Development Pathways Tool: Practising level skills

70% on-the-job learning

• Build good relationships with officials and departmental advisors in the minister’s office.
• Read the Policy Project’s guidance on Writing for Ministers and Cabinet.
• Review Turning Policy Into Law to learn about working with the Parliamentary Counsel Office and providing instructions for legislative drafting.
• Work with your agency’s legal team and the Parliamentary Counsel Office to provide instructions for legislative drafting.
• Mentor junior staff on government systems and processes.
• Learn about how the structure of government entities influences the level of involvement in policy processes. Read the Public Sector Commission’s information on machinery of government: System Design.
• Lead Cabinet papers through cross agency processes (e.g. consultation on papers, cross-agency briefings).
• Participate in increasingly complex Cabinet and Parliamentary processes.
• Can carry out impact analysis requirements for policy proposals that involve regulatory change.

20% learning from others

• Shadow senior managers involved in providing advice to the minister, Cabinet committees, and negotiating with Parliamentary counsel about legislative drafting, and participate in select committee processes.
• Establish networks with the people who have relevant knowledge about government systems and processes to help you undertake your policy projects effectively.

10% formal learning

• Take advanced courses on machinery of government, select committee processes, legislative processes, and policy development for senior practitioners.
• The Treasury can run courses on Public Sector Budgets. G-Reg and ANZOG both schedule workshops and seminars from time to time on regulatory design and practice.
• Attend seminars with experts in specific processes, such as:
  • Public Policy Fundamentals by Wellington Uni Professional
  • Introduction to Parliament and Select Committees by the Office of the Clerk
  • Policy to Legislation by the Office of the Clerk.

Understand the Government's priorities and the relevant political context that shapes decision making.

• Understands Government priorities, the current political context for and the historical context of their policy area.
• Can clearly articulate how their work area contributes to the agency's policy work programme and government priorities.
• Understands the obligations of the Crown under the Treaty of Waitangi in their work domain.

70% on-the-job learning

• Review relevant government and cross-party coalition and confidence and supply agreements and party manifestos.
• Contribute to work planning for your team and discussions about agency and government priorities.
• Represent your agency on cross-agency and cross-sectoral policy projects, where you need to articulate how your agency’s work contributes to government priorities.
• Contribute to complex projects on cross-sectoral government priorities.
• Lead medium to complex projects that require an understanding of the implications of the Treaty of Waitangi and Māori Crown relationships, and require engagement with Māori/iwi.
• Develop knowledge of Māori groups with an interest in your subject area.
• Share your knowledge of the historical reforms that impacted your agency or sector (e.g. structural, funding, service delivery).
• Seek to be involved in developing Treaty settlement redress in your policy area.

20% learning from others

• Test your understanding of the political context and government priorities with more senior colleagues.
• Attend a Waitangi Tribunal hearing.

10% formal learning

• Take a course on the Treaty of Waitangi and cultural perspectives in policy making.

Understands the specialist policy subject matter relevant to the agency and sector.

• Has solid subject matter knowledge of policy issues and the current policy and regulatory settings.
• Is advancing practical understanding of the domain and sharing knowledge with others.
• Growing knowledge of Māori rights and interests, grounded in engagement with Māori and Treaty relationships relevant to the domain.

70% on-the-job learning

• Lead or contribute significantly to projects that allow you to put your domain knowledge and expertise into practice.
• Share domain knowledge and policy experience with other policy practitioners.
• Contribute to discussions about specific issues or projects related to your subject matter expertise.
• Lead discussions about policy problems and approaches in your subject area.
• Stay up to date with literature and policy problems relevant to your role.
• Be knowledgeable about current Māori views on your subject matter, including reading relevant Waitangi Tribunal reports and evidence.
• Lead advice to the minister, Cabinet committees, select committees, and inter-agency meetings where you are the subject matter expert.
• Read key policy development documents (such as discussion documents, Cabinet papers, and Regulatory impact statements) to identify exemplars and lessons.
• Engage with cross-government or sector work of increased complexity to understand policy frameworks, methods and tools that other agencies use.
• Contribute to the development of policy tools and processes within your sector.
• Contribute to subject matter-focused policy training programmes in your organisation.

