Ā mātou mahi Our work

The operating model for the Public Service can be grouped into four key elements:

• System design: the number, functions, and responsibilities of the various agencies together with the mechanisms and processes that link agencies together and bring them into alignment. This also includes the efficiency and effectiveness of change processes in the system and the arrangements for funding cross-system/agency activity.
• System leadership: using cross-agency leadership arrangements to drive alignment in common functions, in use of digital technologies, and regional coordination by the Regional Public Service Commissioners. 
• Workforce and employment relations: ensuring  that workforce numbers and skills are optimal, and optimally deployed, while ensuring that employment conditions and costs remain within financial parameters.
• Culture: ensuring that the Public Service has a forward-looking perspective on serving New Zealand into the future, fostering trust through openness, transparency and active citizenship, and promotion of integrity in behaviour and conduct.

In its overall system leadership role the Commission contributes to improvement across all these dimensions.  The Commission’s strongest lever for bringing about change is the work we do with Public Service chief executives. This includes appointing chief executives, and performance management of chief executives against expectations that include the achievement of government priorities, and working with the collective chief executives to steward the Public Service through the Public Service Leadership Team. The Commissioner also appoints some chief executives to wider-system leadership roles. These currently exist for the use of digital technology and data in the Public Service.

The detail of the Commission’s work programme will continue to evolve over the four year period covered by this strategic intentions document. Much will be determined by the policies and expectations of government, and the development of these over time. Other specifics of the work programme will be necessitated by changes in the operating context – these may include sudden endogenous shocks such as the COVID-19 pandemic was in the past. Other parts of the work programme will emerge as the Commissioner proactively takes actions arising from their statutory responsibilities, or after securing agreement from Ministers as required.

The current areas of emphasis across the four elements of the operating model are set out below.

As the Government’s lead advisor on machinery of government changes the Commission is responsible for advising on the design and change processes for the implementation of these policy decisions. In future there may be a general preference to reduce the number of separate agencies. The Commissioner’s role is provide policy and implementation advice across this area.

Alongside the Treasury and the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet the Commission will advise the government on delivery arrangements for its policy priorities. This may include the establishment of further Interdepartmental Executive Board (IEBs) building on the successful application of this model to date. Cross-agency boards will continue to be a key element in organising Public Service and wider public sector agencies around the policy priorities of government.

The Commission will lead a rolling programme of agency reviews to ensure that agency capability and performance aligns with government expectations. This will assist agencies to re-prioritise resources to best deliver public services, and meet government expectations, in a period of budget reductions.

There is potential for efficiencies from managing common functions across the Public Service. This includes further efficiencies from existing system leadership in the areas of digital technology, procurement and property. The Commissioner may recommend the appointment of further system leads for key areas of activity across the Public Service.

Digital technology provides ways of simplifying and modernising the provision of services to the public. Good progress has been made and there are opportunities to progress further through planned investment, alignment across agencies, and improved capability.

With a longer term focus the Commission’s work over the period may extend to consideration and advice on more efficient and effective approaches to system design issues, including the processes for machinery of government change.

A well-led system requires excellent leadership. This is true at the level of individual agencies and also at the level of the whole Public Service where all agency chief executives are expected to work with a system-wide view and where some have formal cross-system leadership responsibilities.

The Commission will discharge its statutory responsibility to Ministers to ensure the appointment of excellent candidates to chief executive roles in the Public Service. The Commission will further enhance its processes for chief executive performance review. The Commission will continue to refine its approach to chief executive remuneration and this may include the introduction of a performance element into the overall remuneration package. The Commission will continue to support chief executives through professional development and through the Commission’s capability programme.

Also with the other central agencies the Commission will be closely involved in the process of establishing clear and precise performance objectives in line with government priorities, and in the systems for measuring and reporting on progress. These will be reflected in chief executive performance expectations and performance reviews, and will work with the other central agencies to generate a common view on the performance of core agencies as a basis for providing advice and/or assurance to Ministers.

The Commission will continue its statutory work in the area of leadership development with the implementation of the Commissioner’s Leadership Strategy that is a requirement of the Public Service Act 2020.

Connecting the Public Service across the regions is supported by 12 senior public servants appointed as Regional Public Service Commissioners. Resilience, connections with communities and delivery of services may be enhanced by the further development of this new way of working. The Commission will continue to support the further development of the work of the Regional Public Service Commissioners in coordinating the work of the Public Service and public sector at regional level.

The Commission will oversee and monitor the reductions in workforce size that will be a consequence of changed budget settings. The Commission is responsible for gathering the data that shows workforce trends in the Public Service and will also collate data on the use of contractors and consultants. Data will be important for providing assurance to Ministers that the workforce is trending in the expected direction.

The Commission may provide advice to Ministers on new approaches to workforce planning, deployment and skills development – particularly in relation to common workforces. The performance of the system will be enhanced to the extent that the skills and competencies of its people are at the right level, and to the extent that people and their skills are able to move to where they will make the most contribution to public services.

We will continue to be responsible for advising the Minister for the Public Service on workforce policy, including the issuance of Government Workforce Policy Statements as appropriate. These documents form the basis of the Commission’s oversight of collective employment agreement negotiations in the Public Service.

The Commission will continue to carry out its statutory responsibilities in relation to pay equity bargaining in the Public Service.

We will continue to support chief executives and agencies to develop workforces that reflect the diversity of New Zealand society.

We will continue our focus on creating a digitally connected Public Service (Kotahitanga) to enable a modern, vibrant and collaborative working environment that helps public servants to do their best work.

The Commission will ensure a forward-looking focus on the challenges that will face the Public Service into the future through its Long Term Insights Briefing. It will also set out medium term directions for stewardship through the Commissioner’s State of the Public Service Report.

A culture of transparency, openness and active citizenship is fostered through the Commission’s work in relation to OIA compliance, and in supporting the Government’s policies regarding proactive release of information.

The Commission will continue to foster and uphold Public Service integrity through, as appropriate, further guidance and standards.

The Commission will investigate, and where appropriate, sanction breaches of ethical obligations by Public Servants.

The Commissioner will continue to operate the Awards and recognition programme that reinforces a spirit of service to community.

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The below table contains a measures of the impact of the Commission’s work. These measures are drawn from a range of sources, including surveys of the public (through the Commission’s regular ‘Kiwis Count’ survey), public servants (through Te Taunaki – the Public Service Census) and ministers (through satisfaction surveys); as well as direct measures of public service agency performance. The table includes information about the relevant measures, the outcomes they are indicative of, and the trend we hope to see as a result of our efforts.