Introduction from the State Services Commissioner

State Services agencies are under increasing financial pressure to deliver better public services for New Zealanders for less. For the foreseeable future the State Services will need to operate with existing resources, while improving the quality and effectiveness of public services.

Both the Government and the public have high expectations of our State Services. These expectations are rising over time, and rightly so. Taxpayers put a great deal into the State Services and expect a world class service even if the funding increases of the past few years cannot continue.

The combination of high expectations and prolonged fiscal constraint will require an ongoing programme through the State Services to focus on our highest priorities and to deliver services in different, more innovative and cost-effective ways. Ministers' expectations for the State Services are higher levels of productivity, greater efficiencies across the sector and better frontline service delivery for New Zealanders.

Improving performance across the sector in the short and medium term, and establishing a platform for innovative and responsive public services in the longer term is the focus of the State Services Commission and our partner central agencies, the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet and the Treasury.

The State Services Commission's role is to provide leadership to the State Services so that government works better for New Zealanders. We will be doing this by leading and supporting agencies in the following ways:

• Ensuring that agency priorities and services are well aligned with the Government's priorities through the appointment, expectation setting and performance management of Public Service chief executives.
• Working with agencies to deliver the management information they need to assess their own performance and to continually improve it, through the Performance Improvement Framework, staff engagement scores, Kiwis Count and the Common Measurements Tool.
• Building the quality of the leadership in the State Services by working with chief executives on the proactive identification, development and management of talent across the State sector.

Overall, there will be a continued focus on identifying ways in which we can get the best out of the sector - ensuring that New Zealanders receive the quality of services they expect, and that agencies are responding to the Government's expectations for a faster, more integrated and innovative State Services.

Iain Rennie
State Services Commissioner
April 2010