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The contributing outcomes are the steps being taken towards DPMC’s
overall outcome – “good government, with effective public service
support”.
The Prime Minister is the head of the executive branch of government and has the task of forming and maintaining a government. Ministers come together as Cabinet to take collective decisions on a vast range of policy and administrative issues. Within Cabinet, ministers deal with issues that are of fundamental importance to the government and build consensus on issues. Individually and collectively, ministers can then publicly promote and account for those decisions to Parliament and to the community.
The Prime Minister also has an important role in maintaining and coordinating the government, by overseeing the government’s general policy direction. As the chair of Cabinet, the Prime Minister approves the agenda, leads the meetings and is the final arbiter of Cabinet procedure.
These roles require a support function that is dedicated to supporting both the Prime Minister as chair of Cabinet, and the individual ministers that comprise Cabinet and its committees.
“Good government” depends on the effective functioning of executive
government processes, and so this contributing outcome is a
core focus for DPMC’s services. The department works to assist
the Prime Minister to oversee and lead the government as a whole,
and to support the Cabinet decision-making processes, including
working with others to communicate, and give effect to, those
decisions. As a central agency, it also has a key role to play in
promoting the effective operation of the public service.
DPMC performs the following roles in achieving this contributing outcome:
Most of the individual business units within DPMC are called upon to support, in varying ways, DPMC’s overall approach to achieving this contributing outcome.
The Policy Advisory Group promotes good quality in the information and advice going to Cabinet through its involvement in policy development and preparation of papers within government agencies. It provides comment and assistance to ensure that final papers provide a good basis for collective decision making by ministers. As part of its co-ordinating role, it often assists departments to make links with other agencies that are working on related issues.
Specific services include:
The Cabinet Office administers the Cabinet decision-making system, including a range of procedural and substantive requirements that ensure papers coming to Cabinet and Cabinet committees provide all necessary information and advice. This role covers:
The Domestic and External Security Secretariat provides information and advice to the Prime Minister on security and related issues in New Zealand and overseas. As part of this role, it actively promotes inter-agency co-operation and contributes to the overall effectiveness of government activity in managing a broad range of risks. Assessments and biographical reports are also produced by the External Assessments Bureau for the Prime Minister on external developments that could significantly affect the national interest. (The work of both these business units is discussed in greater detail under Contributing Outcome 4.)
The executive branch of government comprises the Governor-General, the Prime Minister and other ministers of the Crown. By convention, Cabinet and Cabinet committees are the principal forums for reaching collective government decisions on what formal actions are required on public-policy matters. Public service departments support ministers in all areas of government activity. Crown entities also carry out executive government responsibilities within the limits of the individual statutes that establish them.
The continuity of executive government is characterised by:
At the heart of New Zealand’s democratic political system is stable and continuing executive government that is responsible to an elected House of Representatives. A necessary part of this is the smooth transfer of power between successive administrations, Prime Ministers and ministers in accordance with the outcome of the electoral process. This is particularly so when there is a period of “caretaker” government before a new administration can be formed following an election.
Ministers need to have complete trust in the integrity, impartiality,
discretion, judgement and expertise of those who provide advice and
support on the proper conduct of government business within
accepted conventions and practices. Our “constitution” is not found
in one place or document – it is an amalgam of legislation, decisionsof the
courts, and practices and conventions.
Public awareness and understanding of the structures and processes
of government is also necessary so that individuals can make
informed assessments about the state of our system of government.
The Cabinet Office is the primary contributor to this outcome. The Cabinet Office is the recognised source of expert knowledge on the systems of Cabinet government. It seeks always to be absolutely scrupulous in maintaining impartiality between administrations, agencies and individual ministers.
The Cabinet Office’s work in this outcome area has two main
streams. The most important is its role in ensuring that constitutional
procedures, such as the appointment of ministers, are well
managed and administered correctly. It does this by providing advice
to the Governor-General, the Prime Minister and ministers on
constitutional, policy and procedural issues that are part of the
transition of power between administrations and ministers. The
Cabinet Office also administers the process for the appointment of
the Governor-General.
The Cabinet Office also provides support so that the processes of
Cabinet and the Executive Council are conducted in an organised
way, to facilitate deliberation and decision making by ministers.
(This second role of the Cabinet Office has been described in more
detail under Contributing
Outcome 1.)
The Cabinet Office also contributes to “good government” by
communicating information to the public service and the public
about how the system of executive government – and its formal roles
and conventions – works. This information needs to be accessible
and understandable, and is published in a number of forms – including the
Cabinet Manual, Step by Step Guide and DPMC’s website
www.dpmc.govt.nz.
The Governor-General is the representative of our Head of State, The Queen. The Governor-General has a range of constitutional functions and formal powers under the Constitution Act 1986 and the Letters Patent 1983. These include summoning, proroguing and dissolving Parliament; assenting to Bills; appointing Ministers; presiding over meetings of the Executive Council; and exercising the prerogative of mercy. The Governor-General also has important ceremonial and community roles.
The Governor-General needs to receive advice and administrative support services of an extremely high standard so that she can carry out her role and functions in a way that is appropriate for the representative of the Head of State. The Wellington and Auckland Government Houses are important as facilities suitable to the status of the representative of the Head of State, and also as historic places. Accordingly, they must be maintained to the required standards.
Because of her constitutional importance and wider significance, effective support for the Governor-General by DPMC is a key contributor to its overall outcome of “good government”.
The Cabinet Office provides advice and administrative support to the Governor-General on constitutional procedural issues. As Clerk of the Executive Council, the Secretary of the Cabinet is responsible for liaising between the Governor-General and the government of the day, and has overall responsibility for policy and administration of the office of the Governor-General.
Government House provides all other services needed to support
the office of the Governor-General, including: official functions and
hosting of State occasions at Government House; personal support
services for the Governor-General; and financial, communications,
administrative, and advisory services.
Risks to New Zealand’s wellbeing can arise from a broad range of circumstances – including threats to national security, terrorist activities, natural disasters, and biosecurity hazards.
With the use of effective planning and co-ordination processes in government, these risks can be managed to reduce the possibility of a particular adverse event occurring and to lessen the severity of its impact if it does occur. “Good government” for DPMC is assessing, monitoring and responding to risks and threats – foreseen and unforeseen – in a timely and structured way.
Within DPMC, the Domestic and External Security Secretariat and the External Assessments Bureau have the prime responsibility for this contributing outcome through their advisory, planning, co-ordination, assessment, and reporting functions.
Specific actions for security purposes by these two business units include: