Increasing Our Capability
This is the Department's first Statement of Intent. One of our key objectives is to plan for the capability the new organisation needs to succeed. In formulating the plan to increase our capability we have taken account of the State Services Commission's recently released Development Goals for the State Services.13 These goals identify aspirations for how the State Services will be arranged and perform. The overall goal is 'A system of world class professional State Services serving the government of the day and meeting the needs of New Zealanders'. Six more specific Development Goals support this goal.
- Employer of Choice - ensure the State Services is an employer of choice attractive to high achievers with a commitment to service.
- Excellent State Servants - develop a strong culture of constant learning in the pursuit of excellence.
- Networked State Services - use technology to transform the provision of services for New Zealanders.
- Co-ordinated State Agencies - ensure the total contribution of government agencies is greater than the sum of its parts.
- Accessible State Services - enhance access, responsiveness and effectiveness, and improve New Zealanders' experience of State Services.
- Trusted State Services - strengthen trust in the State Services, and reinforce the spirit of service.
As a public service organisation we are committed to this set of goals and therefore we have reviewed our capability with both our Outcome Framework and these goals in mind. Where appropriate we have highlighted links to the Development Goals in brackets.
Current analysis
Our aim is to build a new organisation that is fit for purpose, and focused on and well equipped to deliver on our strategies as part of our Managing for Outcomes approach. We plan to create a great place to work (goal 1) in order to attract and retain the best talent available. This will ensure we are well placed to deliver on our outcomes.
We want to establish a shared vision and common culture around management accountability and performance.
Our senior management team recently conducted an organisational capabilities review. The gaps highlighted between current and future desired state have shown the areas to focus on in the short to medium term. These include the following.
People
- Increasing our knowledge and understanding of the building and housing sector.
- Increasing our technical knowledge capabilities.
- Improving our management capabilities.
- Strengthening our leadership capabilities.
- Increasing our research, analytical and policy capabilities.
Systems
- Implementing updated knowledge management systems that provide improved data access and sharing, provide meaningful information and ensure we have informed management decision-making and effective strategic planning.
- Improving data collection and data integrity.
- Developing and implementing open and transparent, flexible, easy-to-understand organisational management systems that are supportive of the achievement of the organisational goals.
Improving our capability will lead to the enhancement of the Department's reputation and credibility, which will in turn strengthen our ability to influence and play a leadership role in the building and housing industry (goals 4, 5, 6).
Capability initiatives
To support the organisation in its growth mode and to address these capability gaps, we will be establishing and implementing key systems and processes.
Systems
In year 1 we plan to implement a new remuneration and performance management system. This system will ensure we pay a remuneration that reflects the market while at the same time being flexible enough to recognise where the market is paying for scarce capability. Our performance management system will clearly set out expectations for staff so they know and understand what is expected from them, how it links to the organisation's objectives and what training and development they will require to deliver on the expectations. It will also provide the basis for a real discussion with their manager around performance.
In a tight labour market we must not only offer market rate remuneration, but also develop effective recruitment strategies and communicate value propositions that will ensure we attract talent into the organisation.
We will commence an initiative aimed at reviewing and upgrading our knowledge management systems to ensure they capture, analyse and disseminate information and knowledge in such a way that they are adding value to the work we do (goal 3).
We are also committed to implementing the government's 5-year Pay and Employment Equity Plan of Action. Part of our commitment will be to prepare ourselves to undertake a Pay and Employment Equity Audit. This will include looking at our capacity and capability to examine systems and processes, and to identify and analyse data on how gender affects employment in the Department of Building and Housing.
People
Once recruited, our commitment is to invest in the training and development of our people (goal 2). This has the strategic intent of growing our own people by offering career and development opportunities. Training and development will span from specific technical up-skilling to more generic management and leadership development.
Future proofing will also require us to ensure we understand the capability gaps in our talent pool. Succession planning is one way of diagnosing where the key positions and critical gaps are and what plans need to be in place to ensure our future resourcing needs are met. This is an ongoing process of review and analysis.
The first critical step is the transition from a reliance on contract staff to committed and capable permanant staff and management structures.