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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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

Join us as we share stories and insights from New Zealand and abroad that can boost our policy making. What makes great policy? Or what makes policy great? Follow our blog for our posts on initiatives from New Zealand and abroad – there’s a lot they can...

The Development Pathways Tool can help you as a policy practitioner to develop your policy skills. If you are a policy manager, it can help you with development planning for your team. The Development Pathways Tool identifies the actions that a policy...

Achieving the multiple dimensions of quality policy advice can be challenging. Here you will find information on how to develop and deliver policy advice effectively, and what good practice in key dimensions means. Over the years, a number of...

The Policy Project's Open Government Partnership focus is on working across government to improve community engagement in policy making. The Policy Project supports lifting the community engagement capability of policy advisors and agencies...

Quality advice is the foundation of good decision making. The key resources we've created to help you produce high quality policy advice are: Developing papers with the Policy Quality Framework – Checklist for reviewing papers in...

Good policy advice depends on skilled policy practitioners – able to analyse and respond to policy challenges and come up with workable solutions that will add value to the lives of people in New Zealand. To do this, policy practitioners...

Policy agencies need to keep pace with current issues and prepare for the challenges ahead. Investing in continuous improvement enables maintaining their capability to produce good policy advice. The key resources we've created to help with that are:...

The policy system is led by the Head of the Policy Profession, Dr Brook Barrington, Chief Executive of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. He is supported by the Policy Profession Board, the Policy Project team, and the Tier 2...

Behavioural insights involves the study of human behaviour, often drawing on empirical research in fields including economics, psychology and sociology. On this page: Why you should use it What it involves What you will get out of it...

Using structured deliberation by members of the public to progress policy. On this page: Why you should use it What it involves What you will get out of it Ideal circumtances for use Limitations References, guides and key readings...

Futures thinking is also known as foresight, strategic foresight and futures studies. On this page: About futures thinking Futures thinking and the policy process Why you should use it What it involves What you'll get out of it Ideal...