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  The Policy Project team supports the Head of the Policy Profession to fulfill his role of building a high performing policy system across the Public Service of Aotearoa New Zealand.  Our work includes: promoting our three policy frameworks amongst the…

When to use a policy sprint, In the Public Service, a policy sprint is a way of working that’s fast-paced, usually involving multiple government agencies, and designed to resolve a presenting problem within a short timeframe.  The decision to establish a…

There are lots of ways for you to connect with your policy colleagues across the New Zealand Public Service and overseas. On this page: New Zealand policy community International policy community, New Zealand policy community, Connecting with the Policy…

Policy agencies need to keep pace with current issues and prepare for the challenges ahead. Investing in continuous improvement enables maintaining their capability to produce good policy advice. The Policy Capability Framework is an organisational…

The New Zealand Public Service has a duty of stewardship, to look ahead and provide advice on future challenges and opportunities. Good policy advice is informed by a strategic view on what’s important in the medium to long term – it takes a stewardship…

Laws should give effect to the policy intent while upholding legal and constitutional principles. Careful policy analysis and early consideration of legislative design helps achieve this outcome. It’s important for the policy process to consider legal…

Free and frank advice underpins our system of government. Policy practitioners giving free and frank advice to their Ministers (and Cabinet as whole) is one of the principal tenets of our system of government. It demonstrates and upholds the impartiality…

Evidence, Good policy advice is underpinned by good evidence. This means that the advice is informed by up-to-date data, contextual and other knowledge, people’s experiences and research from New Zealand and overseas. Achieving evidence-informed policy…

Public problems are increasingly complex and connected, which requires policy practitioners to tap into creative answers. The business case for innovation is well known. Faced with increasing citizen expectations, technological change, and the complexity…

Good quality engagement by government can solve complex problems, can lead to better solutions and build enduring relationships with individuals and groups in the community. Good engagement practice and ensuring a focus on engagement capability are…

  Behavioural insights involves the study of human behaviour, often drawing on empirical research in fields including economics, psychology and sociology. On this page: Why you should use it What it involves What you'll get out of it Ideal circumstances…

A summary of the different behavioural change models On this page: Nudge, system-thinking, and peripheral- and central-thinking models The theory of planned behaviour and related models of rational decision-making Motivated reasoning and cognition, and…

Te Tiriti o Waitangi / Treaty of Waitangi analysis applies the terms and concepts in the texts of the Treaty to policy development and implementation.   On this page: Why you should use it What it involves What you'll get out of it Ideal circumstances for…

  The New Zealand Public Service has a duty of stewardship, to look ahead and provide advice on future challenges and opportunities. This requires a Public Service that values foresight – to think, anticipate, and act in the future interests of people in…

Achieving the multiple dimensions of quality policy advice can be challenging. Here you will find information on how to develop and deliver policy advice effectively, and what good practice in key dimensions means. Over the years, a number of themes have…

The Policy Project has developed useful, practical resources that policy managers can use to develop their policy skills and produce great policy analysis and advice.    , Start Right Guide, Start Right is about initiating policy projects to be set up for…

The Policy Project has developed useful, practical resources that policy practitioners can use to develop their policy skills and produce great policy analysis and advice.     , Policy Quality Framework, The Policy Quality Framework sets the standard…

As part of our commitment to accountability and transparency, agencies include information in their Estimates and Annual Reports on: the quality of their policy advice the satisfaction of their ministers with the policy support provided by the agency.…

If you're working on an agency level, we've developed a range of resources for you.     , Policy Capability Framework: review tool, This is a resource to help you conduct an in-depth review of your agency’s policy capability and to develop action plans…

    A structured process of looking for early signs of change that could disrupt the issue you are studying in unexpected ways. On this page: Why you should use it What it involves What you'll get out of it Ideal circumstances for use Limitations…

    A method that identifies and questions the conscious and unconscious assumptions that shape policy analysis. 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 …

    Structured brainstorming that helps participants visualise how important trends or events might impact on the policy area. On this page: Why you should use it What it involves What you'll get out of it Ideal circumstances for use Limitations…

    Stories that describe alternative ways the external environment might develop in the future. Why you should use it What it involves What you'll get out of it Ideal circumstances for use Limitations References, guides and key readings, Why you should…

    Also known as stress-testing, this method tests the robustness of policy options against a set of scenarios to see how well they stand up against a range of external conditions. On this page: Why you should use it What it involves What you'll get out…

    Works backwards from a desirable future to identify the actions needed to help shape your desired future/s. 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 …

The policy system is led by the Head of the Policy Profession, Ben King, Chief Executive of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. He is supported by the Policy Profession Board, the Policy Project team, and the Tier 2 Policy Leaders’ Network.…

    Engaging individuals and groups from the community to participate in policy design and development through: providing information asking for feedback and reaction involving people collaboration empowering decision making and action. On this page: Why…

    Using structured deliberation by members of the public to progress policy. On this page: Why you should use it What it involves What you'll get out of it Ideal circumtances for use Limitations References, guides and key readings, Why you should use it…

Start Right is a way of initiating a policy project that sets it up for success. It's designed to be applied early in the life of every policy development project – by the manager commissioning the work and the policy practitioner doing the work. On this…

  Design thinking is also known as human-centred design, co-design and participatory design. On this page: Design thinking for policy Why you should use it What it involves What you will get out of it Ideal circumstances for use Limitations Tools or…

  Futures thinking is also known as foresight, strategic foresight and futures studies. On this page: About futures thinking Futures thinking and the policy process Why you should use it What it involves What you'll get out of it Ideal circumstances for…

    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…