INTRODUCTION
Purpose and scope
The Department of Labour publishes a Statement of Intent each year to inform Members of Parliament and the public about our role in creating better outcomes for all New Zealanders. It outlines what we aim to achieve over the next three years, how we intend to achieve it, and how we are progressing towards this achievement.
This Statement of Intent has two parts:
- Part A provides an overview of the Department of Labour’s role, strategic direction and priorities for the next three years. It summarises the current situation in the New Zealand and international labour market environment and highlights some key trends with implications for the future. It also sets out the outcomes and goals we are working to achieve for all New Zealanders and how we intend to achieve them.
- Part B comprises a forecast of our intended 2006/07 outputs, along with the estimated cost and other financial information. This part meets the statutory requirements of the Public Finance Act 1989.
Developments over the past year
In terms of labour market achievements over the past year, the Department has been working hard to increase innovation, productivity and the availability of skilled workers needed to drive the New Zealand economy:
- Through working with industry and business networks
to help raise awareness of the
sorts of practices that can be put in place to improve workplace productivity. - Through sector engagements, the Department works with a range of industry sectors, such as forestry and tourism, to improve the value of key areas of production. For example, it has worked with the Food and Beverage Taskforce to improve innovation, quality and branding in these significant parts of our primary sector.
- Through continual
adaptation of the immigration system, the Department has attracted and
retained skilled migrants
for New Zealand. - Through working with the training and industry sectors, the Department has promoted funding for skills training in the areas of greatest need.
During 2005/06, the Department of Labour has been continuing the process of organisational change that began in 2004. Key organisational achievements include:
- development of a new strategic direction for the Department refocusing our objectives
- development of a new operating model to guide how we work towards achieving our objectives
- adjustments to the organisational structure to align with this new direction.
The Department’s new structure and strategic direction reposition the Department so that it can achieve better labour market outcomes for New Zealand, focusing on the Government’s objectives for this new term of office – economic transformation, nation building, and opportunity and security for all New Zealand families, young and old.
The strategic baseline review which has been underway during 2005/06, and is due for completion in late 2006, will tell us what resources and capability we will require in order to achieve our objectives and to deliver our core services into the future.