Chief Executive's introduction
This Statement of Intent outlines this Ministry’s goals in a changing environment, and the wide range of work we will undertake over the next three years to achieve results. It also describes how we organise ourselves to deliver services to those who need us.
Fundamentally, we are a Ministry of people serving people for the good of New Zealand and its diverse communities. Our aspiration for New Zealanders is that they can be safe, strong and ultimately independent and able to succeed on their own.
Our purpose is to help them get there. This is at the centre as we co-ordinate and lead across agencies to achieve the Government’s expectations for Better Public Services. Our main focus is delivering fundamental change to achieve the Reducing Long-term Welfare Dependency and Supporting Vulnerable Children themes and the way we work with communities to achieve them. Nearly the entire Ministry is involved in managing and supporting the delivery of these major work programmes.
The Social Sector Chief Executives Forum is a key lever to get the improved results Government is expecting of us. The Forum provides an opportunity to make a collective impact for the individuals, families and communities that our social service agencies aim to support. We are stronger when we work together.
To tackle long-term welfare dependency, we have launched the most significant welfare reforms New Zealand has seen in our lifetime. Underpinning the reforms is the Investment Approach. It guides where we target support, what services will work best, and how to balance that with the resources we have. We are working closely with the Work and Income Board which provides expert guidance as we embed the reforms into daily practice.
The Children’s Action Plan is another significant piece of work we will deliver for New Zealanders. Our target is to reduce the number of substantiated cases of physical abuse. The Action Plan was created to guide the way we use cross-government resources to meet community needs.
Investing in Services for Outcomes bring us more emphasis on shared accountability across service lines and higher expectations of customer service. We’re expected to respond quickly and effectively to major policy changes. We’re finding ways to make greater use of joint funding arrangements, joined-up frontline service delivery and closer work with non-government organisations and local government.
All of our key initiatives rely on enhanced technology to get better data so that we can make more highly-informed decisions and tailor services to improve results for clients while protecting our information and maintaining public trust. We will use recent lessons to ensure security and smart risk management is part of our DNA – an element of every decision that we make.
As a diverse but unified Ministry in a dynamic and demanding environment, we know that change and complexity will always be part of our work. We see that as an opportunity to find better ways to achieve our goals. We are clear about our purpose and role, we strive to improve, we are responsible for our actions, and we do the right thing with courage, transparency and integrity. When our clients and staff succeed, we have succeeded.
Brendan Boyle
Chief Executive
Ministry of Social Development
