The Better Public Services programme is a world-leading, cross-government initiative by the New Zealand Government to hold itself to account in delivering better services for New Zealanders. Specific result areas for government action and focus were chosen and these are outlined in the following tables. These results are continually monitored and reported on publicly with a focus on ambitious targets. While the programme does set time-bound targets for achievement, the long-term outlook is on where to focus next and how to make further improvements to public service delivery and management of public resources.
There are 4 possible completion levels for each commitment:
Not started
Limited
Substantial
Completed.
Each summary includes the completion level for that commitment.
Lead Implementing agency
State Services Commission
Responsible person from implementing agency
Ross Boyd
Title
Principal Analyst
Email
sscenquiries@ssc.govt.nz
Phone
+64 4 495 6650
Name and number of the commitment
Commitment 1: BPS results programme
Main Objective
Result one: Reducing long term welfare dependence
Commitment Description
By June 2018, reduce the number of people receiving main benefits by 25%; and reduce the long-term cost of benefit dependence (as measured by an estimated accumulated actuarial release) by $13 billion. [Revised target in 2015]
Relevance
OGP principles: transparency, accountability, and participation
OGP grand challenges: improving public services, increasing public integrity, and more effectively managing public resources
Ambition
This result area, particularly the ambitious revised target, is a significant challenge for the social sector that requires greater collaboration between government agencies. The diversity of the population (clients seeking welfare assistance) will mean that reaching the target within the current fiscal context will require more targeted and diverse services from across government and better matched job opportunities for clients. It will also require active participation and support from employers, along with a stronger focus on improving clients’ work-readiness. Work toward the new target involves a cross-agency approach by the Ministries of Health; Education; Business, Innovation and Employment; Social Development; the Department of Corrections, New Zealand Police, and the Accident Compensation Corporation.
Completion level
Substantial
Progress Description
Reporting on the journey and the associated data for Result Area 1 continues to be reported and shown on the SSC’s website on a twice-yearly basis. The next update is expected in October 2016.
http://www.ssc.govt.nz/bps-reducing-dependence
The first measure associated with this result, ‘numbers on main benefits (excluding student hardship)’, continues to fall from the December 2013 baseline figure of 321,869, to 286,939 in September 2015, a 10.6% reduction.
The second measure, ‘accumulated actuarial release’, and its target of $13.3 billion by June 2018, reached $2.4 billion by September 2015. This relates to a reduction in the long-term government financial liability associated with the benefit system.
Main Objective
Result two: Increase participation in early childhood education
Commitment Description
By the beginning of 2017, 98% of children starting school will have participated in quality early childhood education.
Relevance
OGP principles: transparency, accountability, and participation
OGP ‘grand challenges’: improving public services, increasing public integrity and more effectively managing public resources
Ambition
Early Childhood Education (ECE) participation rates have been increasing steadily since 2012. Over the past 18 months the rate of increase has slowed down, with the rate reaching around 96.4% at December 2015. Much of the progress has come from targeting Māori, Pasifika and low income communities which had the largest number of non-participation rates. Success will depend on engaging with the hardest to reach families who are least likely to engage in ECE but most likely to benefit from it. To improve participation rates with these groups, the Ministry of Education is intensifying its engagement activities with priority communities in order to reach the 98% target by 2017.
Completion level
Substantial
Progress description
This result description, the associated data and case studies continue to be published twice yearly on SSC’s website. The next update is expected in October 2016.
https://www.ssc.govt.nz/bps-supporting-vulnerable-children#result2
The ECE participation rate prior to attending school was 96.4% for the 12 months to December 2015. This was up by 0.3 percentage points from 96.1% for the previous year.
Main Objective
Result three: Increase infant immunisation rates and reduce the incidence of rheumatic fever
Commitment Description
1) Increase infant immunisation rates so that 95% of eight-month olds are fully immunised by December 2014 and maintain this through to July 2017.
2) Reduce the incidence of rheumatic fever by two-thirds to 1.4 cases per 100,000 people by 2017.
Relevance
OGP principles: transparency, accountability, and participation.
OGP grand challenges: improving public services, increasing public integrity and more effectively managing public resources
Ambition
In the quarter ending December 2015, 93.7% of eight-month-olds were fully vaccinated (an increase from 93.4% at the end of September 2015).
