Tē tōia, tē haumatia

8/3/2020

Today, you have 104 days or 2,496 hours before the pre-election period starts.

And while it is critically important for the public service to remain politically neutral, it is crucial to start thinking about how to best support a new Government*.

It is an exciting time and an extraordinary privilege to help a new Government implement its newly mandated agenda. But nothing can be achieved without a plan.

So here are a few tips for those of you starting to think about welcoming a new Government and Minister. These tips are based on the first seventy-two hours. They focus on establishing a positive relationship with a new Minister and their Office.

The first three days are all about mutual respect. Officials need to be non-political and committed to achieving the Minister’s objectives. Good senior officials know that their new Minister will be exhausted, suspicious and excited to begin implementing their ideas. More experienced senior officials will have researched their new Ministers’ characters, styles and needs. These more experienced officials know not to put nervous, inexperienced or defensive staff in front of the Minister in the first week. That is because Ministers need to be impressed by the quality of their officials.

Ministers also have a role. Good Ministers are well-briefed and able to articulate their short-term and long term goals. Great Ministers are ready to start turning the dials on their portfolios immediately. These Ministers know that personal chemistry between them, their Office and the senior officials in their portfolio will make or break the quality of their legacy and their ability to implement their mandate.

That said, officials need to impress the Minister and their Office. Here are some tips on impressing a new Minister and their staff. Officials that:

• Are passionate, so long as it is directed to implementing the new Government’s agenda.
• Are positive when the new Government wants a change of direction.
• Make certain their assertions are evidence-based – and not a repeat of the former Government’s policy assumptions.
• Make sure their team has changed their language to suit the new Government’s mental models and public policy concepts.
• Offer deep-dive briefings to the Minister’s staff.
• Ensure the media and political advisors have what they need and are supported by a protocol that gives them easy access to the information they need to perform their roles successfully**.

Make sure the Office has what it requires to function. Often officials take for granted how tumultuous a shift in the administration can be for the ministerial and parliamentary support staff. Examples of support include ensuring the Minister’s team is set up for success, and ensuring the SPS has a portfolio meeting and event calendar to work with from day one.

One last thing.

The great chief executives I have had the privilege of working for keep an eye on their people. A change in Government means some work and ideas are put on the back-burner. Great chief executives prepare their people for change. They make sure that their staff understand that even though their work is no longer the number one priority, it is still significant and will be used again. Those chief executives understand what it means to steward public policy in the public interest. They know that one day, they will need that work still. They gently and carefully deprioritise the work so that it can be seamlessly picked up again.

Wishing you all the best of luck. Your time starts now ……

*Guidance on pre-election and election period is available on the SSC website. I am sure advice on how officials will support the formation of Government will be available soon; subject, of course, to the Public Service Legislation Bill progressing through the House. Finally, just to be clear, this post is prepared because every election produces a new Government.

** I sit in a camp that has only ever had positive experiences with Ministerial media teams and political advisors. Every political advisor I have worked with has been a critical enabler of officials’ voices with a deep respect for implementation.