WPP Newsletter 6 - May 2008

Thank you for subscribing to our quarterly Workplace Productivity update. This issue contains quick links to new information and resources about workplace productivity on our website www.workplaceproductivity.govt.nz

How productive is your workplace?

Use the online questionnaire or download a paper version to assess this.

What's New on the Workplace Productivity Website?

New Resources

The video

studies from the workplace productivity ‘starter kit’ can now be accessed through the WPA website. These case studies reflect workplace practices that have improved productivity in organisations in both the manufacturing and service sectors.

The video case studies can be viewed via the video case study link here

State Services Productivity Kit

A State Services productivity kit is currently being developed based on the private sector Starter Kit. The kit will include a modified snapshot tool, information on productivity in the State Services and Partnership for Quality, the Workplace Productivity Seven Drivers and information on where public sector organisations can obtain further resources and advice.

The kit will also include written and film case studies of initiatives public sector organisations have undertaken to improve their workplace productivity. The Switzer Rest Home, Outward Bound and Auckland City Mission (not-for-profit organisations) from the private sector Starter Kit will also feature in the State Services productivity kit.

The Kit will be launched by the Minister of Labour in July 2008 at a State Services conference aimed at implementing organisational improvements to increase productivity and public value (discussed below).

Management Focus website

Management Focus is a communications initiative established by the Business Capability Partnership, a consortium of private and public sector organisations, to highlight the impact strong management skills can have on overall business performance.  By working collaboratively these organisations aim to encourage business owners and managers to assess, develop and improve their management performance.

The 2008 initiative will be launched at the beginning of June and will run until the end of July.  Look out for:

• Management Focus at the Small Business Expos in Christchurch and Wellington;
• The Management Focus Regional Champions of Management and accompanying events; and
• Further development of the Management Focus website, www.managementfocus.org.nz   

To find out more visit the Management Focus website or email info@managementfocus.co.nz

Workplace Productivity events

Small Business Expo – Business to Business Marketplace

The Small Business Expo is the largest event held for business in New Zealand. In 2007 the Expo launched nationally, expanding into Wellington and Christchurch. 
This year’s Auckland and Christchurch Expo events have already been held.  The third and final Expo will be held in Wellington at the TSB Arena, Queen’s Wharf from 25-27 June 2008. To find out how to exhibit or to attend and see the exciting initiatives tailor-made for the small and medium business at the Wellington Expo please visit the website: http://www.businessexpo.co.nz/Wellington/small_business_expo.asp

Ministry of Economic Development Small Business Information Events

The Ministry of Economic Development is co-ordinating a series of regional information seminars, from Whangarei to Invercargill between 20 May to 26 June 2008. The seminars are aimed at raising the level of knowledge small businesses have about the various services government agencies can provide.

Each event is being hosted by the Chambers of Commerce or local Economic Development Agencies, and officials from nine government agencies are involved. These agencies are: New Zealand Trade and Enterprise, Inland Revenue Department, Ministry of Social Development, Accident Compensation Corporation, Ministry for the Environment, Statistics New Zealand, Ministry of Pacific Island Affairs, Department of Labour and, from within Ministry of Economic Development, Intellectual Property Office of New Zealand and the New Zealand Companies Office. The seminars will allow people the opportunity to talk to officials from the government agencies in person. 

The purpose of these events is to promote on-line tools to SMEs and identify how these tools can help them practically. A multi-agency booklet has been developed and will be distributed to attendees, Start manage and grow your business. The publication, Start manage and grow your business, tells the stories of business people who solved their business problems with help from government agencies.

The tools at the events will include:

• Employment Agreement Builder
• Holidays Calculator
• Parental Leave Calculator
• Productivity Snapshot Tool
• Making Flexibility Work for Small Businesses
• Ask A Question

If you are interested in attending an information seminar please contact your local Chambers of Commerce for more details.

State Services Productivity Conference

A State Services Conference, “P3 - Partnership, Productivity and Public Value” will be held in Wellington in July 2008. The Conference is sponsored by the public service tri-partite forum, and organised by the Department of Labour, State Services Commission, and Public Service Association. The Conference will bring together delegations of employees and managers from various State Services organisations to develop practical programmes around increasing public value in their respective service delivery functions. Delegations will work on the issues that have been identified in their own agency groups. 

The key themes of the Conference are:

• Increasing public value, particularly in service delivery functions
• Developing high performing workplaces based on high trust relationships
• Enhancing  citizen engagement with and trust in Public Services

David Coats and Stephen Bevan of the UK-based Work Foundation (discussed below) will provide keynote input on public value, service improvement and high performing organisations.  Dr Rose Ryan will provide a New Zealand perspective.

The Conference will also launch the State Services Productivity Kit (discussed above).

Work Foundation visit to New Zealand – July 2008

Stephen Bevan, Director of Research at the UK-based Work Foundation, and David Coats, Associate Director, will be in New Zealand for two weeks in mid-July, sponsored by the PSA.

‘The Work Foundation is a not-for-profit organisation, that brings all sides of working organisations together to find the best ways of improving both economic performance and quality of working life. A current major project is ‘The Knowledge Economy: how knowledge is reshaping the economic life of nations’

The PSA is planning a programme of meetings, seminars and other events for David and Stephen.

The first seminar is planned for Monday 7 July at the University of Auckland Business School, in association with the Partnership Resource Centre, on ‘Cracking the Performance Code’. This seminar presents research evidence on workplace practices associated with high performance and provides an important opportunity for informed discussion about ways of improving workplace performance in New Zealand.’ For further information, please contact the PRC on 09 970 1584.

Planning for seminars in Christchurch (14 July), and Wellington (TBC) is underway.  For further details please contact Christine Ross (PSA) on 04 917 2048.

Both Stephen Bevan and David Coats have been in New Zealand before:  Stephen in November 2006, when he gave a seminar sponsored by the Partnership Resource Centre on ‘Innovative and Productive Workplaces’, at the Westpac Stadium; and David in April 2007, when he gave a seminar for Department of Labour stakeholders on ‘Workplaces Matter – the Challenge’.

High Performance Workplace Practices in APEC Economies

In the February 2008 WPA quarterly newsletter we provided some details on the APEC conference and workshop which was held in Wellington, August 2007. At the conference, representatives from nine APEC economies met to share their experience in High Performance Workplace Practices (HPWP). Many of the practices discussed (training, performance pay, flexible work arrangements, using teams, and employee involvement) are part of the seven workplace productivity drivers. Canada, Chinese Taipei, Australia, Chile, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, China and New Zealand attended the workshop along with an ILO observer, New Zealand academics, and representatives from several New Zealand government departments. The workshop focused on how economies were encouraging the adoption of HPWP. As part of the project APEC economies were asked to respond to a questionnaire on their use of HPWP.

The findings from economy responses are set out in the following report here

Contact us

If there is anything you want to know about the Workplace Productivity project, or comments you have to make or to order a productivity 'starter' kit or CDs of the case studies please email us at info@dol.govt.nz or write to us at:

Workplace Productivity Project Team
Department of Labour
P.O. Box 3705
Wellington
New Zealand

About us

This newsletter is part of the Workplace Productivity Project, which is supported by Business New Zealand, Council of Trade Unions, NZ Chambers of Commerce, and the Department of Labour. The Workplace Productivity Reference Group was established to oversee government efforts to help workplaces to improve productivity.