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This class of outputs involves:
The department assists the Prime Minister in overseeing and leading the government as a whole. In addition, it supports the Cabinet decision-making process. As a central agency, the department has a clear role to play in promoting effective policy co-ordination across the public service. Ministers need to have complete trust in the quality of the advice and support the department offers on the proper conduct of government business within accepted conventions and practices.
Output Class 1 Financial Performance
| 30.06.05
Actual $000 |
30.06.06
Actual $000 |
30.06.06
Main Estimates $000 |
30.06.06
Supplementary Estimates1 $000 |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue - Crown | 9,699 | 7,750 | 7,010 | 7,270 |
| Revenue - Other | 37 | - | - | - |
| Expenditure | 8,760 | 7,718 | 7,010 | 7,270 |
| Surplus | 976 | 32 | - | - |
Objectives
To provide high-quality information, analysis and advice that enables the Prime Minister to lead and manage the public policy business of the government.
Performance
The Policy Advisory Group provided advice to the Prime Minister as necessary on Cabinet and Cabinet committee papers in time for her to use in Cabinet or Cabinet committee meetings.
The Policy Advisory Group provided briefing notes on issues of interest to the Prime Minister, either in response to requests from her or on the Group’s initiative.
All written advice provided to the Prime Minister was reviewed by the Director of the Policy Advisory Group and/or the Chief Executive. In most cases this review occurred after the advice was tendered; in sensitive or difficult matters the Director or Chief Executive reviewed the advice before it was submitted.
Feedback from the Prime Minister on any advice tendered was made available to the Chief Executive, the Director of the Policy Advisory Group, and the adviser concerned.
The Policy Advisory Group participated in a range of whole-of government processes in support of the Government’s themes.
The Policy Advisory Group convened regular meetings of the Officials’ Social Development Committee, and briefed the Chair of the Cabinet Social Development Committee before each of that Cabinet committee’s meetings.
Objective
To satisfy the Prime Minister that the Group’s advice and co-ordination services are provided to a high standard.
Performance
The Prime Minister provided regular feedback on the advice provided by the Policy Advisory Group. Formal feedback was also sought from other key stakeholders such as the Office of the Prime Minister and selected departmental chief executives.
Objective
To satisfy the Prime Minister that the department’s leadership and co-ordination roles are carried out effectively in a timely manner.
Performance
The Prime Minister is regularly advised by the Chief Executive (with the support of the Director of the Policy Advisory Group, the Secretary of the Cabinet, and the Director of DESG in their own specialist areas) of the range of activities undertaken to facilitate cross-agency co-ordination of policy advice and implementation. These activities include fortnightly meetings of departmental chief executives, convened to share information over policy directions; and weekly meetings with counterpart central-agency chief executives.
To provide impartial secretariat services to the Executive Council, Cabinet and Cabinet committees including: preparing agendas; checking that submissions meet the requirements set by Cabinet; preparing summary cover sheets for submissions; recording decisions; and distributing submissions and minutes.
Performance
The Cabinet Office provided secretariat services to 141 Cabinet and Cabinet committee meetings and 35 Executive Council meetings over the year. This compares with 224 and 43 respectively in 2004/05. (It is customary for there to be fewer Cabinet and Cabinet committee meetings, and fewer papers, in years in which there are general elections.)
The Prime Minister, the chairs of Cabinet committees, and ministers’ offices were consulted as required on the compilation of the agendas and acceptance of submissions for meetings. (See Appendix II for the business statistics for Executive Council, Cabinet, and Cabinet committees).
There were 1,549 summary cover sheets prepared for submissions to Cabinet and Cabinet committees during the past year. This compares with 2,287 in 2004/05.
Our performance target for the delivery of submissions to ministers’ offices is for all papers to be delivered two days before the meeting. In the past year 84 per cent of submissions were received in the Cabinet Office within the Cabinet deadline for lodging papers. We delivered 95 per cent of these papers to ministers’ offices within our performance target.
There were 1,743 Cabinet and Cabinet committee minutes recorded over the year, compared with 2,577 in 2004/05.
All Cabinet committee minutes are issued within three days of the meeting, before the next meeting of Cabinet. Ninety-two per cent of all Cabinet minutes were issued within three days of the Cabinet meeting. This is the same percentage as in 2004/05.
Ninety-eight per cent of all Cabinet and Cabinet committee minutes did not require amendment by the Cabinet Office (excluding amendments to committee minutes made as a result of Cabinet decision). This is the same percentage as in 2004/05.
