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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 coordination 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.
| 30.06.07 | 30.06.08 | 30.06.08 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Actual $000 |
Actual $000 |
Main
Estimates $000 |
Supplementary
Estimates $000 |
|
| 7,680 | Revenue - Crown | 8,801 | 8,201 | 8,801 |
| 7,676 | Expenditure | 8,874 | 8,201 | 8,774 |
| 4 | Surplus | 27 | - | - |
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 including priority initiatives such as sustainability, climate change, effective interventions, housing, and broadband.
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 committee's meetings.
The Prime Minister gave regular feedback on the advice provided by the Policy Advisory Group. A formal survey was conducted with other key stakeholders and the results support the contention that the Group is performing well against those stakeholders' expectations.
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 coordination of policy advice and implementation. These activities include: fortnightly meetings of departmental chief executives, convened to share information over policy directions; weekly meetings with counterpart central-agency chief executives; and interdepartmental coordination of a wide range of policy priorities.
The Cabinet Office provided secretariat services to 221 (2006/07 comparison: 194) Cabinet and Cabinet committee meetings and 42 (35) Executive Council meetings over the year. See table on the right.
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.
There were 2,524 (2,258) summary cover sheets prepared for submissions to Cabinet and Cabinet committees during the past year.
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 87 (87) per cent of submissions were received in the Cabinet Office within the Cabinet deadline for lodging papers.
There were 2,904 (2,632) Cabinet and Cabinet committee minutes recorded over the year. Only 14 (20) of these required amendment by the Cabinet Office. (This excludes amendments to committee minutes made as a result of Cabinet decision.)
All Cabinet committee minutes were issued within three days of the meeting, before the next meeting of Cabinet. Eighty-nine (90) per cent of all Cabinet minutes were issued within three days of the Cabinet meeting.
Feedback from the Prime Minister was largely positive, with one process issue identified for follow up.
| Number of meetings | Number of agenda items | Average number of items per meeting | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Executive Council | 42 | 316 | 7 |
| Cabinet | 51 | 726 | 14 |
| Cabinet Policy Committee | 26 | 399 | 15 |
| Cabinet Economic Development Committee | 27 | 253 | 9 |
| Cabinet Social Development Committee | 24 | 154 | 6 |
| Cabinet External Relations and Defence Committee | 11 | 61 | 5 |
| Cabinet Legislation Committee | 29 | 209 | 7 |
| Cabinet Appointments and Honours Committee | 11 | 159 | 14 |
| Cabinet Committee on Government Expenditure and Administration | 12 | 83 | 7 |
| Cabinet Committee on Domestic and External Security Coordination | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cabinet Business Committee | 30 | 480 | 16 |
| Subtotal of Cabinet committee meetings | 170 | 1,798 | 10 |
| Total including Cabinet | 221 | 2,524 | 11 |
Eight Cabinet Office circulars were prepared and issued in 2007/08 on a range of issues, including revised processes for selecting Law Commission projects and for government responses to Law Commission reports, government decisions and actions in the pre-election period, and delegated legislation.
The Cabinet Office provided 10 (2006/07: 8) briefing seminars to departments and interested parties on the Cabinet decision-making process. The Secretary of the Cabinet also gave briefings to a number of chief executives and their senior management teams on ministers' expectations of Cabinet papers.
The secure Cabinet and Cabinet Committee workspace is now well established as a vehicle by which the Cabinet Office provides ministers' offices and departments with information and guidance on Cabinet and Cabinet committee requirements and procedures. The CabGuide, a web-based resource for daily use by ministers' offices and departments, was launched in August 2007, replacing the hard-copy Step by Step Guide to Cabinet and Cabinet Committee Procedures.
During the year the Office organised two ministerial meetings with visiting prime ministers and presidents, in the Cabinet Room.
Feedback from the Prime Minister and other stakeholders was positive.
Advice and support was provided to the Prime Minister and the Governor-General on a range of matters. This included support for the arrangements for the state funeral for Sir Edmund Hillary on 2 January 2008 and for the service of thanksgiving for the life of Sir Edmund Hillary KG, held in St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle on 2 April 2008. The service was attended by the Queen and other members of the Royal Family.
There was a Cabinet reshuffle in early November 2007. The Cabinet Office provided the administrative support to effect the changes in ministerial responsibilities and appointment of new ministers. The Office also arranged a briefing programme for new ministers.
The existing Cabinet Manual, an authoritative guide to central government decision making for ministers, their offices and those working within government, was thoroughly reviewed and updated. The Cabinet Manual 2008 was published in April.
