PIF System Level Findings: Better at delivery of short term priorities than core business effectiveness and efficiency

15/05/2020

This post is a slight diversion.

The legitimacy of the public management system rests on its ability to demonstrate high levels of integrity and performance.

The public and their political representatives have a right to be confident that public ownership, funding, provision, and regulation do the most good while curtailing cost.

Analysis I have completed of all published PIF reviews suggests the public service has five quirks that, in my view, if left unaddressed, will inhibit improvement in the public management system no matter how hard officials work.

The first quirk of the system is that delivery against a Government priority is stronger than the effectiveness of core business, which is itself stronger than the efficiency of the core business (see graphic below). I summarise this as a public management system that appears to be better at managing issues and keeping Ministers happy than it is at building core institutional capability that adds substantial and enduring value to our communities.

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