Objectives
To provide advice on policies, processes and procedures
relating to Cabinet, Cabinet committees, and the
Executive Council; to administer and maintain the
conventions, policies and guidelines in the Cabinet
Manual, the Step by Step Guide, and related Cabinet
Office circulars; and to provide policy and procedural
advice and information on these matters to ministers’
offices and departments.
Performance
Eleven Cabinet Office circulars were prepared and issued in 2005/06 on a range of issues, including government decision making during the period of caretaker government and resumption of business after the formation of the new Government. (Seven circulars were provided in the 2004/05 year.)
The Cabinet Office provided 20 briefing seminars to departments and interested parties on the Cabinet decisionmaking process (compared with 28 in the previous year).
A significant programme of briefings was prepared and delivered for new ministers following the general election in 2005, along with a series of briefings for new staff in ministers’ offices.
Thinking about new ways of working with departments to support quality decision making by Cabinet was a feature of the Office’s work programme for 2005/06.
Refinements have been made to Cabinet Office systems for the distribution and tracking of Cabinet material.
A secure online Cabinet and Cabinet committee workspace, which provides access to a range of Cabinet Office administrative information, is now available to departments and staff in ministers’ offices through the public sector intranet.
During the year the Office organised three ministerial meetings with visiting prime ministers and presidents, in the Cabinet Room.
Objective
To provide advice to the Prime Minister and the Governor-General on policies and procedures relating to constitutional issues.
Performance
Advice and support was provided to the Prime Minister and the Governor-General on a range of policies and procedures relating to constitutional issues. This included providing support to the Prime Minister in the period surrounding the 2005 General Election.
A comprehensive pre-election programme of briefings was also provided to ministers, departments and commentators on the constitutional conventions of caretaker government and of government information in election years.
The Clerk of the Executive Council provided support to the Prime Minister on the selection of the new Governor- General in early 2006 and, together with the Official Secretary Government House, arranged an induction and briefing programme for the new Governor-General in advance of his taking up the role in August 2006.
Objective
To co-ordinate the policy and administrative aspects of the legislative programme, as directed by the Cabinet Legislation Committee.
Performance
Advice and support was provided to the Leader of the House and the Cabinet Legislation Committee on the management of the Government’s legislative programme and the preparation and management of the legislative programme for the 2006 calendar year.
Objective
To provide advice on the policy aspects of the New Zealand royal honours system, support for the compilation of honours lists,
and administration of the honours system.
Performance
Policy continued to be developed, and ongoing advice given, on operational service medals and a range of other honours issues.
The Honours Secretariat advised and assisted the Prime Minister and the Cabinet Appointments and Honours Committee on the compilation of the 2006 New Year Honours List (205 recipients) and the 2006 Queen’s Birthday Honours List (200 recipients).
Objectives
To maintain the records of Cabinet; and to provide related information services.
Performance
The Cabinet Office maintains records of all Cabinet and Cabinet committee meetings, administers the convention on access to documents of previous administrations, and provides advice to ministers’ offices on the storage and disposal of Cabinet papers.
To provide integrated advice on issues involving national security and defence, emergency management, intelligence, and counter-terrorism; and to guide and co-ordinate crisis-management arrangement across the government.
Performance
The Domestic and External Security Group (DESG) has increased its capacity and skill base to co-ordinate and provide leadership on a range of policies and preparations for strengthening national security and stability and dealing with various civil contingencies.
In particular, it is working with a number of government
agencies and with local authorities to:
DESG provided policy advice and support for 26 meetings
of departmental chief executives under ODESC
(Officials’ Committee for Domestic and External Security
Co-ordination), 41 Watch Group (close situation monitoring)
meetings, and several hundred meetings with officials from
central government, local government, industry, and
academia. Issues covered included:
The Prime Minister has provided regular feedback that confirms satisfaction with the advice and co-ordination of the Group, and other agencies say they value DESG’s activities.
Objective
To provide a system of foreign intelligence collection and assessment activity that reflects policy priorities, national requirements and available resources, and that also ensures a co-ordinated and harmonised outcome.
Performance
DESG chaired and provided secretariat support for
regular meetings of the Foreign Intelligence Requirements
Committee. It also undertook other intelligence
co-ordination, which included:
The increased use of the co-ordination services provided by DESG and the acknowledged usefulness of the Group’s activities to ODESC indicate successful achievement of the intelligence co-ordination objective.