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.
Our approach
Our work programme focuses on building a high performing policy system that supports and enables good government decision making. It is co-developed with policy practitioners from across the Public Service, and governed by the Policy Profession Board which is chaired by the Head of the Policy Profession. The work programme is also championed by the Tier 2 Policy Leaders' Network, which you can read more about on the Policy system leadership page. This is consistent with our approach of impact through influence.
How the Policy Project got started
In 2014, the Head of the Policy Profession began an initiative intended to improve the policy system. This initiative grew into ‘The Policy Project’.
The Policy Project was co-funded initially by larger and medium-sized government agencies with a policy advice function on a year-by-year basis. The Head of the Policy Profession has succeeded in gaining the agreement of all Public Service agencies to fund the Policy Project for the 2020/21 to 2022/23 period.
Interim evaluation of the Policy Project
Allen + Clarke Policy and Regulatory Specialists conducted an interim evaluation of the Policy Project between March and September 2021. The interim evaluation was commissioned in late 2020 by the Head of the Policy Profession, when it was decided that the Policy Project was at an appropriate point in its life to undergo such a review.
Allen + Clarke found that the Policy Project’s resources were seen by the policy community as being high quality and relevant, but more needed to done to raise awareness of the Policy Project, and to reflect the evolving nature of policy making in Aotearoa. Allen + Clarke also found that the Policy Project’s governance and operational model is appropriate. The interim evaluation made eight recommendations for change. See the documents below for more details.
Response to interim evaluation
The Policy Profession Board’s has prepared a response to Allen + Clarke’s interim evaluation of the Policy Project, as of April 2023. Good progress has been made on implementing all eight recommendations of the interim evaluation. Competing demands on the Policy Project and partner agencies has meant slower progress on some recommendations compared to others. You can find out more by reading the response below.