Our Strategic Intentions provides an overview of DPMC, setting out how we will deliver on our purpose and support the Government to deliver its priorities. It summarises the three outcomes we are seeking to achieve through to the end of 2026/27, which are supported by our intermediate outcomes and our enduring roles.
Formats
Chief Executive's statement of responsibility#
In signing this information, I acknowledge that I am responsible for the information on strategic intentions for the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet.
This information has been prepared in accordance with the Public Finance Act 1989 (sections 38 and 40).
Brook Barrington
Chief Executive
Responsible Minister's statement#
I am satisfied that the information on strategic intentions prepared by the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet is consistent with the policies and performance expectations of the Government.
Rt Hon Chris Hipkins
Prime Minister, Responsible Minister for the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet
Our story | Te kōrero#
About us - who we are and why we exist#
The Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (DPMC) works to support the government of the day, and does so by leading, advising, stewarding and delivering activities across the public sector, as well as providing specific advice and support to the Governor-General, Prime Minister and portfolio Ministers. As one of the three central agencies (alongside the Treasury and Te Kawa Mataaho Public Service Commission), we also play a role in leading and coordinating public service agencies.
DPMC flexes to meet the Prime Minister's priorities and our size and composition changes to enable their delivery. We also host the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), a departmental agency established in December 2019.
We are the public service department supporting the Governor-General, Prime Minister and Cabinet
To do our job well, we need to be part of the glue that holds things together and the oil that makes things run smoothly. We are uniquely placed within the public service, in terms of our whole-of government perspective and our inherent closeness to Ministers. Our value derives directly from our role as the public service department supporting the Prime Minister and Cabinet, and our support for the Governor-General.
Ultimately, we exist to advance an ambitious, resilient and well-governed Aotearoa New Zealand
Our functions and services are evolving to meet the changing needs and expectations of us as a department, but our purpose and enduring roles remain consistent.
Our enduring roles - our core roles and responsibilities#
We have three core and enduring roles which help us deliver on our purpose: to advance an ambitious, resilient and well-governed Aotearoa New Zealand. In undertaking each of our roles, we are committed to supporting the Crown in its relationships with Māori under the Treaty of Waitangi te Tiriti o Waitangi.
1 Supporting informed decision making
We provide the Prime Minister, Ministers and Cabinet with intelligence, advice, support and brokerage on the business of the day. We also provide strategic advice, taking a whole-of-government view to help the Government shape its agenda and ensure the public service is aligned with and gets traction on the Government's programme. When required, we also are responsible for shaping and progressing emerging high-priority issues.
2 Supporting well-conducted government
We support the Governor-General, Prime Minister and Ministers to exercise their constitutional roles. We ensure the smooth, lawful and trustworthy running of executive government through the provision of secretariat services, constitutional advice and support, legislative support and administration of the New Zealand Royal Honours system.
3 Leading effective, strategically focused National Security and Emergency Management Systems
We lead and steward the Aotearoa New Zealand security and intelligence sector in strengthening national resilience, developing situational understanding and improving coordination and collaboration on nationally significant issues. We support the Prime Minister in international engagements and are focused on advancing Aotearoa New Zealand’s international interests.
We also, through NEMA, lead and coordinate across the Emergency Management System to reduce risk, and enable the system and communities to be ready for and able to respond to and recover from emergencies.
Our direction - where we are going#
Our operating environment is constantly changing…
The environment we work in is dynamic and fast moving, which requires us to be ready for and responsive to:
- elections and changing Government priorities
- cross-cutting and complex strategic policy issues and a changing international order
- unpredictable hazards, threats and adverse events, as well as increasingly complex, interdependent security issues
- changes to the way the public service works and changes in our environment
- our customers and stakeholders, and their changing needs.
…which means the size and composition of the Department changes...
…and which means we must be able to adapt and change too.
Given the complexities of the environment we operate in and to ensure we are well-positioned to meet the needs of the current and future Prime Ministers, we need to have:
- a contemporary, responsive and future focused tāera mahi (way of working)
- a positive and safe wāhi mahi (work environment), and
- a skilled, energised and high-performing ohu mahi (workforce).
Over time these changes will result in an influential, agile, high-performing organisation in which our people feel empowered, valued and engaged to achieve our purpose.
