Enhancing capability and improving our performance
Achieving the goals and outcomes identified in this Statement of Intent will require the Ministry to continue to develop its capability and improve its performance.
Capability in this context is the ability to attract, develop and retain the right combination of people; to involve the whole community in the governance of the environment; and to operate robust, future-proof and practical systems and structures.
To achieve this goal we need to:
- improve our strategic direction setting and management capability
- develop and integrate a stakeholder relationship management approach
- refine our human resources policies and strategies
- maintain and improve corporate systems
- increase our ability to influence the decision making and behaviours of others
- appropriately measure our achievements.
Capability in setting strategic direction
Environmental governance issues are complex. It is often difficult to determine the most effective points for government intervention and there are often no direct causal links between outputs and the outcomes we are seeking. This suggests a need to develop our capability to produce stronger mechanisms that will help Ministers prioritise activities so they make the greatest contribution to achieving the Government's outcomes.
The development of the previous Statement of Intent coincided with the re-focusing of the Ministry (on the partnership, leadership and fixing model) and resulted in providing a clearer direction. Development of this Statement of Intent was supported by a more integrated process of business planning and risk assessment in which greater emphasis was given to planning to achieve outcomes. There is a need to constantly work on evaluating our effectiveness and the value we deliver, to ensure our effort is correctly focused and to enable a lift in organisational performance.
Over the next three years we will focus on:
- identifying and using opportunities to improve capability and performance
- aligning activities with outcomes
- aligning, measuring and reporting with outcomes.
Managing relationships with stakeholders
Good governance of the environment requires the input, will and co-operation of many stakeholders. To guide the good governance of the environment, we must influence the approach and actions of stakeholders.
We share the environment stage with many others, each with their own charter and responsibilities. Working and communicating with them is a high priority for us. This calls for the Ministry to strengthen its relationships with stakeholders, while continuing to maintain traditional relationships with Ministers.
Our structure, which aligns with the Ministry's new directions, is designed to enable us to take a behavioural approach to achieving change in the environment. We will do this through working with key stakeholder groups. We will focus on how we can strengthen and maintain open lines of communication and develop working relationships with a broader range of stakeholders - particularly industry - and, in turn, develop common approaches to governance or interventions. We will formalise this approach through the development of a stakeholder relationship management strategy, supported by senior operators who have the specific role of leading development of relationships between the Ministry and other organisations. We also have an ongoing focus on building staff skills to develop, maintain and enhance stakeholder relationships.
Human resources capability
The Ministry needs to have the necessary staff capability to achieve its goals and outcomes. To be recognised and respected sufficiently to influence the behaviour of others, we need to build our analytical capability while significantly developing our ability to build strong working relationships with a wide range of groups and organisations, both within and beyond the public sector.
We are working on a human resource strategy designed to:
- continue to develop our leadership and management capability
- develop and recruit staff to provide operational and policy leadership
- enhance human resource management systems.
Robust corporate systems
To support a culture of leadership, capability and excellence, appropriate corporate systems are needed. The Ministry continually works towards having systems that provide staff with the support they need, while at the same time ensuring that rigorous management checks and measures are maintained.
Our current focus is on:
- the development of a comprehensive information management strategy
- refinement of corporate support systems to match changing requirements
- developing a project management approach that is applied consistently across all work areas
- maintaining appropriate and flexible financial and human resource management systems.
Risks to achieving success
The greatest strategic challenge facing the Ministry is determining and sticking to doing what we 'must do' and where we can make the greatest difference - as opposed to what we 'can do' or 'could do' to enhance the management of the environment. There is a constant risk that we will get pulled in too many directions and end up stretched too thinly again. While the expectations of our stakeholders are high, they often have conflicting values. This creates an ongoing tension in dealing with environmental issues and governance.
The key business risks are:
- We will continue to be under pressure to adopt new priorities and consider new issues. While there will sometimes be new tasks that we must take on, we need to maintain our strategic focus and complete what we start.
- Our aim is to work more closely with other organisations, such as other central government agencies, local government, community and industry - not all of which agree on issues or agree with our approach. Developing the respect of others and maintaining effective working relationships with them is critical to our effectiveness.
- To achieve the outcomes and goals in this Statement of Intent, we need to recruit and retain highly skilled and knowledgeable staff. They must be able to provide leadership and work in partnership with stakeholders who have differing views and priorities. However, we are competing in a labour of high demand that places a premium on the skills we need and value.
The key operational risks are:
- We must focus on the environmental issues collectively seen as the greatest risks and manage them appropriately. This also requires an emphasis on timely action.
- We must be aware of, and respond to, the economic, social and political context in which we are working. (This does not mean party political.) We must recognise the economic impact of any regulatory intervention, including the economic and health benefits of appropriate action.
Measuring achievements
It is important for the Ministry to know how it is doing and to be able to demonstrate what difference it has made. The Ministry makes use of rigorous monthly reporting on all activities. We monitor our organisational performance in terms of our strategic goals.
The focus of our organisational performance measurement is on:
- achievement against planned targets
- maintaining and developing future capability
- meeting customer needs, particularly output delivery for Ministers
- the strength and quality of stakeholder relationships
- creating value in outcomes for stakeholders (i.e. making a difference)
- robust management controls.
