Strategic direction

From the Commissioner's 'Introduction' to the Statement of Intent 2011-2014.............

The State Services Commission has a leadership role across the State sector.  With the other central agencies - the Treasury and the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet - we work across the system with agencies to improve their performance and the quality of services they deliver to New Zealanders.

We are in an environment where Government and public expectations about the quality of service delivery is rising and the medium- to long-term financial forecast is one of restraint. This means significant and ongoing change: agencies are rethinking the way they operate to ensure they are responding to these rising expectations, focusing on contributing resources where they matter most and delivering quality services for New Zealanders.

The challenge over the medium term will require high performing government agencies that are flexible, innovative and responsive to technological, social and demographic shifts.  Agencies will need to work across the system to get things done and target their resources on the critical areas that have the most impact but cost less to deliver. 

The State Services Commission's role in this change is to work with Ministers and leaders across the State Services to set the direction for the system. Our job is to identify and prioritise medium- to long-term results and to set expectations and hold leaders to account for their progress on achieving these agency and sector results. We work actively with our central agency colleagues in Treasury and the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet to ensure that the Government's priorities are met and these results are achieved.

We do this by focusing on:

• identifying the critical capability the system needs to lift overall performance and ensure that we model the results we want for the system through our own organisational practices
• developing stronger Public Service leadership through the effective recruitment, expectation setting and performance management of Public Service chief executives and senior leaders
• advising Ministers and focus leaders on the best models for the integration, governance and organisation of public services, including working with agencies to develop high quality analysis to support governance for redesigned service delivery models that work across the system
• identifying emerging risks to the trust and integrity of the system, including strengthening system-wide trust and integrity frameworks and setting the levels of transparency of the system as required by New Zealanders
• working with agencies to deliver performance information that assesses their contribution to the overall performance of the system, through the Performance Improvement Framework and other evidence-based analysis.

We are expecting a big lift in performance from agencies and sectors over the next three to five years. To realise this shift, the Commission will focus on a much tighter work programme. By working closely with Ministers, sectors and agencies, our goal is to provide high quality evidence-based analysis and targeted and effective interventions across the system to ensure that government does work better for New Zealanders.

Iain Rennie, State Services Commissioner.