Contributing to the Government's priorities
We contribute to the delivery of the Government's priorities in several ways, including through:
- our enduring roles and progressing our outcomes
- stewardship of emerging priority programmes of work
- our role as a central agency, which includes providing leadership across agencies and monitoring progress against the Government's priorities
The Government's priorities are:
- Keeping New Zealanders safe from COVID-19
- Accelerating the recovery
- Laying the foundations for the future
Our strategic intentions | He takunetanga rautaki#
WHY we exist and what we aim to influence#
Our purpose is to advance an ambitious, resilient and well-governed Aotearoa New Zealand
| Our outcomes are | Our intermediate outcomes are |
|---|---|
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Outcome 1 The Government is supported to shape and deliver its priorities |
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Outcome 2 Aotearoa New Zealand’s systems and institutions of executive government are trusted, effective and enhance our nation’s interests |
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Outcome 3 People living in Aotearoa New Zealand are, and feel, resilient, safe and secure |
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WHAT we will deliver#
Our enduring roles are
- Supporting informed decision making
- Supporting well-conducted government
- Leading effective, strategically focused National Security and Emergency Management Systems
HOW we work#
To deliver we need to be an influential, agile, high-performing organisation in which our people feel empowered, valued and engaged, through
- a contemporary, responsive and future-focused tāera mahi (way of working)
- a positive and safe wāhi mahi (work environment), and
- a skilled, energised and high-performing ohu mahi (workforce)
Our values underpin everything we do
Mahia i runga i te rangimārie me te ngākau māhaki
With a calm mind and a respectful heart, we will always get the best results.
Advancing an ambitious, resilient and well-governed Aotearoa New Zealand#
Outcome 1
The Government is supported to shape and deliver its priorities
What we want to achieve
Over the next four years, we will focus on achieving the following intermediate outcomes:
1.1 Our Ministers and Cabinet are supported by timely, well-informed information and advice
1.2 Aotearoa New Zealand’s public service is proactive and responsive, helping shape and deliver the Government’s priorities.
What actions we will take
In addition to our enduring role of supporting informed decision making, we will progress our outcomes by:
- lifting policy quality and capability across the public sector, as well as within DPMC and NEMA
- providing effective oversight and support for significant Government implementation priorities
- supporting the Government to make Aotearoa New Zealand the best place in the world for children and young people
- developing insights to support long-term strategic approaches.
How we will measure progress
| Indicator | Desired trend | This contributes to | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quality of policy advice and assessments | ↑ | Informed decision making | Core role |
| Prime Minister and Ministerial satisfaction with advice and servicing | ↔ or ↑ | Informed decision making | Core role |
| Uptake of Policy Project tools and frameworks in support of improving policy quality across the public sector | ↔ or ↑ | Proactive and responsive public sector |
Intermediate Outcome 1.2 |
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↑ Improve ↔ Maintain ↓ Decrease |
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Outcome 2
Aotearoa New Zealand’s systems and institutions of executive government are trusted, effective and enhance our nation's interests
What we want to achieve
Over the next four years, we will focus on achieving the following intermediate outcomes:
2.1 The operation of the Cabinet system is effective
2.2 The Governor-General is well supported to deliver her ceremonial, constitutional and community roles
2.3 The significant contribution of New Zealanders in service to Aotearoa New Zealand is recognised and celebrated
2.4 Confidence in Aotearoa New Zealand’s systems and institutions of executive government is maintained.
What actions we will take
In addition to our enduring role of supporting well-conducted government, we will progress our outcomes by:
- providing procedural and constitutional advice in the pre and post-election periods to the Governor-General, the government and the public service
- increasing public awareness of the New Zealand Royal Honours system
- identifying and addressing mistrust of, and misinformation about, Aotearoa New Zealand's systems and institutions of executive government
- engaging meaningfully with communities and others we work with.
How we will measure progress
| Indicator | Desired trend | This contributes to | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Our community engagement builds trust and confidence in government | ↔ or ↑ | Systems and institutions of executive government are trusted | Outcome 2 |
| Ministerial satisfaction with the systems and institutions of executive government | ↔ or ↑ | Systems and institutions of executive government are trusted and effective | Outcome 2 |
| Governor-General satisfaction with support provided | ↔ or ↑ | The Governor-General is well supported to deliver her ceremonial, constitutional and community roles | Intermediate Outcome 2.2 |
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↑ Improve ↔ Maintain ↓ Decrease |
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Outcome 3
People living in Aotearoa New Zealand are, and feel, resilient, safe and secure
What we want to achieve
Over the next four years, we will focus on achieving the following intermediate outcomes:
3.1 The National Security and Emergency Management systems are effective, connected and aligned
3.2 Effective reduction, readiness, response and recovery to national security risks, emergencies and adverse events
3.3 Communities are more resilient, allowing them to be better placed to respond to and recover from threats or emergencies
3.4 Aotearoa New Zealand’s diverse communities have confidence in the national security system.
What actions we will take
In addition to our enduring role of leading effective, strategically-focused National Security and Emergency Management Systems, we will progress our outcomes by:
- improving the strategic leadership of the National Security and Emergency Management Systems
- embedding a more comprehensive approach to managing risk
- contributing to New Zealanders being confident and secure online
- working with local and central government, iwi and other partners to understand, enable, empower and support community resilience
- supporting the Government to enable Aotearoa New Zealand to respond and recover from nationally‑impactful events.
