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    Experience or empathy interviews are an inexpensive way to learn from people about their experience of a service or system. On this page: Why you should use it What it involves What you'll get out of it Ideal circumstances for use Limitations…

    Personas are research-based characters that you create to understand the real experiences of people who will use your service or be affected by a policy. On this page: Why you should use it What it involves What you'll get out of it Ideal…

    Journey mapping helps you to understand a person’s experiences by creating a map of their interactions with the system. On this page: Why you should use it What it involves What you'll get out of it Ideal circumstances for use Limitations References,…

    Role play helps you understand and prepare for a situation by acting out a scenario with fictional personas. On this page: Why you should use it What it involves What you'll get out of it Ideal circumstances for use Limitations References, guides and …

Good policy advice depends on skilled policy practitioners – able to analyse and respond to policy challenges and come up with workable solutions that will add value to the lives of people in New Zealand.  The Policy Skills Framework (summarised in the…

The refreshed 2025 Policy Quality Framework sets out the standards for quality policy advice: context, analysis, advice, and action.    The Framework and tools below can be used by: individual policy advisors developing advice or providing peer review…

This page collects policy-related publications and resources from past events, including conversation trackers, slide packs, videos, and publications. These events include those hosted by the Policy Project and a range of other organisations. They are…

About this guide, This guide contains advice on how to run a panel-based assessment of policy advice and other papers after their delivery using the Policy Quality Framework. It also explains how to score papers using the Framework’s electronically…

Using this document, This document contains guidance on different types of communication with ministers and Cabinet. Whether you’re writing a Cabinet paper, a policy paper, an aide memoire or an A3, you’ll find high level descriptions of what’s involved,…

Guidance on how to get policy projects off to a great start This document outlines how to apply the Start Right approach to initiating a policy project, so it is set up for quality and success. Start Right is designed to be applied early in the life of…

  Welcome to Policy Tools, a repository of policy development methods and guidance. Under the themes below, you can find a range of tools and resources for policy practitioners.  To provide feedback or suggest methods you’d like to see profiled, email us …

Standards for quality policy advice , The Policy Quality Framework sets out sixteen elements of quality policy advice, shown in the diagram below. These elements are organised under four standards: Context Analysis Advice Action   These standards have…

  Prototyping helps you to build ideas for policy options by testing a model and refining it through active user participation. On this page: Why you should use it What it involves What you will get out of it Ideal circumstances for use Limitations…

The Tool can help you as a policy practitioner to develop your policy skills. If you're a policy manager, it can help you with development planning for your team. The Development Pathways Tool identifies the actions that a policy practitioner can take to…

The Competency framework for public sector economists was developed by the Professionalisation Committee in the Government Economics Network (GEN).        See the GEN website at gen.org.nz  

    The Policy Project's Open Government Partnership focus is on working across government to improve community engagement in policy making. The Policy Project supports lifting the community engagement capability of policy advisors and agencies across the…

The ‘A3’ is frequently used for communicating complex information. They can be instrumental in structuring the information that feeds into a decision, as they make it easier for decision makers to take in all the basic facts. A good A3 demonstrates how…

Aerial view of the Beehive and New Zealand Parliament building, with surrounding buildings. Aerial view of the Beehive and New Zealand Parliament building, with surrounding buildings.   Improving the quality of policy advice across government requires a…

How the Tool supports the Policy Skills Framework, The Development Pathways Tool identifies the actions that can be taken take to develop the range of skills needed by policy practitioners. These skills are identified in the Policy Skills Framework, which…

How the Tool supports the Policy Skills Framework, The Development Pathways Tool identifies the actions that can be taken take to develop the range of skills needed by policy practitioners. These skills are identified in the Policy Skills Framework, which…

How the Tool supports the Policy Skills Framework, The Development Pathways Tool identifies the actions that can be taken take to develop the range of skills needed by policy practitioners. These skills are identified in the Policy Skills Framework, which…

  Aware of your own identity, values, and culture, and how  they differ from others. Acts inclusively in a diverse society. Understands the importance of being balanced, inclusive, respectful, and fair in  their behaviour and language.  Is self-aware and…

  Aware of your own identity, values, and culture, and how  they differ from others. Acts inclusively in a diverse society. Can address unconscious bias in themselves and others.  Applies core cultural concepts and inclusive practices relating to their…

  Aware of your own identity, values, and culture, and how  they differ from others. Acts inclusively in a diverse society. Sets an example in addressing unconscious bias, as well as challenging inequity,  racism, and discrimination in policy work. Leads…

  Applies tools for making sense of systems and their  behaviour. Advises on changes to system settings  to improve policy proposals. Developing an understanding of: system thinking and how it can help you in your day-to-day work,  including making sense…

  Applies tools for making sense of systems and their  behaviour. Advises on changes to system settings  to improve policy proposals. Has knowledge of different tools for making sense of systems and how they’re functioning.  Identifies opportunities to…

  Applies tools for making sense of systems and their  behaviour. Advises on changes to system settings  to improve policy proposals. Leads the use of appropriate tools and approaches when developing policy  advice on system transformation, and actively…

Develops and applies fit-for-purpose measures and indicators to monitor policy outcomes. Builds results of evaluation into policy making. Plans enablers for monitoring and evaluation early in policy development. Can identify meaningful information,…

Context, Where did this request come from? Minister Manager Senior leadership Other (please specify) Why this task? Why now? What’s the big picture? What’s the history of this issue? What are the linkages to other work?, Aim, What’s the purpose and scope…

Why does community engagement matter when creating policy, and how do we make sure it’s done well? Across the public sector, we recognise that community engagement is no longer an optional extra. It’s also not enough to put a discussion document online…

Long-term Insights Briefings, Policy Stewardship and Futures Thinking: What you need to know, Government departments have started work on their inaugural Long-term Insights Briefings . The political term, news cycle, and demand for immediate action can…