Ā mātou mahi Our work

To achieve a high-performing system, our work will span five connected areas.

The Commission will advise Ministers on opportunities to consolidate, rationalise and simplify Public Service organisational arrangements. Where change is agreed, we will support implementation and help maintain service continuity.

Working with the Treasury and the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, we will align organisational design, investment and delivery settings to support Government priorities. Our advice will focus on improving decision-making and reducing duplication so that resources are directed to the areas of greatest impact.

Through the Government Digital Delivery Agency, we will strengthen oversight of digital services, systems and funding settings to ensure they are designed around users and outcomes, and are using common standards, platforms and investment choices. We will also support system leads and heads of profession to improve interoperability and alignment across common functions.

The Commission will support clear and measurable performance expectations at all-of-government and portfolio levels, and work with central agencies to provide coordinated advice, oversight and assurance of agency and chief executive performance to Ministers.

We will undertake agency reviews to assess alignment with Government priorities and identify opportunities to improve capability, delivery and value for money. Findings will inform advice, and targeted interventions tailored to agency need and context. 

We will promote productivity and fiscal sustainability and use performance information to identify risks and opportunities for improvement. This includes supporting agencies to manage within constrained resources and direct investment to areas of greatest impact.

Through the Government Digital Delivery Agency, we will accelerate adoption of shared digital capabilities, platforms and reusable services. Strategic commercial arrangements and partnerships will be used where they can improve value for money, efficiency, system capability and service delivery.

The Commission will continue to appoint and support Public Service chief executives and hold them accountable for their contribution to agency and system performance. With and through the Public Service Leadership Team we will strengthen stewardship and performance, and ensure agencies work more effectively together to deliver Government priorities.

We will build leadership capability and succession planning through development opportunities, mobility, and talent management. We will actively identify and develop future leaders and enable them to move across the system to where they are needed most. 

Digital transformation will be a system priority. Chief executives will be expected to support the delivery of system-wide digital transformation, and the responsible adoption of digital technologies and AI, including changes to how services are designed and work is organised.

Through the Government Digital Delivery Agency, we will strengthen leadership, governance, assurance and accountability for digital transformation. We will hold agencies to account for delivering projects and programmes, and reset the system risk appetite, funding models and oversight arrangements. This will help break down the barriers that prevent digital change from proceeding at pace. To achieve this, the Government Digital Delivery Agency will need to become a highly capable central strategic unit, technical authority and commercial broker for the system.

We will also support Regional Public Service Commissioners to strengthen community engagement and improve the connections between national priorities and local delivery.

The Commission will help agencies identify, attract, develop, deploy and retain the talent and capability needed to meet current and future challenges. We will support agencies to identify and develop talent at all career stages and cultivate pathways for people to build careers across the Public Service.

Through the Leadership Development Centre and other partnerships, we will support development of capability in priority areas, including leadership, integrity, digital, data, AI and supporting the Māori Crown relationship. We will also support greater workforce mobility, to strengthen capability, retain expertise, reduce competition for talent and respond to changing priorities.

We will set system expectations for workforce management, advise Ministers on workforce policy and support greater alignment of pay and terms and conditions. We will oversee collective employment agreement negotiations. We will use workforce data to provide assurance to Ministers and assess how workforce choices affect capability, productivity and fiscal sustainability.

The Commission will promote high standards of integrity, conduct and constitutional understanding across the Public Service, to ensure that the Public Service maintains the trust and confidence of the public and of current and future governments.

We will support and guide agencies to improve integrity capability and practice, including managing interests, protecting decision-making from undue influence and maintaining safe channels for speaking up. We will also support agencies to foster cultures of learning, innovation and adaptation, and the responsible use of digital, data and AI.

We will investigate matters within the Commissioner's integrity mandate to address ethical breaches and monitor agency performance under the Official Information Act and the Government’s policies on proactive release.

This table contains indicators the Commission uses to track the impact of its work, based on our vision on the previous page. They are drawn from a range of sources, including surveys of the public (through the Commission’s regular ‘Kiwis Count’ survey), public servants (through the Public Service Census) and ministers (through satisfaction surveys); as well as direct measures of agency performance. Survey questions/measures change from time to time. The table includes information about the outcomes the indicators are tracking and the trend we hope to see as a result of our efforts.

Improves public services and supports better outcomes for New Zealanders

Outcome: Improves outcomes for New Zealand
Outcome: Delivers better services for New Zealanders

Outcome: Modern, agile and adaptive

Outcome: Highly skilled, capable and productive

Protects and strengthens the foundations of public trust & legitimacy

Outcome: Supports democratic government and active citizenship
Outcome: Engaged with and responsive to the communities we serve

Outcome: Prepared to meet future challenges

Outcome: Acts constitutionally and ethically
Outcome: Clear on and committed to our constitutional role

Outcome: Unified by a common mission and ethos

Outcome: Supports the Māori Crown relationship