Hurahura Research
Our research role
The Public Service Commission and the New Zealand public service are continually working to improve how public services deliver for New Zealanders. As we work on improving public services now, we must also keep an eye to the future, so that New Zealanders have a public service that better meets their needs and remains relevant in a changing world.
Part of the Commission’s core function is to provide leadership and over-sight of the public service and ensure the purpose of the Public Service Act is carried out. From time to time, Commission staff need to do a deeper dive to understand a problem. Sometimes this involves a literature review or empirical research and analysis. Other times it can involve engaging with public administration theory to develop new understandings, or reflective practice and insights.
This collection of papers have been commissioned, written or contributed to by Commission staff members in order for us to get a better understanding of various challenges facing the public service, so that we can continue to work on improving how public services deliver for New Zealanders. The Commission’s aim in sharing the papers here is to make these ideas and analyses available to a wider audience, and to inform and encourage public debate, with the ultimate aim of informing our work.
If you have any questions, would like reports in a different format or are interested in discussing this work, please email: info@publicservice.govt.nz.
Disclaimer: The views, opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in these papers are strictly those of the authors. They do not necessarily reflect the views of the Commission or the New Zealand Government.
Please note: Prior to August 2020, the Public Service Commission was known as the State Services Commission. Documents published prior to this date refer to the Commission by this earlier name.
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Joined-Up for What? Response to Carey and Harris on Adaptive Collaboration:
Carey and Harris present the concept of adaptive management as a practice for supporting effective collaboration, suggesting that performance information be used to modify actions.
Assessing the performance of agency chief executives
Monitoring and managing department chief executive performance is one of the main centrally held levers for improving the performance of the New Zealand public sector.
Theoretical foundations of department chief executive performance appraisals
This paper assembles a set of design principles for department chief executive performance based upon the theoretical foundations of three analogous processes: employee performance appraisals, private sector chief execut…
Results, Targets and Measures to Drive Collaboration: Lessons from the New Zealand Better Public Services reforms
The Results, targets and measures were co-created through careful dialogue between ministers, participating departments and the three central agencies: the State Services Commission, Treasury and the Department of the Pr…
The performance relationship between department chief executives and the State Services Commission of New Zealand
This paper explores and explains current practice to correct the incomplete descriptions of New Zealand practice in the literature today.
Joint ventures in the public sector: Translating lessons from the private sector to New Zealand government departments
Many of the challenges facing today's public servants cannot be solved by agencies acting alone. In recent years there has been increasing attention paid to the opportunities and challenges of cross-agency work.
Recent Evidence On The Effectiveness Of Group Model Building
This paper argues that future research in group model building would benefit from three main shifts: from single cases to multiple cases; from controlled settings to applied settings; and by augmenting survey results wit…
Client Perceptions of Reported Outcomes of Group Model Building in the New Zealand Public Sector
The public sector is a significant audience for group model building interventions; this paper reports on what outcomes are most valued by potential clients in the New Zealand public sector.
Mechanisms for Understanding Mental Model Change in Group Model Building
This paper explores the experiences of participants in group model building workshops where delayed evaluations suggested that lasting mental model change has occurred.
The management and organisational challenges of more joined-up government: New Zealand’s Better Public Services reforms
This paper describes progress in implementing reform and reflects on the tensions inherent in layering ‘horizontal’ and system-wide approaches onto a strongly vertical system of accountability.
Interpersonal Success Factors for Strategy Implementation
Strategy implementation has been identified as an area of system dynamics literature requiring greater attention. Most strategies fail to be implemented successfully, and processes for effectively implementing strategy a…
Evaluating immediate and long-term impacts of qualitative group model building workshops on participants' mental models
This paper reports on a case study involving four groups using group model building tools that were evaluated immediately before, immediately after, and 12 months following a 3-hour workshop.
Results
This paper sets out the Secretariat for State Sector Reform’s thinking on the issues associated with lifting public service performance through a greater focus on results.
Reaching out and letting in: More open information and greater citizen participation as levers for change
This paper sets out the Secretariat for State Sector Reform’s thinking on the issues associated with using more open information and greater citizen participation to lift public service performance.
Leadership for improved results
This paper explores options for improving leadership and leadership development across the public service and wider state services. It also comments on some of the issues involved in implementing possible changes.
Decision-rights for achieving improved performance
Every day, thousands of decisions are made that affect the performance of the state services provided to New Zealanders. This paper sets out the Secretariat for State Sector Reform’s thinking about some of the important …
Best-sourcing public services
This paper sets out the State Sector Reform Secretariat’s current thinking on some of the critical issues associated with measures to further strengthen the delivery of public services. This includes an analysis of where…
Understanding the Drivers of Satisfaction and Trust in Public Services – A Qualitative Study
Findings from this research are based on 40 focus groups (around 8 people per group) were held in urban, provincial and rural locations around New Zealand. Groups were held with general public, Māori, Asian, Pacific Peop…
Career Progression and Development Survey, 2005: Results for the New Zealand Public Service
The State Services Commission (SSC) first carried out the Career Progression and Development Survey in 2000. The survey was the first of its kind in the Public Service, and was repeated in 2005. It explored public servan…
Whither Accountability
This paper looks at issues with future accountability arrangements in the light of changes currently being made to the New Zealand system of public management.
Post-NPM Themes in Public Sector Governance
This paper looks at three particular phenomena in evidence in the post-New Public Management (NPM) public sector environment, and seeks to find a convergence point among them that might give cues as to the future directi…
Achieving Better Social Outcomes in New Zealand Through Collaboration: Perspectives from the United States
This paper examines the topic of improving social outcomes in New Zealand through collaboration between government and communities where children, young people and families are at risk.
Current Practices on Competencies in Public Service Departments in New Zealand: Feedback Report to Departments
As part of the larger scope of work commissioned by Public Service Chief Executives on "Developing our Future Leaders", as well as the Review of the Centre work, the State Services Commission throughout 2001 undertook to…
The Gender Pay Gap in the New Zealand Public Service
This paper examines the issue of gender pay gap in the New Zealand Public Service.
Retirement Savings Schemes for Government Employees: A Brief Preliminary Review of Some Key Issues
In light of current proposals to create a new superannuation scheme for government employees, this paper looks at the key issues that such an approach would be likely to raise for the government as employer.