Strategic Direction
Organisational review
An organisational review undertaken in 2007 showed that the Ministry of Pacific Island Affairs was covering a range of work where its involvement had once, but no longer, added significant value.
Today, many government departments and agencies have the expertise to work with Pacific people in their fields of responsibility (for example, in health, justice, immigration, housing and youth). The review identified a need for change that would see us being more strategic and focussing on a “vital few” priority areas in our policy-making role, therefore, rather than stretching our resources across all fields. It highlighted the need for us to enhance our focus on the Auckland region, with its greater concentration of Pacific peoples.
Another key finding of the review was a need for improvements in our internal and external communications processes, so that we could work more closely with agencies and communities of interest. It also found that we needed to improve our management, monitoring and reporting practices.
The changes
Since the organisational review, the Ministry of Pacific Island Affairs has significantly changed what it does and how it does it.
Over the early part of the 2008 year, we completed the transformation of our role and operations, in response to the findings of the review. There have been significant changes in our organisational focus, in our planning and business processes, to re-position the Ministry and reflect our commitment to a new strategic direction.
Strengthening our capacity and capabilities in all these areas will help us to realise our vision of successful Pacific peoples.
The Ministry’s work is now being undertaken by new directorates which reflect the areas in which we will concentrate our work programme.
New directions: work on key issues
The directorates oversee key issues affecting Pacific peoples. They include a focus on work in Auckland, and across New Zealand in:
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social policy, including education and youth
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economics, so the work can support business development
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research and analysis, so we can respond to current and emerging issues for Pacific peoples.
This work supports the three major outcomes of the Ministry’s work, described in our Statement of Intent 2008-2011 (PDF)
Policy – the economic development plans
Our work also includes developing and implementing projects and initiatives that support the target areas of the Pacific Economic Action Plan and Pacific Women’s Economic Development Plan. For example, we have worked on projects to develop career pathways for Pacific peoples through the creative industries website ‘Pacific Starmap’ and the Modern Apprenticeships awareness campaign.
INNOVATIVE PROJECTS >> WORK PROGRAMMES >>
Communications
We also continue to build effective communications, so that our partners, Pacific peoples and stakeholders – including government and other departments – know what we do and how we do it.
In the new Communications and Relationships directorate we are helping people stay informed by upgrading the Ministry’s website, and have taken on new information and relationship advisors in the Christchurch and Auckland offices. We will continue to issue our newsletter about Pacific people and their achievements, and promote our work, and the work of Pacific organisations, through the news media.
NEWSLETTERS >> MEDIA RELEASES >>
A nominations service
We will also continue to encourage greater civic participation by Pacific peoples, by maintaining a credible and comprehensive nominations database, calling for and supporting the nomination of Pacific people to decision-making bodies at national and local levels.
The bridge
All these changes will ensure that the Ministry of Pacific Island Affairs maintains a strong bridge between Pacific peoples in New Zealand and government. The bridge will ensure information flows both ways, so that government decisions improve Pacific peoples’ lives.