Adopting Results-Based Measurement for Improved Organisational Performance and Accountability in New Zealand's Occupational Safety and Health Service

Mary Adams, Brenda Ratcliff, Roger Macky

Traditionally, the performance of government service provision has been measured in terms of outputs, which did not always provide enough information to contribute to improved service delivery.

There is now a growing trend in New Zealand towards defining clearer objectives for government programmes and measuring performance against those objectives in terms of actual outcomes. In line with this concern, the Occupational Safety and Health Service (OSH) of the Department of Labour is developing methods for measuring its contribution to the outcome of making people safer and healthier at work.

This paper describes the process used to develop these results-based measures ands sets out the expected benefits of establishing quality performance measures. Two techniques were used to clearly define the objectives and scope of OSH’s programmes: soft systems methodology and programme logic, involving focus groups and extensive consultation.

From this analysis emerged programme outcomes, with relevant performance indicators attributed to each of the factors that influence  the effectiveness of OSH programmes. This process has helped to reorient managerial and staff mind-sets towards outcomes and away from outputs.