Formal meetings were held with the Governor-General to obtain his feedback on a range of issues.
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 2008 calendar year.
The Honours Secretariat advised and assisted the Cabinet Appointments and Honours Committee on the compilation of the 2008 New Year Honours List (196 recipients) and the 2008 Queen's Birthday Honours List (181 recipients). In addition, a list of New Zealand Gallantry Awards (four recipients) was announced on 2 July 2007, which contained the first Victoria Cross for New Zealand to be awarded since this honour was instituted in 1999. A list of New Zealand Bravery Awards (five recipients) was announced on 21 May 2008. See table on the right.
Other important initiatives completed during the reporting period were the institution of the New Zealand Customs Service Medal on 20 February 2008, and the publication on 23 July 2007 of new rules for the Acceptance and Wear of Commonwealth, Foreign and International Honours by New Zealand Citizens. In addition, the Honours Secretariat worked with the New Zealand Defence Force in obtaining Royal Approval for an extension of eligibility of the “Vietnam” Theatre Honour for the 1st Battalion of the Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment (1RNZIR), and in developing and approving new regulations for New Zealand general service medals covering service in Vietnam, Timor-Leste, the Solomon Islands, and Korea.
Feedback received from the Governor-General and the Prime Minister was complimentary about the work of the Honours Secretariat.
| All honours and appointments were promulgated in the New Zealand Gazette | |
| The Order of New Zealand | |
|---|---|
| Ordinary Member ONZ | 2 |
| The New Zealand Order of Merit | |
| Principal Companion (PCNZM) | 1 |
| Distinguished Companion (DCNZM) | 10 |
| Companion (CNZM) | 26 |
| Officer (ONZM) | 49 |
| Member (MNZM) | 103 |
| Honorary Member (MNZM) | 2 |
| The Queen's Service Order | |
| Companion (QSO) | 30 |
| The Queen's Service Medal | |
| Medal (QSM) | 154 |
| Medal (QSM)(Honorary) | 1 |
| The New Zealand Gallantry Awards | |
| The Victoria Cross for New Zealand (VC) | 1 |
| The New Zealand Gallantry Decoration (NZGD) | 2 |
| The New Zealand Gallantry Medal (NZGM) | 1 |
| The New Zealand Bravery Awards | |
| The New Zealand Bravery Star (NZBS) | 1 |
| The New Zealand Bravery Decoration (NZBD) | 2 |
| The New Zealand Bravery Medal (NZBM) | 2 |
| The New Zealand Antarctic Medal | |
| Medal | 1 |
| The Distinguished Service Decoration | |
| Decoration | 18 |
| Total | 406 |
| Other honours and appointments | |
| Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (CVO) | 1 |
| Grant of the title "The Honourable" for life | 10 |
| Grand Total | 417 |
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.
The Cabinet Office receives and redirects Official Information Act requests for Cabinet documents and handles substantive requests for information about the work of the Cabinet Office. In addition, on behalf of the Prime Minister, it consults with the Leader of the Opposition about the proposed release of official information dating from previous Opposition administrations.
In 2007/08 the Cabinet Office handled 225 (2006/07: 206) enquiries and requests from ministers' offices and departments about Cabinet papers and related information.
The Domestic and External Security Group (DESG) provides leadership, support and coordination on a range of policies and plans designed to strengthen national security and stability and to help deal with various civil contingencies.
In particular, DESG works with a number of government agencies and with local authorities to:
This work is part of a long-term programme that is already having positive returns for the management of domestic and external security issues, and for building resilience in communities. National management, including responsiveness and coordination among central government agencies at times of crisis, has improved steadily in recent years.
As a critical aspect of its coordination role, DESG provided policy advice and support for periodic meetings of departmental chief executives under ODESC (Officials' Committee for Domestic and External Security Coordination); chaired Watch Group meetings of specialists to deal with detail; and conducted regular meetings with officials from central government, local government, industry, and academia to advance policy and practical solution-finding.
Issues covered included:
The Prime Minister has given regular feedback on the advice and coordination provided by DESG. A recent stakeholder survey also reports that DESG adds considerable value to government coordination and risk management.
DESG chaired and provided secretariat support for meetings of intelligence committees on a number of sensitive issues throughout the past year. It also undertook other intelligence coordination, which included:
In the past five years there has been growing emphasis on the use of intelligence to enhance security across a range of government departments. As a consequence, DESG has been involved in an increasing range of coordination and guidance activity.