17 March 2005

State services development plan welcomed

The Public Service Association (PSA) is welcoming the five-year development goals for public organisations announced by the State Services Commissioner today.

The goals describe how state services in New Zealand will be configured and the performance expected of public organisations. Their release coincides with a reorganisation of the State Services Commission and the extension of the Commissioner’s mandate to a wider range of organisations.

PSA National Secretary Brenda Pilott says the development goals are an ambitious agenda and offer the potential of improved public services for New Zealanders and more rewarding careers for workers in the public sector.

“New Zealanders have the right to expect high quality public services provided by excellent public servants. It’s good to see a public organisations making public perception and usage of their services a criteria by which they will judge their effectiveness.

“Achieving these development goals will be a real stretch and will require sustained investment in public services by successive governments and an active commitment by government agencies to work cooperatively together. The government has made considerable progress rebuilding the public sector but there is a lot more to do yet.

“The PSA had an instrumental role in the Review of the Centre, from which this plan has been developed. It is good to see the State Services Commissioner setting a new agenda for change.

“The development of the goals coincides with a significant refocusing of the State Services Commission which we have been consulted on. We support the Commission taking the lead on state sector values, senior leadership development and the sharing of best practice.

“The PSA has also been thinking about the contribution public servants, through their union, can make to the development of state organisations. This month we launched our framework to make the public sector an employer of choice attracting and retaining talented public servants which meshes very closely with these development goals.

“We look forward to working with the State Services Commission and individual state agencies to advance both plans,” Brenda Pilott said.

ENDS

Super-Wards: Commission Proposes New Boundaries For Auckland

The Local Government Commission presented its proposals on the boundaries and representation arrangements for the new Auckland Council today.

Under the Local Government (Auckland Council) Act 2009, the Commission is required to determine boundaries for the new Auckland Council, wards and local boards, ward and board names and the number of members per local board. More>>