The last 1.3% of children will be the hardest to reach due to cultural, social, financial or other barriers to accessing primary care. Ninety-five percent of 12-month-olds were fully immunised at this point. This suggests the target can be reached with more support for timely immunisation. The Ministry of Health is also undertaking further work to investigate the reasons why some parents choose to decline vaccinating their children.
Rates for first rheumatic fever hospitalisations continue to fall with the latest data collection from January 2015 showing the rate as 2.1 per 100,000.
Completion level
Substantial
Progress description
The measurement and reporting of this data continues to be updated on SSC’s website.
http://www.ssc.govt.nz/bps-supporting-vulnerable-children#rheumatic
Progress continues to be made toward meeting the 2017 rheumatic fever target rate of 1.4 per 100,000. There was a 45% decrease in rheumatic fever hospitalisations from the baseline (2009/10 to 2011/12) by the end of 2015. Once the first six months of this calendar year data are analysed we will have a better understanding of target achievement.
There has been significant success with a rising trend in immunisation levels in recent years towards the target, but achieving the last 2% will require increased targeting of awareness-raising measures to specific populations and parent groups.
Main Objective
Result four: Reduce the number of assaults on children
Commitment Description
The 10-year rise in children experiencing physical abuse will be halted and current numbers reduced by 5% in 2017.
Relevance
OGP principles: transparency, accountability
OGP ‘grand challenges’: improving public services, increasing public integrity, more effectively managing public resources
Ambition
This Result Area is on track to achieve the target. In the 12 months to September 2015, 3,011 children experienced substantiated physical abuse, a 3.2% decrease on the year to September 2014 (3,144). Going forward, the focus will be on sustaining better results in the longer term and addressing the causes of child maltreatment.
Completion level
Substantial
Progress description
The description, information and associated data with this result area continues to be updated on SSC’s website every six months.
http://www.ssc.govt.nz/bps-supporting-vulnerable-children#result4
Ten Children’s Teams have now been established, the most recent in Counties Manukau. The Children’s Teams expect to work with around 3,800 children per year. As of 31 October 2015, 569 children have been referred to the Children’s Teams. Children’s Teams bring together frontline professionals from local education, health and the social sector to respond to the needs of vulnerable children.
Under the Community Investment Strategy, government is working to ensure funding is aligned to priorities, is well-targeted, and is based on evidence of effectiveness. Some funding is being reprioritised to better support vulnerable children, for example, the reprioritisation of funding to expand Family Start. Family start is a free, voluntary, home-based service to support mothers who are pregnant and families with a baby under 12 months.
Main Objective
Result five: Increase the proportion of 18-year-olds with National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA) Level 2 or equivalent qualification
Commitment Description
85% of 18-year-olds will have achieved NCEA Level 2 or an equivalent qualification in 2017
Relevance
OGP principles: transparency, accountability and participation
OGP grand challenges: Improving public services, increasing public integrity and more effectively managing public resources.
Ambition
The 2015 NCEA Level 2 achievement result for all 18-year-olds is on track at 83.3%. This represents a nine percentage point increase since 2011 and is on track to achieve the 85% target by 2017. Māori and Pasifika are not on track to achieve the target. Gaining 85% NCEA Level 2 qualifications for Māori and Pasifika students requires reconnecting young people not in employment, education or training into learning programmes; and increasing the retention, engagement and achievement of Māori and Pasifika students in schools. The Ministry of Education is combining the efforts of secondary and tertiary education providers with a multi-agency intervention called Count Me In, involving Ministry of Social Development, Justice sector agencies, Te Puni Kōkiri, the Ministry of Pacific Island Affairs, and iwi (tribes) to improve education outcomes for and with Māori and Pasifika.
Completion level
Substantial
Progress description
The description, information and associated data with this result area continues to be updated on SSC’s website every six months.
https://www.ssc.govt.nz/bps-boosting-skills-employment
New programmes focusing on supporting student retention and achievement are delivering:
improved learning outcomes for students providing greater choice and opportunities to progress to further education, training and employment
greater curriculum choice and delivery that is relevant to students and responsive to the labour market
better parent, whānau (family), iwi and local community involvement in supporting student achievement and engagement.
accelerated NCEA Level 2 success for Māori and Pasifika students
more education options that are better connected with employers.
