Kia mau ki te aka matua, kei mau ki te aka tāepa

24/11/2023

Grounded. That is how I see the combining of public services and finance outcomes alongside the social investment outcome into one portfolio. It puts the four most powerful functions together (Budget, Performance, People and Integrity) and links them to social investment.

I like it for a range of reasons:

First and foremost, it’s a direct challenge to how purple zone has been operating over the last few years: apparently unconcerned about performance and agnostic about affordability.

Second, it means one Minister can keep an eye on engagement and productivity across the state services. This matters. Because engagement drives productivity.

Third, it also ensures leadership development is done in the context of social investment: for example, if you want to be a senior official in the future, you ought to be able to understand and support social investment now. By the way, plenty of Iwi/Māori/Whānau Ora and third sector providers have been doing social investment for the past six years. Their practice is in advance of the state right now.

Four, it also forces the Public Services Commission and Treasury to work together on employment relationships: at last count people were over 62% of state sector operating costs; it is important for the Minister to get joined up advice from the Public Services Commission and Treasury on the total cost of those collectives.

Five, it could also mean Treasury gets to peer review all the restructuring proposals. Wouldn’t it be grand if chief executives had to band their operational efficiencies or proposed benefits? That might stop the restructuring merry-go-round desribed in a paper in the latest Policy Quarterly publication.

Six, most importantly, I think, it means the Cabinet can use the public service chief executive performance agreements (and the appointment and reappointment processes) to drive outcomes and institutional performance.

Seven, and finally, it will ensure the Public Service Commission and Treasury work together on a common language for institutional failure and performance. In this respect we might see wider deployment of the collaboration tools in the Public Service Act 2020.

So, yup, grounded. Grounded is my word. A portfolio firmly planted in the ground, not just swung around the latest fad or trend. A portfolio designed to get the best out of all three institutions.