20% learning from others

• Subscribe to relevant technical journals to build knowledge of new thinking.
• Read widely, including areas outside your area of technical expertise and experience.
• Identify people within your agency who have expertise in the policy area that you are working on and interact with them to gain the insights they can provide.
• Set aside time for reflection (possibly with a coach) on policy processes you are involved in.
• Seek coaching from a principal policy analyst on modifying standard frameworks or designing new structured approaches to make them relevant to your work.
• Take up secondment opportunities or seek rotation to broaden your specialist expertise.
• Build relationships with external organisations and individuals with an interest in your subject area, particularly iwi and Māori.

10% formal learning

• Attend seminars run by the Institute for Governance and Policy Studies, IPANZ, Motu, the Treasury, Te Puni Kōkiri, and Te Arawhiti. Share lessons with colleagues, and incorporate what you’ve learned into your agency’s approaches.
• Attend internal seminars and participate in workshops to expand and update your technical knowledge.
• Continue formal learning on Te Ao Māori relevant to your work.

Responsive and Adaptive#

Responsive to the Government of the day and works with agility in uncertain situations to improve the lives of people in New Zealand.

• Understands the policy process is iterative, and adjusts thinking and approach as required.
• Can challenge earlier assumptions or conclusions in light of new information.
• Makes sensible trade-offs between time, risk, quality and completeness.
• Is resilient in the face of change and can switch focus to new priorities.

70% on-the-job learning

• Regularly test your thinking with others, including the need to revisit the problem definition, or next steps in your policy development.
• When changing circumstances require you to adapt your plans, quickly reconsider your approach and brief relevant people accordingly.
• Apply lessons from one policy problem to another.
• Volunteer for roles that are new or challenging.
• Study ‘wicked’ policy problems, such as those where there may have been disagreement about key issues and where complex independencies exist.
• Experiment with new ideas to solve policy problems.
• Reflect on your achievements, what you’ve done well, and what you could do better.
• Be clear about what you can influence to get the outcomes you are seeking.

20% learning from others

• Attend workshops on unfamiliar topics and incorporate what you have learnt into your agency's approaches.
• Seek feedback from colleagues on how you deal with change, uncertainty or setbacks.

10% formal learning

• Talk to your manager about any formal learning opportunities available to you.

Takes initiative to develop the policy skills of themselves and others. Learns from colleagues, training opportunities, and on-the-job experience.

• Invites and offers regular constructive feedback and challenge.
• Shares knowledge and expertise, and reviews the work of others.
• Thinks of policy work as producing ‘team products’, and actively provides and receives peer review and quality assurance.
• Learns from feedback and mistakes to improve their policy practice.
• Proactively identifies areas for professional development and takes active steps to build their policy skills.

70% on-the-job learning

• Offer to peer review work and reflect constructively on improvements or different approaches.
• Take on diverse tasks and get immediate feedback on your learning and performance.
• Regularly review your team’s approaches to policy development, what worked and could be done differently.
• Provide timely and constructive encouragement to other team members.
• Reflect on your performance feedback and how best to use your strengths and be more effective.
• Contribute to policy training in your organisation or across the Public Service.
• Consider rotating into other parts of the organisation where you can work on different issues or policy areas.
• Seek out specific training and opportunities to coach less experienced colleagues or to enter into formal mentoring agreements.
• Consider what new knowledge you need that can be provided internally.
• Be open to new ideas and thinking.
• Use the Māori Crown Relations Capability Framework to make an assessment  and create an action plan to develop your capability.
• Use the Development Pathways Tool to help mentor less experienced staff on ways to develop their range of policy skills.

20% learning from others

• Seek mentoring from an experienced colleague who has institutional knowledge.
• Consider starting a learning group in new or emerging policy techniques, or analysing a case study.

10% formal learning

• Take a course on how to coach or mentor others (e.g. 'Side by Side' by Hartwick Associates).

Policy Analysis#

Applies analytical frameworks and methods to make sense of evidence and inform policy advice.

• Has deeper and broader experience in applying different analytical frameworks, and understands their underlying assumptions and limitations and their appropriateness for different types and complexities of policy challenges.
• Can make sense of evidence and turn it into insightful advice that tells a coherent story (e.g. about the problem or opportunity, its magnitude and causes, who is affected and how, and a proposed pathway to achieve desired outcomes) – while being transparent about how issues are framed (inherent bias) and gaps in evidence.
• Can guide less experienced staff to undertake specific analysis and identify, direct or commission specialists where particular expertise is required.

