Statement of Intent 2008 - Strategic direction
The Government’s priority themes are: Families – Young and Old, Economic Transformation, and National Identity.
Families – Young and Old is about supporting families to look after their family members and support them to thrive and succeed. The Ministry’s work supports the sub-themes of strong families, healthy confident kids, safe communities and positive ageing.
This year, specific Government priorities relating to families in need were announced by the Prime Minister in February. These include:
- building a stronger relationship with the community social support sector non-government organisations (NGOs) through increased funding to support their community activities
- enabling NGOs in the social services sector to build workforce capability;
- prevention of family violence
- raising the age for participation in school or other forms of education to 18 through the programme of Schools Plus to support young people to have better education and skill development
- addressing violent offending among young people through programmes to counter youth gang activity and extending the time young offenders spend in residential facilities.
The emphasis on supporting a sustainable NGO social services sector, through Pathway to Partnership, over the next four years was announced in February 2008. This involves funding essential contracted services to 100 percent of their service costs; making automatic annual cost adjustment payments; addressing forecast volume increases; building workforce and capability; and supporting NGOs to work more closely together to reduce duplication and get more resources into services. The focus will be on NGOs achieving outcomes.
