Statement of Intent 2005 - Chief Executive's Overview
The Ministry is now much more than an organisation focused on the payment of benefits. While this will always be a core function of the Ministry we are increasingly showing what can happen when we focus on outcomes. Unemployment is the lowest in the OECD. Other benefit numbers are dropping as we have focused on outcomes for these clients.
Improving social development outcomes is the uniting focus right across the Ministry - whether we are delivering services to New Zealanders through Work and Income, Studylink, or Family and Community Services, we are not looking at how those services can make a real difference to the social outcomes for our clients and the families and communities we serve.
The way we develop policy has changed too. Policy that supports our services is now developed in partnership with our service delivery groups. Each policy group is driven by the outcomes that result from getting a client into work, study or training or connecting them to the services that help them lead rich and rewarding lives.
We recognise that improving social outcomes for New Zealanders is not something the Ministry can do on its own. We need to network our services with other agencies. Our goal is accessible social services that are co-ordinated and focused on getting clients where they need to be to have a better future. People won’t have to know the right door to get help or assistance, we will guide clients through.
There is now a real opportunity to utilise the Ministry’s ‘reach’ into the more than 170 communities where we have a presence, to better connect New Zealanders to the services of this Ministry and those of our social sector and non-governmental partners. We have started this by asking the Ministry’s eleven Regional Commissioners to take a leadership role across the Ministry at the regional level.
This will be another significant year where our focus on outcomes, connections to other agencies and innovation will make an even greater difference to the lives of the New Zealanders we serve.
Peter Hughes
Chief Executive
