5. Managing in a changing environment

Strengthening risk management and business continuity planning

Implementation of whole-of-department approaches to risk management, business continuity planning, legislative compliance and internal assurance continued. All work groups have Risk Registers in place and these use common risk management tools.

The Department piloted its Assurance Review and this will be repeated six-monthly. It tests that the Department's key controls are working and that the Department is meeting its legislative compliance obligations.

An overarching business continuity and crisis management planning approach is in place, overseen by the National Crisis Management Team. Individual offices and branches have local plans, which have been tested during pandemic preparedness planning.

Environmental scanning

The Department continued to carry out a wide range of research and evaluative activities to support the Departmental outcome of Productive Work and High-Quality Working Lives. This enabled the Department to monitor the impacts of its policies and the trends that are developing over time. Information about these activities is reflected under the Department's intermediate outcomes.

During the year, the Department undertook additional monthly monitoring of the rapidly changing global environment and the resulting emerging issues. The reports looked at recent national and international events, and the key changes in the international, and New Zealand immigration business environments.