Main Objective
Result six: Increase the number of 24 to 35 year-olds with advanced trade qualifications, diplomas and degrees (at Level 4 or above)
Commitment Description
60% of 25-34 year olds will have a qualification at Level 4 or above by 2018
Relevance
OGP principles: transparency, accountability and participation
OGP grand challenges: Improving public services, increasing public integrity and more effectively managing public resources.
Ambition
As the number of young people achieving NCEA Level 2 continues to rise, there is a need to focus on progression for young people into NCEA Level 3 and further education at Level 4 and above. Progression into Level 4 or higher study by 19-year-olds has remained steady at 48% over 2010-14. The Ministry of Education is looking to address system issues to ensure schools and tertiary education providers have progression pathways linked to industry needs, and approaches to support more young people transition into study at Level 4 and above, and into careers.
Annual data to December 2015 shows 54.7% of 25 to 34-year-olds with a qualification at Level 4 or above. The tertiary education system is supporting more young people to complete qualifications at Level 4 or above, and gains have increased for Māori and Pasifika young people. To support increases in the skilled workforce, study opportunities in high demand areas such as engineering and trades are being promoted and expanded, and information on graduate employment outcomes is being made more accessible to inform study decisions.
Given the Result 6 target relates to the workforce aged 25 to 34, the effects of net migration will provide some uncertainty around future progress towards the target, especially at its current record highs, a 3.5% increase in this age group in the year to December 2015.
Completion level
Substantial
Progress description
The description, information and associated data with this result area continues to be updated on SSC’s website every six months.
http://www.ssc.govt.nz/bps-boosting-skills-employment#result6
Progress is supported by:
providing better information to students on the salary and employment outcomes of study to inform students’ study and career choices, such as through the Occupation Outlook smartphone app
improving the New Zealand careers system in terms of information, advice and guidance provided
expanding and improving apprenticeships, through the Māori and Pasifika Trades Training programme and the provision of additional funding and an increasing number of trade and apprenticeship places across the New Zealand system.
Main Objective
Result seven: Reduce the rate of total crime, violent crime and youth crime
Commitment Description
By June 2017, reduce the violent crime rate by 20% and reduce the youth crime rate by 25%; by 2018 reduce the total crime rate by 20%.
Relevance
OGP principles: transparency, accountability and participation
OGP ‘grand challenges’: Improving public services, increasing public integrity and more effectively managing public resources.
Ambition
Good progress was made toward achieving the total crime target from mid-2011 to the end of 2014, but reported violent crime is increasing. There is also a rise in the number of burglary offences, making it more difficult to achieve the total crime rate target (revised in 2015 from a 15% to a 20% reduction in crime).
The bulk of the increase in violent crime over 2015 comprises offences committed in dwellings. Dwelling-based violence has a strong correlation with family violence. A cross-government focus on strategies to address family violence has contributed to greater public awareness and reporting, resulting in increased recording by Police of family violence offending and a corresponding increase in criminal proceedings. Increased reporting, and its flow-on effect on the violent crime rate, may continue over the next few years.
Completion level
Substantial
Progress description
The description, information and associated data with this result area continues to be updated on SSC’s website every six months.
https://www.ssc.govt.nz/bps-reducing-crime#result7
From August 2015-February 2016, the results have been mixed, with total crime levelling off and the violent crime rate deteriorating. Since June 2011, total crime has fallen by 17%, violent crime by 10%, and youth crime by 39%.
The youth crime rate is down 39% against the June 2011 baseline, well beyond the target of a 25% reduction.
In the year ending September 2015, there were 58,120 fewer crimes (2,739 fewer violent crimes), and 2,323 fewer youth court first appearances than in the year ending June 2011.
Main Objective
Result eight: Reduce reoffending
Commitment Description
Reduce the re-offending rate by 25% by 2017.
Relevance
OGP principles: transparency, accountability and participation
OGP grand challenges: Improving public services, increasing public integrity and more effectively managing public resources.