70% on-the-job learning

• Lead medium to complex policy design and development projects. Undertake a Regulatory Impact Assessment.
• Lead discussions on analytical frameworks and approaches to policy projects with internal and external groups.
• Look for opportunities to participate in developing innovative policy approaches to ‘wicked problems’.
• Talk to policy analysis experts in your agency to identify relevant practices and approaches.
• Work with specialists in behavioural science to identify and use psychological and sociological techniques to deliver public policy outcomes (e.g. ‘nudge’).
• Work with specialists in future thinking to identify and use futures techniques in policy development.
• Apply Te Ao Māori knowledge and approaches and mātauranga Māori to your policy work, and understand and explore the areas where a Te Ao Māori lens suggests a different direction to other analytical frameworks.
• Apply other population frameworks and lenses to your policy work (e.g. Ministry for Pacific People’s Pacific Policy Analysis Tool Kapasa, Whaikaha – Ministry of Disabled People’s Disability Toolkit for Policy, Ministry of Social Development’s Child Impact Assessment Tool, Ministry for Women’s gender analysis tool Bringing Gender In).
• Translate evidence into a compelling story about your analysis of policy issues and solutions. Use different mediums (e.g. words, graphics, diagrams, charts, tables) to present the information in an easily digestible way. Write a discussion document.
• Develop networks with technical experts who can provide input into problem identification, approaches to framing policy, and resolution.
• Coach or mentor less experienced analysts on how to choose and apply the ‘best fit for purpose’ analytical frameworks for policy problems.
• Participate in your agency’s policy quality assurance processes, such as regulatory impact analysis and Cabinet paper committees.

20% learning from others

• Make connections with external experts in the application of frameworks, analytical methods and practices for specific policy projects.

10% formal learning

• Take courses on different methodologies and analytical frameworks.
• Take a course on critical thinking.

Draws on a range of evidence and insights to support analysis that informs each stage of the policy process. Aware of the reliability of the evidence.

• Can synthesise diverse information and evidence, distil what is important, and use it to tell a coherent story.
• Can competently assess the quality and limitations of evidence, data and research. Understands empirical methodology, principles of data integrity, and the basics of statistical analysis.
• Understands methodologies for drawing insights from the ‘citizen-as-customer’ and the frontline, and how those insights can inform policy.
• Can identify measurable and meaningful indicators of effectiveness, plan (and possibly execute) fit-for-purpose evaluations, and extract lessons learnt to help build an ongoing evidence base.

70% on-the-job learning

• Develop a strategic relationship with your agency’s data team, so they are familiar with your requirements.
• Identify and communicate themes from data analysis results along with methodology strengths and limitations.
• Participate in policy projects that have a significant information and evidence base.
• Apply the design thinking, behavioural insights, and futures thinking guidance in the Policy Project’s Policy Methods Toolbox to one of your projects.
• Have a rich quantitative and qualitative understanding of the people who are impacted by your subject area and how they are impacted.
• Use with confidence and interpret data and evidence regularly in your policy work to tell a coherent story, enrich analysis and enable well-informed decisions.
• Demonstrate awareness of how data and evidence can reflect and reinforce stereotypes and institutional bias, and how this can be mitigated.
• Build into your projects opportunities to revisit policy assumptions based on the evidence base.
• Use a variety of methods to bring data and information to life for non-specialists.
• Commission complex data extraction and collection internally and externally.
• Ensure that policy projects allow sufficient time for data collection and analysis.
• Critically evaluate the accuracy, completeness, consistency, uniqueness and timeliness of data you use as evidence.
• Establish strong relationships with agencies that have a key role in data and research collection and remain up to date with new developments.
• Learn how to design and implement or commission an evaluation or review of a policy initiative.
• Share and present your data analysis and evaluation findings from specific projects and discuss lessons learned.
• Mentor and coach others in developing strong evidence-informed policy.
• Consider available information and thinking on Māori Data Needs, Rights, Sovereignty and Governance (see Ngā Hua | Resources, Co-designing Māori data governance, and Indigenous Data and Governance).

