Our strategies

Strategy: Continue to build the capability and performance of the Department to deliver value for New Zealanders

The process of change is ongoing for the Department as the groups from which it was formed evolve into a single, cohesive organisation. The building and housing sector is also undergoing considerable change, in large part because of the reforms that are under way. To succeed in this environment and fulfil our role, we are committed to building a capable, adaptive organisation with a culture of accountability, pride in our work, a willingness to work with others in the sector to build knowledge and understanding and to achieve results.

What we will do

The Department will continue to build organisational capability based on the State Services Development Goals.

1. Employer of Choice - ensure the State Services is an employer of choice attractive to high achievers with a commitment to service.
2. Excellent State Servants - a strong culture of constant learning in the pursuit of excellence.
3. Networked State Services - use technology to transform the provision of services for New Zealanders.
4. Coordinated State Agencies - ensure the total contribution of government agencies is greater than the sum of its parts.
5. Accessible State Services - enhance access, responsiveness and effectiveness, and improve New Zealanders' experience of State Services.
6. Trusted State Services - strengthen trust in the State Services, and reinforce the spirit of service.

The Department's organisational development programme for the forthcoming year and beyond is based around five priority areas.

• Defining and aligning roles to ensure every person in the Department is clear about what they are expected to do, what authority they have and what performance management systems are in place to support them
• Translating strategy into action through an improved planning system that aligns the Department's strategic, business and financial planning systems and progress reporting
• Developing and implementing an integrated system of internal service delivery
• Developing leadership capability throughout the Department
• Enhancing employee engagement from recruitment onwards

Why we will do it

Our intention is to develop a flexible and responsive organisation that can adapt to changing circumstances. Our aim is to ensure the organisation is 'fit for purpose' and we deliver on our role in a way that adds value to the Government, sector stakeholders and consumers alike.

Building capability and performance underpins all of the Department's strategies and links to each of the intermediate outcomes.

How we will do it

The Department will continue to build people capability by enhancing skills and knowledge. Improving the engagement of staff is a major priority. The focus is on engaging staff as an ongoing process, not a single induction event that occurs when they join the Department.

Leadership and management capability will continue to be developed. Effective leadership through change is critical to the successful development of the Department and its people. The recent organisational changes marked an important milestone in the evolution of the Department. Internal change will continue as the Department adapts to changes in the sector and its operating context.

Developing and enhancing core systems is also an important contributor to achieving strategies and outcomes. The Department is committed to implementing systems that:

• enhance service delivery: our systems will directly improve the quality of our service, improve access for our clients and enable the Department to better connect with the communities it serves
• grow the sector knowledge-base: systems will support the development of people and the dissemination of information to and across the sector, as well as gathering and collating information that will enable well-informed policy advice and operational decisions
• strengthen our relationship-building capability with the building and housing sector: the Department is committed to building its capability to work with the sector to implement reforms in the building sector and at local government level in a way that is practical and 'do-able', and supportive of the changes required.

What we will deliver

In 2007/08 the Department will:

• design and implement an employee engagement strategy, including induction and team leader development
• design and implement a system to ensure the Department is focused on the strategic tasks necessary for sector reform
• continue to build staffing capability through completing the recruitment process for second- and third-tier managers following the Department's recent structural changes (in addition, work will be done to better define and align roles, and the related authorities, accountabilities and capabilities to be successful in all roles)
• continue to develop leadership capability through specific programmes that focus on interpersonal, organisational and sectoral leadership - planning is also under way to develop a core management training programme to help new and existing managers develop the requisite financial, human resource, business planning and communication skills necessary to be successful in their roles
• progress specific business system developments, including:
  • establishing a national, consolidated voice and data network that will enable us to effectively mobilise our Tenancy Services workforce, extending our services over a greater geographic area
  • developing a business case for upgrading our human resource application systems to better help managers with more accurate and useful online data
  • developing a knowledge management system to better meet our statutory record-keeping requirements, knowledge management initiatives, and e-government metadata standards and principles
  • developing a business case for a customer management system to support our nationwide call centre, both now and to provide for future expansion
• develop greater capability (skills and systems) to enable early and active engagement with the sector on policy development and regulatory system design and technical advice - we are working closely with territorial authorities, as regulatory partners, to help develop their systems and skills, and to support the changes they need to make to become accredited building consent authorities. The Department will further develop its capacity and capability to learn from others.