Ambition
The ambition is to reduce the rate of reoffending. Analysis has shown the reoffending rate, which measures the “churn” of offenders through the system, is currently not indicating progress; however, the actual number of reoffenders each year has been steadily decreasing since 2011. This means that the Department of Corrections is left with a smaller, more difficult group of offenders more likely to reoffend. To respond, Corrections has put into place a range of additional programmes and interventions to target this group. These interventions include significantly expanding short-term rehabilitation programmes for prisoners serving shorter sentences; intensifying delivery of employment and living skills courses to offenders on Community Work sentences; increasing brief drug and alcohol interventions to those offenders with an identified need; and contacting recently released short-term and community-based offenders to ensure their recovery is progressing smoothly and is on track. Further progress is expected, but some of the benefits of these initiatives will be realised over a longer period of time than the target date of June 2017.
Completion level
Substantial
Progress description
The description, information and associated data with this result area continues to be updated on SSC’s website every six months.
http://www.ssc.govt.nz/bps-reducing-crime#result8
There is sound evidence for the effectiveness of programmes to reduce re-offending. When outcomes of participants in a specific programme are compared to those of offenders of comparable risk but who did not complete that programme, the department routinely records significant reductions in rates of reconviction and re-imprisonment amongst programme participants. Results for individual programmes are published in the department’s annual reports.
Main Objective
Result nine: New Zealand businesses have a one-stop online shop for all government advice they need to run and grow their business
Commitment Description
Business costs in dealing with government will reduce by 25% by 2017, through a year-on-year reduction in effort required to work with agencies. Government services to business will have similar key performance ratings as leading private sector firms by July 2017, and businesses will be able to contribute to this through an online feedback system from July 2013
Relevance
OGP principles: transparency, accountability and participation, technology and innovation
OGP ‘grand challenges’: Improving public services, increasing public integrity and more effectively managing public resources.
Ambition
Making it easier for business to interact with government will make New Zealand a more attractive place for domestic and international businesses to work. It will also allow existing kiwi businesses to thrive in a less complex regulatory environment. This will enable more meaningful participation of business in government, particularly using technology and innovation as enabling mechanisms.
Completion level
Substantial
Description
The description, information and associated data with this result area continues to be updated on SSC’s website every six months.
http://www.ssc.govt.nz/bps-interaction-with-govt#result9
Slight increases in both government effort (up from 84-88 index points) and private sector effort (from 77 to 83 points) in the six months ending December 2015.
The survey data indicates that regulatory change, such as the impact of the Health and Safety Work Act 2015, is a key contributing factor to overall effort for business customers dealing with government
Main Objective
Result ten: To make it easier for New Zealanders to transact with Government in a digital environment.
Commitment Description
An average of 70% of New Zealand’s most common transactions will be completed in a digital environment by 2017.
Relevance
OGP principles: transparency, accountability, participation, technology and innovation
OGP grand challenges: Improving public services, increasing public integrity and more effectively managing public resources.
Ambition
Building more a transparent and accountable delivery of public services through a digital environment is the ambition for this result. Allowing a more meaningful and tailored involvement and access of government services is also being sought through increasing the proportion of services being delivered online.
Completion level
Substantial
Description
The description, information and associated data with this result area continues to be updated on SSC’s website every six months.
http://www.ssc.govt.nz/bps-interaction-with-govt#result10
In 2015 Cabinet agreed to shift the Result 10 focus towards delivering integrated digital services [CAB Min (15) 15/2]. The adoption of integrated service delivery will substantially change the way things are done in government, with particular emphasis on service delivery and interaction with customers. Example: From March 2015, when new parents are registering the birth of their child (with DIA) they are able to choose to apply for an IRD Number for their child in the same application. This option is available digitally.
Overall progress continues to trend towards achieving the 70% target by 2017, with 2015 projections and latest quarterly reporting supporting the 71.4% forecast.
MBIE satisfaction survey: Ninety-two percent of survey respondents reported they would use online forms over paper forms if they had to apply for another visa (Immigration New Zealand)
Customers happy renewing passports online: Customers, including New Zealanders living overseas, report satisfaction with the fast turnaround times for online passport renewals. Digital uptake for the last quarter (Q3) was up 11% on the corresponding quarter in 2015.
More people paying tax online: The number of people paying their tax online in quarter three increased 4.6 percentage points (6%) over the same quarter in 2015. Payments by cheque now make up less than 10% of the payments.
Digital uptake exceeded 50% for the first time in the December 2015 quarter.
These pages are the OGPNZ Draft End Term Self-assessment Report. The original document is also provided in MS Word format (.doc 287KB) and portable document format (.pdf 674KB). The content is the same in all versions. These documents were updated on 15 September 2016.