Annual Report for the year ended 30 June 2007: Working Better

Contribution to the long-term goals

These services contribute to the Department's long-term goals:

• Our workplaces: New Zealand workplaces will lead the world in maximising the value of work while providing a high-quality working life.
• Our workforce: The skills of our workers will ensure that New Zealand enterprises are leaders internationally.
• Our people: All New Zealanders will be able to grow and develop through access to well-paid and meaningful employment.

Contribution to the medium-term priorities

These services contribute to supporting and promoting the transformation of New Zealand workplaces to become high-performing and to achieve high-quality working lives by focusing on the workplace productivity drivers, including skills, safe and healthy workplace cultures, decent work and excellent employment relationships.

Activities

We do this by:

• providing policy advice on the ACC scheme's regulation, ACC policies and practices, and interfaces with the health and welfare systems, and the workplace health and safety system
• evaluating the impact of the ACC scheme and the ACC's activities in meeting the Government's objectives for injury prevention, rehabilitation and compensation, and wider social and economic goals
• providing purchase advice on, and monitoring of, the performance of the ACC to assist the Minister for ACC to achieve the Government's objectives
• managing the ACC board appointment process on behalf of the Minister for ACC
• administering the ACC scheme's legislation and developing relevant regulatory changes on an annual basis (e.g. levy changes)
• providing secretariat and advisory support for stakeholder interest groups.

Performance information

Financial performance Figures are GST exclusive

The decrease in appropriation of $0.251 million in the Supplementary Estimates was primarily due to a fiscally neutral adjustment to reflect a new cost allocation methodology established across the Department.

Contribution to the long-term goals

These services contribute to the Department's long-term goals:

• Our workplaces: New Zealand workplaces will lead the world in maximising the value of work while providing a high-quality working life
• Our people: All New Zealanders will be able to grow and develop through access to well-paid and meaningful employment.

Contribution to the medium-term priorities

These services contribute to supporting and promoting the transformation of New Zealand workplaces to become high-performing and to achieve high-quality working lives by focusing on workplace productivity drivers.

Activities

We do this by:

• liaising with key stakeholders and responding to non-ministerial enquiries and complaints
• residual collection of non-compliers' penalties
• residual information management and servicing information requests
• responding to any enquiries and complaints related to the competitive accident insurance market introduced in 1999/2000
• administering the Insolvent Insurers Fund, should this be invoked.

Performance information

Financial performance Figures are GST exclusive

The decrease in appropriation of $0.031 million in the Supplementary Estimates was due to a fiscally neutral adjustment to reflect a new cost allocation methodology established across the Department.

Policy advice

Ministers expect to receive policy advice consistent with the following quality standards:

• Integrated: Advice considers the Government's priorities and the Department's goals and has been produced after involvement of all relevant contributors within the Department
• Timeliness: Advice is produced in sufficient time to allow thorough consideration prior to decision-making, or within the timeframe agreed with the Minister.
• Emerging issues: Advice is provided on emerging issues that are not part of the existing work plan.
• Issue and objective: A clearly defined issue or objective to be achieved is provided.
• Analysis: The analysis is sound and convincing - that is, appropriate analytical techniques are employed, convincing evidence is provided and there is a clear rationale for recommendations made.
• Options: All viable options recognising a wider government perspective are identified and addressed.
• Consultation: Where appropriate, the right individuals, government departments and interest groups are consulted at the right time, and their input is used appropriately.
• Style and presentation: The report uses a satisfactory style and presentation.
• Implementation: Where appropriate, information is provided on the implementation of the selected option(s), including feasibility issues, legislative implications, and assessment of fiscal, administrative and compliance costs.
• Evaluation strategy: Where appropriate, advice includes how proposals have been or will be evaluated.
• Impact assessment: Advice has considered the implementation impacts on private and public sector stakeholders and customers.

Application of standards

Note that all aspects of the standards may not apply to specific pieces of advice given considerations of urgency or the particular nature of the advice provided.