How we will measure progress
| Indicator | Desired trend | This contributes to | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Public confidence in government agencies to deal with national security threats and emergencies | ↔ or ↑ | Aotearoa New Zealand's diverse communities have confidence in the national security system | Intermediate Outcome 3.4 |
| Ministerial satisfaction with leadership of the National Security and Emergency Management Systems | ↔ or ↑ | The National Security and Emergency Management systems are effective, connected and aligned | Intermediate Outcome 3.1 |
| National security agencies are satisfied with the leadership of the national security system | ↑ | Leading effective, strategically focused National Security and Emergency Management Systems | Enduring role |
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New Zealanders who have: Taken action to prepare for an emergency in the last 12 months Know the correct action to take during an earthquake and during a long and strong earthquake |
↔ or ↑ | Communities are more resilient, allowing them to be better placed to respond to and recover from threats or emergencies | Intermediate Outcome 3.3 |
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↑ Improve ↔ Maintain ↓ Decrease |
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Organisational health and capability | Te hauora me te āheinga o te whakahaere#
An influential, agile, high-performing organisation in which our people feel empowered, valued and engaged#
Contemporary, responsive and future-focused tāera mahi (way of working)
Why this matters
As a trusted and effective central agency, we are regularly called upon to deliver on new and emerging government priorities and risks. This means we want to be able to predict, influence and adjust to these expectations, growing and reducing our functions as needed. We want to be purposeful and sustainable in resource allocation, risk identification and mitigation. This requires a responsive, scalable, learning organisation with an effective operating model and flexible systems and policies to empower our people to deliver at pace.
What actions we will take
- Review our operating model to ensure structures, accountabilities, resourcing and job design can rapidly flex and scale
- Implement a robust learning management and development system
- Review our corporate policies and core systems for alignment with our desired outcomes
- Reduce our greenhouse gas emissions.
Positive and safe wāhi mahi (work environment)
Why this matters
Positive and safe workplaces improve wellbeing and productivity, and a planned approach provides certainty around how we work together. The way in which we work needs to value the diversity of people, thought, approach and experience. Being inclusive in how we engage with one another means our people feel they belong both to our community and many others, they can be themselves at work, speak up safely and contribute.
What actions we will take
- Deliver on all our system-level obligations and expectations under public service diversity and inclusion initiatives
- At individual, team, business unit and organisational levels: engage in diversity and inclusion actions; improve our te ao Māori capabilities; improve our cultural competence and uphold, communicate and celebrate our shared values.
Skilled, energised and high-performing ohu mahi (workforce)
Why this matters
We require a workforce of permanent, fixed term and seconded public servants supported by short-term contractors. We want our ohu mahi to reflect the diversity of Aotearoa New Zealand. Every person needs to be culturally competent, so we can engage respectfully with our diverse local and global communities of interest. We need to be expert knowledge workers on the look out for fresh ideas, contributing our perspectives and using information in the right way. We need to be curious about others' perspectives and lived-experiences, and able to understand and communicate these. We need our policy advisers to be skilled and recognised for their critical thinking and ability to engage on a wide range of topics. We need to be agile and flexible, able to adjust to shifts in focus or emphasis in our mahi.
What actions we will take
- Continue to improve our policy advice skills
- Develop a future-focused workforce strategy that aligns with our desired outcomes
- Continue to enhance our formal and informal networks, communications and opportunities for knowledge-sharing
- Continue our focus on reducing pay gaps so employment is equitable and fair.
How we will measure progress
| Indicator | Desired trend | This contributes to | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Employee-led networks | ↔ or ↑ | Positive and safe wāhi mahi (workplace) | |
| Te ao Māori capability of our workforce | ↑ | Positive and safe wāhi mahi (work environment) | |
| Diversity of workforce | ↑ | Positive and safe wāhi mahi (work environment) | |
| Gender pay gap | ↓ | Skilled, energised and high performing ohu mahi (workforce) | |
| Staff satisfaction | ↑ | Skilled, energised and high performing ohu mahi (workforce) | |
| Greenhouse gas emissions | ↓ | Contemporary, responsive and future-focused tāera mahi (way of working) | |
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↑ Improve ↔ Maintain ↓ Decrease |
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