Trans Tasman Announces Government Department CEO of The Year

Trans Tasman Announces Government Department and
Government Department CEO of The Year

Trans Tasman’s 4th Annual Briefing Report - New Zealand Government Departments People and Policy, 2013 Edition, has announced its top performing Government Department of the Year and the best Government Department CEO. The pair are chosen by an 18 strong Independent Board of Advisers.

This year the CEO of the year is David Smol from the Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment. He led the rest by a country mile after managing to oversee the largest ever merger of Government Departments with nothing going horribly wrong so far. The Report says “the biggest challenge for Smol now is ensuring important functions inside the super-Ministry are not lost from sight due to the sheer size of MBIE.

“The lessons of the Department of Labour (now itself part of the Ministry) and its handling of health and safety inspectors in the Pike River tragedy should be a salutary lesson for Smol and his managers. The problem for Smol and others from the constant state of flux in the public sector, is lessons learnt are quickly forgotten as people and priorities move on.

“Smol has the intellect and composure, as well as the respect of Ministers, to do the job, but it is, as they say “A Big Ask.”

The Government Department of the Year is The Department of Corrections. It has flown under the radar for much of the year, which is part of the reason why the Independent Board of Advisers chose it. The Report says “it has hardly been in the headlines or at the centre of Ministerial attention.

“Those with longer memories will have probably recalled when the Department lurched from prison escapes to tragic deaths, through to systemic probation failures with massive overspends in building new prisons.

“This left Ray Smith’s predecessor in the unenviable position of having his responsible Minister constantly asked whether she had confidence in him. No one asks that about Smith. It helped that large amounts of money were thrown at sorting out the overstretched and unfocused Probation Service and the pressure on prisons eased with fall in imprisonment rates.

“But it is not all luck, and Smith and his team have worked hard to change the culture in what was naturally one of the most institutionalised Departments dealing with some of the most terrible and unhelpful people in the country.”

The Introduction to this year’s Report focuses on the “turbulent times” the state sector faces.

It notes “in all, this has been a difficult year for the New Zealand public service. It has tested the calibre and the nerve of the State Services Commission. It suggests the fabric of Government – woven from the provision of free and frank information to Ministers – is starting to fray. The over-arching question is whether recent scandals represent a run of bad luck during the most pervasive changes in the public sector in 30 years - or whether there is a deeper malaise?”

The Report says “there’s also a sense under John Key’s “chairman of the board” approach cohesion between cabinet and State Sector is slipping. There seems to be no concept of proper process.

“The imbroglio over the Government Communications Security Bureau raises questions about the CEO selection process by the State Services Commission. Are Ministers and their staff too closely involved in the selection of CEOs, and indeed in management issues generally?”

It also raises concerns over the way Ministers and their staff treat public servants and the overall resource of the public service. “Ministerial staff appear to be imitating the behaviour of their political masters.

“Steven Joyce continues to run his part of the Government like a business, and he is in expansion mode as well. He has a strong sense he is the only person competent enough to run the show, and continues to keep his hand in the pie even when his portfolio responsibilities are changed, such as transport. At times he can be perceived as a bully, throwing his weight around to secure his objectives.”

The introduction quotes Treasury boss Gabriel Makhlouf at length, and leaves him the final word - “in looking at these reforms to the state sector, I’m conscious that there will be some people who may dismiss their aim as simply being smaller Government. These system-wide changes are not about smaller Government, they are about different Government – a state sector that is more efficient, effective, responsive and focused on results.”

It conlcudes “ Departmental consolidation and amalgamation are in fact the new norm. Any new Government will find so much set in concrete drastic change would be expensive and counter-productive.”

One of the new features in the Report for 2013 is an analysis of how effective Ministers have been in getting their agencies to successfully implement their policy agenda. Of the Ministers, Bill English comes out well, scoring highly for his policy work with The Reserve Bank and The Treasury.

Steven Joyce’s stewardship of the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment is also noted. John Key features at both the top and the bottom of the list - at the top for his dealings with the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet, but fourth from bottom for his dealings with the trouble plagued Government Communications Security Bureau.

Not surprisingly Hekia Parata takes up the three bottom spots in this particular ranking for her dealings with the Education Review Office, The Ministry of Pacific Island Affairs and the Ministry of Education.

As usual, members of the Independent Board Of Advisers were given the chance to comment on the agencies they ranked.

They are generally unimpressed with the first year’s work from the new super Ministry, the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, despite naming its CEO as Chief Executive of The
Year - “Disappointing it has not scored any high profile wins in its first year. “Getting so big some of its functions are being lost. Time will tell whether scale creates opportunities or just an amorphous bureaucracy.” “Still finding its feet. It’s a massive task to merge so many agencies.” “Too soon to tell. Some major challenges. Will it work?” “The talk is good but the jury is out around deliverables.”

Despite her problems, the Ministry of Education’s former CEO Lesley Longstone still got some good comments - “Handled a very difficult situation with professionalism; fronted the tough questions in the media.” “Took “Going gets tough, tough get going” too literally and went. Should have stayed.”

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, which has had its share of problems was seen as settling down, but the restructuring process is still taking flak - “Has weathered the storm; done the job that was needed and long overdue only to find when the going got tough there was no Ministerial support.” “Yet to realise tangible gains from messy restructuring although rationale behind was creditable.” “Bad morale still, recovering.” “Recovering from restructuring but still faltering.” “Despite all the turmoil when Allen embarked on the restructure, not helped by the Minister of bullying, this Ministry continues to perform well for NZ.”

The Government Communications Security Bureau also fares quite well, despite the high profile of the secretive agency this year and controversy surroundings its CEO - “Lots to do, but Fletcher certainly looks like the right person to lead change.” “Fletcher has an opportunity to restore confidence.” “Fletcher has done a much better job than the media would have us believe.” “Knew nothing of him until media reports. His career would indicate he would have got the job even if he hadn’t played in the sandpit with childhood chum John Key.”

Another Department which has had a high profile this year, often for the wrong reasons is the State Services Commission, headed by Iain Rennie - “Missing in action.” “Continues to lack credibility in the government sector.” “Underperforming.” “Rennie continues to manage a difficult job well, but questions persist over wider SSC.” “One of Wellington’s less able performers.Hope Al Morrison can make a change.” “Increasingly hard to understand why we need a Ministry for the Ministries.”

And coming in for its usual round of shellacking is the Ministry of Women’s Affairs - “Not sure what they deliver.” “What do they do?” “Hear reports of lack of leadership and direction.” “trying hard.” “Who?” “Past their use by date,” showing the job new CEO Jo Cribb faces to turn the panel’s perceptions around.

The report identifies the rising stars of the public sector as Andrew Crisp, Mike Shatford, Vicky Robertson, Fiona Ross, Struan Little, Nigel Bickle, David Walker, Andrew Hampton and Colin Lynch.
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