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New Zealand Gallantry Awards and criteria 1. The New Zealand Gallantry Awards are Royal honours. They are designed to recognise acts of gallantry carried out at risk to or sacrifice of life, by members of the New Zealand Armed Forces and support...

Start Right Exploration lets you identify and confirm the most important dimensions of a policy project at the start, to assist with scoping, focus, direction and project efficiency. It is also known as policy analysis, policy scoping or...

Role play helps you understand and prepare for a situation by acting out a scenario with fictional personas. On this page: Why you should use it What it involves What you will get out of it Ideal circumstances for use Limitations...

Prototyping helps you to build ideas for policy options by testing a model and refining it through active user participation. On this page: Why you should use it What it involves What you will get out of it Ideal circumstances for use...

Experience or empathy interviews are an inexpensive way to learn from people about their experience of a service or system. On this page: Why you should use it What it involves What you will get out of it Ideal circumstances for use...

Myth: Futures thinking tries to predict the future. Fact:  Futures thinking does not attempt to predict the future. There are a range of possible futures and the future can be actively shaped by the decisions we take today. Futures...

A method that identifies and questions the conscious and unconscious assumptions that shape policy analysis. On this page: Why you should use it What it involves What you will get out of it Ideal circumstances for use Limitations...

Structured brainstorming that helps participants visualise how important trends or events might impact on the policy area. On this page: Why you should use it What it involves What you will get out of it Ideal circumstances for use...

A method for testing the robustness of policy options against a set of scenarios to see how well they stand up against a range of external conditions. On this page: Why you should use it What it involves What you will get out of it Ideal...

Works backwards from a desirable future to identify the actions needed to help shape your desired future/s. On this page: Why you should use it What it involves What you will get out of it Ideal circumstances for use Limitations...

Land Information New Zealand case study: Land Information New Zealand has been using the Development Pathways Tool to help its policy teams develop and grow their skills and to enrich development plan discussions. The tool sets out the...

Welcome to the Policy Methods Toolbox The Policy Methods Toolbox is a repository of policy development methods that helps policy practitioners identify and select the right approach for their policy initiative. This first release of the...

Quality commissioning is the starting point for producing quality policy advice. Many different things can initiate the need to produce policy advice. Ministers regularly ask for it. External events can precipitate the need for it. Our...

The Tier 2 Policy Leaders’ Network constitutes deputy chief executives with policy responsibilities from every public service agency. The Network’s monthly meetings are chaired by Brook Barrington, Head of the Policy Profession. The scope of the matters...

Good quality engagement by government can solve complex problems, can lead to better solutions and build enduring relationships with individuals and groups in the community. Good engagement practice and ensuring a focus on engagement...

We’ve brought together examples of how agencies and policy practitioners are using the Policy Project frameworks and tools in their policy practice. We’ll add to these case studies over time. They provide useful insights into how the...

The Policy Profession Board supports the Head of the Policy Profession – the policy system leader. The Board does this by: acting as a sounding board for system policy capability and quality issues being champions for joined-up efforts to improve the...

Great policy managers build high performing policy teams that deliver great policy advice. That means ensuring the policy team knows what it’s trying to achieve, has a culture of constructive challenge, innovation and continuous improvement....

The Start Right Green Light records the agreement to formally commence a policy project, the initial policy question and the approach to policy development. It's also known as policy initiation, project mandate, project initiation or policy...

The Start Right question prompts for Commissioning Conversations between senior managers and the manager or policy team can encourage the right behaviours in the early stages of policy development. It's also known as policy initiation,...

Start Right is also known as policy commissioning, policy initiation and project management for policy development. On this page: About Start Right Why you should use it What it involves What you will get out of it Ideal circumstances...

Start Right Guide Guidance on how to get policy projects off to a great start This document outlines how to apply the Start Right approach to initiating a policy project, so it is set up for quality and success. Start Right is designed to be applied...

Using this document This document contains guidance on different types of communication with ministers and Cabinet. Whether you’re writing a Cabinet paper, a policy paper, an aide memoire or an A3, you’ll find high level descriptions of what’s involved...

Start Right: Green Light Framework The Green Light Framework below lets you record the things you learned during the Exploration phase. The Framework can be used to seek agreement and authorisation, and should be iterated over time as required. Getting...

Open, early Commissioning Conversations are the starting point for quality policy. The questions listed on the next page are a guide for effective Commissioning Conversations. They can help you consider the most important elements that shape a policy...

In 2016, the Policy Project co-developed the Policy Skills Framework with policy practitioners. It is one of three policy improvement frameworks designed to improve the quality of policy advice across government. On this page: The Policy Skills...

Improving the quality of policy advice across government requires a policy community that is committed to upping its game and sharing best practice. This includes strong leadership of the policy system. Find out about the various elements of...

Quality Standards for written policy and other advice These standards will help you assess and improve the quality of your agency's written policy and other advice, and whether it is fit for purpose. The advice may be for a minister, Cabinet, or other...

Checklist for reviewing papers in development This checklist can be used when reviewing a paper that you (or someone else) are developing. The Policy Quality Framework sets out four standards of quality policy analysis and advice. Detailed...

About this guide This guide contains advice on how to run a panel-based assessment of policy and other advice papers after their delivery (an ex-post assessment process) using the Policy Quality Framework. It also explains how to score advice papers...

Policy Skills Framework The Policy Skills Framework describes the mix of knowledge, skills and behaviours a modern policy practitioner requires – to be able to deliver quality policy advice.  Each element of the Framework is described at varying...

Ministry of Transport case study: The Policy Project has worked with several public sector agencies as part of the ongoing focus to improve policy quality across the public sector. Here is what the Ministry of Transport had to say about...

Inland Revenue case study: Inland Revenue has committed to applying the Policy Capability Framework every 6 months as a health check. This case study outlines Inland Revenue’s policy capability journey and how they have used the Policy...

We've created three policy improvement frameworks to help government agencies deliver great policy advice. They promote a more joined-up and consistent approach to improving individual’s policy skills, organisational capability, and the quality of advice...

What is the Policy Capability Framework?  The Policy Capability Framework (PCF) is a performance improvement tool. It aims to help agencies review and improve the overall policy capability of their organisations. It describes the key...