20% learning from others

• Consult and work with data specialists, survey design specialists, co-design and public participation experts, and evaluation experts to learn about and ensure the appropriateness of the:
  • design and collection of data and research
  • design and use of survey tools for collecting qualitative information (e.g. Survey Monkey)
  • design of evaluation tools to measure the effectiveness of current policy interventions or post policy implementation effectiveness.
• Join relevant communities of practice or networks (e.g. Government Economics Network).
• Develop relationships with Māori academics and others who have an interest in data in your subject area.
• Discuss with experienced colleagues how to balance apparently conflicting analytical approaches.
• Where appropriate, consult with any chief science advisors in your agency to see how they can advise on use of evidence.

10% formal learning

• Consider more advanced courses on statistical analysis and methodologies for drawing insights from the ‘citizen-as-customer’.
• Attend conferences such as indigenous data summits (e.g. Ngā Pae o te Maramatanga).
• Undertake a programme evaluation course (e.g. Programme Evaluation – Supporting Evidence-Informed Practice by University of Auckland).
• Complete a privacy micro-credential, such as Privacy in the public sector from Wellington Uni Professional.

Analyses possible future states, and supports the development of strategic objectives and policy proposals that inform the direction of policy advice.

• Can identify and articulate underlying assumptions and diverse perspectives for their policy area.
• Has a sound knowledge of the strategic context in their policy work.
• Scans the system to identify emergent patterns, trends, and signals of change.
• Applies insights from scanning to develop more informed and strategic policy.

70% on-the-job learning

• Apply a futures thinking mindset by testing your assumptions when you design policy outcomes for the short, medium, and long term.
• Identify established and emerging trends and a range of futures tools to explore their implications for your policy work.
• Lead cross-sector futures and strategy projects (e.g. Long-term Insights Briefings).
• Contribute any insights from your futures thinking relating to your policy area to your organisation’s strategic work programme (e.g. statements of intent, strategic intentions).
• Work with specialists in futures thinking to identify and use futures techniques to inform policy development.

20% learning from others

• Ask more experienced colleagues to reflect on their experience of selecting and applying systems thinking and futures thinking tools, and using the outputs to inform policy work. Ask them to explain how they used the outputs to inform policy work, what went well, and what they would do differently next time.
• Ask more experienced colleagues to identify systems thinking and futures thinking resources that will expand your understanding.
• Join the Strategic Futures Group – Interagency Community of Practice on Futures Thinking.
• Read books by leaders in foresight and futures thinking (e.g. Looking Back at Looking Forward (van der Duin and van der Steen) and Strategic Foresight: Learning from the Future (Lustig).
• Stay up to date with foresight reports from other jurisdictions and international organisations, such as Policy Horizons Canada, OECD’s Strategic Foresight, Singapore’s Centre for Strategic Futures, and Future Generations Commissioner for Wales.
• Attend seminars that provide examples of how futures thinking has been incorporated into policy development processes.

10% formal learning

• Take courses on strategic or futures thinking.

Delivers policy advice that is robust, free and frank, and compelling. Can use appropriate levers of influence to successfully effect change.

• Provides free and frank advice to decision makers that:
  • tells a compelling story
  • has all the relevant information to support the decision
  • puts the decision in context
  • shows what needs to be done to make it happen (through clear, action-oriented and realistic recommendations).
• Can champion decisions and work with others to ensure they are implemented effectively.

70% on-the-job learning

• Lead the development and delivery of free and frank advice on low to medium complexity projects that meets all the Policy Quality Framework criteria.
• Lead or contribute to discussions in which you need to be persuasive with the minister, select committees, Cabinet committees, across agencies and with stakeholders.
• Learn to provide your advice as a compelling story that puts the decision in context and provides next steps.
• Take responsibility for communicating decisions and monitor progress to ensure effective implementation.
• Participate in discussions on improving the way analysis is delivered.

20% learning from others

• Actively seek peer review of policy advice papers from more senior or experienced colleagues.
• Verbally outline or role play the approach you plan to take in presenting a paper to other experienced advisors, and get feedback.
• Ask more experienced colleagues to identify strategies they adopted to enact a decision once taken, and ensure it is implemented well.

10% formal learning

• Take a negotiating and influencing skills course.
• Take a networking skills course (e.g. Presentation by Communicate).

Develops and applies fit-for-purpose measures and indicators to monitor policy outcomes. Builds results of evaluation into policy making.

• Plans enablers for monitoring and evaluation early in policy development.
• Can identify meaningful information, quantitative and qualitative measures and indicators of effectiveness, impacts, and systems.
• Can apply Te Ao Māori, matāuranga Māori, and kaupapa Māori methodologies to monitoring and evaluating outcomes for Māori.
• Works with evaluation specialists to assess results, and can extract lessons learnt into policy making.

70% on-the-job learning

• Ensure that policy projects allow sufficient time for data collection and analysis.
• Critically evaluate the accuracy, completeness, consistency, uniqueness and timeliness of data you use as evidence.
• Review guidance on how to evaluate an engagement process in the Policy Community Engagement Tool.
• Learn how to design and implement or commission an evaluation or review of a policy initiative.
• Share and present your data analysis and evaluation findings from specific projects and discuss lessons learned.

20% learning from others

• Consult and work with data specialists, survey design specialists, co-design and public participation experts, and evaluation experts to learn about and ensure the appropriateness of the:
  • design and collection of data and research
  • design and use of survey tools for collecting qualitative information (e.g. Survey Monkey)
  • design of evaluation tools to measure the effectiveness of current policy interventions or post policy implementation effectiveness.
• Join relevant communities of practice or networks (e.g. Government Economics Network).

10% formal learning

• Undertake a programme evaluation course (e.g. Programme Evaluation – Supporting Evidence-Informed Practice by University of Auckland).

Delivers quality advice on time and within budget using the right mix of resources and project management methods

• Understands the commissioning process, and is active in establishing the mandate and defined deliverables for their own work.
• Manages risks, issues, conflicts, timelines, resourcing and deliverables and knows when to escalate for clarity. Reports on progress as required.
• Can lead simple to moderate complexity policy projects.
• Identifies when commissioned work is project-sized and would benefit from fit-for-purpose project management disciplines.
• Understands a variety of project planning and management techniques and is able to apply them.

70% on-the-job learning

• Play an active role in commissioning discussions to establish the mandate and desired deliverables for new policy projects.
• Assess the appropriate level of engagement with Māori using Te Arawhiti’s Māori Crown Relations Engagement Framework and Engagement Guidelines and build time into your planning to allow early and suitable engagement.
• Ensure projects include sufficient time and resources for testing and evaluation.
• Manage policy projects of moderate complexity, from start to finish.
• Ensure that the rights skills are available and applied in projects at the right time.
• Ensure the right data is being captured, analysed and reported to provide feedback about project progress and risks.
• Learn how and when to escalate issues for resolution.
• Model the effective and consistent use of your agency’s processes (e.g. commissioning, project planning, peer review and sign-out processes).
• Evaluate your projects after completion to identify lessons about what worked and what didn’t.
• Coach or mentor less experienced analysts in project planning and management.
• Explore the Australian Government’s Agile Policy Playbook and consider whether you can utilise Agile policy methods in your work.

20% learning from others

• Seek feedback from colleagues with more experience in managing policy projects.

10% formal learning

• Consider taking an advanced project management course (e.g. Agile Policy Management).

Uses early, inclusive and genuine engagement during policy making that builds sustainable relationships.

• Builds and uses collaborative networks. Engages with openness and respect for diversity of views, and strives to build consensus.
• Can design communication and engagement processes to support joint objectives.
• Understands and uses citizen-centric approaches to identify and develop collectively agreed solutions.

70% on-the-job learning

• Complete stakeholder maps for projects to identify which government agencies and stakeholders have an interest, the nature of that interest, and their likely level of influence.
• Apply your knowledge of the IAP2 Public Participation Spectrum by the International Association for Public Participation to identify which approaches to public participation and which related engagement tools are most appropriate for the projects you’re involved in.
• Develop your knowledge and experience in the different types of methods for engaging with stakeholders (e.g. consultation documents, meetings, co-design partnerships).
• Invest time in developing good networks and relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
• Enable effective collaboration with stakeholders by identifying mutual interests in policy projects you are working on.
• Apply the six community engagement resources in the Policy Methods Toolbox when designing community engagement on a policy project.
• Apply guidance on collaboration and engagement with local government – see Guide for central government engagement with local government.
• Learn about participatory approaches to design, develop, test and implement projects that involve users directly.
• Apply the Māori Crown Relations Engagement Framework and Guidelines.
• Apply tools that will help you engage with diverse groups and communities (e.g. Ministry for Pacific People’s Pacific Policy Analysis Tool Kapasa,Ministry of Social Development’s Child Impact Assessment Tool).
• Independently scope and plan an engagement strategy with the public or specific stakeholder groups that articulates who to engage with and why, the related goals, and decision rights.
• Develop discussion documents and other forms of engagement material within your agency’s established frameworks and processes.
• Organise engagement meetings, so their objectives are appropriately communicated, they are well managed, and desired outcomes are achieved.
• Ensure the appropriate tikanga is observed in preparing for, hosting, and attending meetings with iwi and Māori groups.
• Be able to open and close meetings appropriately, introduce yourself and others in te reo Māori, pronounce Māori words correctly and perform karakia and waiata when appropriate.
• Predict how different stakeholders may behave and respond to policy positions and proposals.
• Learn to discuss your subject matter in a way that creates an open and empathetic discussion.
• Develop a narrative and message that all stakeholders involved in the project share and jointly own.
• Work across boundaries to identify new contacts and partners in the public sector.
• Review guidance for running online engagement processes – see the Engagement page by digital.govt.nz.
• Regularly refer back to the identified user needs and assess your work to see if needs are being met.
• Ensure sufficient time is devoted to conducting user research.
• Participate in user research and testing, interviews and workshops.
• Use a variety of methods to record and display the results of user research (images, written notes from users, videos).
• Review the Māori Crown Relations Individual Capability framework competencies on Engagement with Māori and make a plan for developing your engagement skills.

20% learning from others

• Outline your proposed public and/or stakeholder engagement approaches to colleagues, and seek suggestions on how to approach difficult situations.
• Seek feedback or coaching from colleagues on your conduct at stakeholder or public meetings and your communication style with stakeholders.
• With your manager, attend meetings where the discussions with stakeholders are challenging, and debrief afterwards on how they handled this.
• Pursue opportunities to network across the sector, including attending conferences and other events run by stakeholder groups in your sector.
• Talk with your manager about opportunities to be involved in participatory approaches to design, develop, test and implement projects that involve consumers directly.

10% formal learning

• Take a stakeholder engagement course. For example:
  • Extend Your Influence by Hartwick Associates
  • Public sector: Engaging Effectively With Your Stakeholders by Wellington Uni Professional
  • Public sector: Collaborating and Influencing Key Stakeholders by Sue Hornblow.
• Take training in negotiation skills and conflict resolution, and/or influencing others.
• Take facilitation training.
• Take a course on building collaborative networks, inclusive community engagement design, or approaches to engaging to develop collectively agreed solutions (e.g. Engagement Design and Conflict in Engagement by International Association for Public Participation).
• Take tikanga and te reo Māori training.
• Take the Ministry for Ethnic Communities’ Intercultural Capability E-learning modules on communicating with people from different backgrounds.

Focuses policy advice on ‘end to end’ aspects of implementation, including the use of digital technologies.

• Can confidently include delivery options in policy design, consistently thinking ‘end to end’. This means being able to:
  • use implementation-focused decision-making models (e.g. Impact Analysis Requirements)
  • assess the impact of factors like benefits, costs, and risks, and the assumptions they are based on
  • include frontline staff in early and later stages of policy design
  • engage with other experts to convey or seek advice on implementation requirements.

70% on-the-job learning

• Lead the development of a detailed description of how each policy option would be operationalised, and apply an appropriate decision model to assess the costs, benefits and risks.
• Work with relevant partners to ensure users or sectors with particular needs (e.g. women, Māori, other ethnic communities, those with accessibility or mobility needs) can use a service or have alternative options.
• Engage early on in your policy work with service delivery experts and specialist advisors who will be key to the successful implementation of policy proposals (e.g. your agency’s legal section and Parliamentary Counsel).
• Apply implementation-focused decision-making models (e.g. impact analysis tools, Better Rules processes, Government Expectations for Good Regulatory Practice).
• Consider the potential for non-traditional policy options, such as behavioural nudges, new technologies and voluntary agreements.
• Use iterative approaches to test new ideas on a small scale before wider implementation (e.g. sand-boxing, pilots, prototypes and small-scale experiments of new ideas).
• Manage timeframes to ensure projects include sufficient time and resources for testing and evaluation across different stages of a project or service’s lifecycle.
• Learn about how user research is integrated into policy analysis at different points, including the design of policy options and services.
• Explore a major business transformation project (see Business Transformation).
• Understand the importance of digital inclusion in your work (see Digital Inclusion).
• Understand how Better Rules can help you design implementable legislation.

20% learning from others

• Use basic prototypes to explain or test approaches with colleagues.
• Learn from other agencies’ expertise on how to take user-centred approaches to policy design and implementation.
• Spend time in regional offices, if your agency has them.
• Seek secondments or other opportunities to work with partner organisations, such as iwi entities.
• Review the case studies, reports, research papers and more from Toi Āria the College of Creative Arts.

10% formal learning

• Attend courses or seminars on new ‘design thinking’ methods including Agile and Lean project approaches. For example:
  • Design Thinking Fundamentals Bootcamp by Wellington Uni Professional.

Works innovatively and collaboratively to identify ways to ‘do things better’ and ‘do better things’ in policy practice

• Participates in robust discussions on the quality of policy processes, insights, and lessons learned.
• Challenges themselves to look beyond their immediate areas of expertise for insights on best practice.
• Has the knowledge and experience to shift from a ‘great idea’ to a workable solution.

70% on-the-job learning

• Approach untested or unusual ways of working with openness to trying them out.
• Test new ideas and approaches on a small scale.
• Connect with people who are very different or who work in different areas, to gain new insights.
• Share insights and lessons learned on your policy projects with other policy colleagues.
• Participate in your organisation’s quality review and improvement processes.
• Participate in discussions to generate ideas and possible approaches to policy problems, the development of solutions, and implementation design.
• Be open to new ideas and thinking.
• Take a lead role in a forum to exchange views, test ideas, and explore creative new approaches to long-standing issues.
• Seek external peer review of the scope and methodology of major projects.
• Explore the NZ Innovation GPS (formerly the Innovation Barometer) and consider opportunities for your agency to be part of this initiative or how you can support greater innovation through your work.
• Familiarise yourself with the UK Government’s Open Policy Making Toolkit.
• Find out if your agency had a project that was one of the Funding recipients of the Digital Government Partnership Innovation Fund. If so, learn more about the project.

20% learning from others

• Seek feedback from a wide range of sources and analyse that feedback for ideas.
• Talk with colleagues, stakeholders and users about potential opportunities for improvement.
• Engage with others who do the same work as you to find out what is different about their approach.

10% formal learning

• Attend courses that build your understanding of how service design can encourage innovations (e.g. Design Thinking Fundamentals Bootcamp by Wellington Uni Professional).

Delivers clear, compelling, and fit-for-purpose messages, using the most effective communication vehicle for the audience.

• Writes high-quality advice in a polished, plain English style that is easy to read and has a clear purpose.
• Confidently presents information in the most accessible form, and consistent with the preferences of the audience.
• Can represent their agency’s interests at high levels, within boundaries and a clear agenda.

70% on-the-job learning

• Identify the people your policy serves, and construct outlines of their experiences and motivations.
• Ensure your story covers more than just past and present, but also what will happen in the future.
• Test and refine drafts of your story with others to identify the best way to communicate key messages.
• Incorporate visual elements into your story to provide context or help understanding.
• Become familiar with the NZ Government Web Standards and Design and UX advice.
• Represent your agency and communicate advice you have helped develop.
• Seek feedback on the quality of your written work and use the Policy Project’s checklist Developing papers with the Policy Quality Framework and other quality assurance resources or processes within your agency.
• Conduct ‘show and tell’ sessions with colleagues to share information and experiences about a particular project.
• Contribute to your agency’s quality assurance processes for communication products.

20% learning from others

• Seek opportunities to work with the publications or communications people in your organisation, and get experience with developing and publishing information online or through other delivery mechanisms.
• Seek feedback from senior colleagues on what communication tools they find most effective for different audiences.
• Take opportunities to watch other public servants presenting on their work and take note of what they’re doing well.

10% formal learning

• Take an effective communications course.
• Take training in ‘storytelling’ approaches to shape communication products (e.g. Pamela Todd Tutorials on storylining and plain language, Infographics: Telling stories with pictures by Write Limited).
• Take an effective writing course.
• Take a presentation course (e.g. Presentation Skills by Write Limited, and Presentation Skills by Communicate).
• Take effective meetings training (e.g. Effective Meetings Training by Skillset).