you are building examples, use the revised framework as your reference point, not old agency templates floating around from 2020 or earlier.
Second, expect stronger emphasis on inclusion, customer focus and digital judgement
These themes are more visible now. If your examples ignore them completely, you may miss part of what the panel is really assessing.
Third, remember that agencies are still transitioning
The revised framework launched in January 2026, and official guidance says agencies have until 29 January 2027 to fully update role descriptions and systems. That means during 2026 you may still see mixed language across ads and role descriptions.
So if a role description feels like it is using older phrasing, do not panic. Look at the underlying capability and respond to the actual behaviours the role is likely to need.
So do you need whole new examples?
Usually, no.
That is the key point I would want candidates to hear.
If you already have strong examples built around real work you have done, you probably do not need to throw them out and start again. What you may need to do is tweak the focus:
- bring out customer impact more clearly
- be more explicit about inclusive behaviour or cultural awareness
- show stronger digital judgment, not just system use
- tighten the language so it reflects the behavioural indicators more closely
That is a very different task from inventing a whole new bank of examples.
For most people, this is about refinement, not reinvention.
Final thoughts
The 2026 revision did not change the framework in a way that should scare applicants.
If anything, it makes the framework a bit more honest about how public sector work actually happens now.
The key is to stop treating capabilities like labels and start treating them like behavioural evidence.
If you want the full series, start here: