Statement of forecast financial performance indicators

for the year ending 30 June 2006

Within this section:

• Summary of Departmental Output Expenses
• Output Expense: Policy Advice and Nominations Service

The Ministry of Women's Affairs has agreed to provide output expenses in 2005/06 which meet the requirements of its Vote Minister in terms of their nature, timeliness, quality and quantity specifications, and cost.

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Summary of Departmental Output Expenses

Departmental output expenses to be delivered by the Ministry of Women's Affairs and their associated revenue, expenses and surplus or deficit, are summarised below:

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Output Expense: Policy Advice and Nominations Service

Description

The Ministry provides policy advice on improving the status of New Zealand women. This includes:

• providing policy solutions on improving the status of women
• developing and maintaining relationships, including Maori women (whānau, hapū, and iwi), and communication strategies
• reporting on New Zealand's compliance with its international obligations in relation to women, in particular under the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women
• recommending suitable women nominees for state sector boards.

The focus of the activities will be on the priorities within the Action Plan for New Zealand Women.

Related ministerial servicing requirements are included within this output expense.

Quantity

• Policy advice outputs will be delivered according to the work agreed with the Minister. Any variations will be agreed between the Minister and the Chief Executive on a quarterly basis.
• The Ministry will report quarterly on achievements against the agreed work programme.
• Ministerial support services will be provided as required:
• up to 150 draft replies to ministerial correspondence
• up to 45 draft responses to Parliamentary questions.

Quality

The Ministry will provide policy advice, communication and nomination services and related ministerial servicing in accordance with the following quality standards.

A comprehensive service will be provided with:

• the capacity to react urgently
• timely and relevant briefings on significant issues
• support for the Minister as required in Cabinet Committees, Select Committees and in the House.

Advice will:

• have a clearly stated purpose
• address the issue
• have explicit assumptions
• have a logical argument, supported by the facts
• identify gender issues, and demonstrate gender-specific analysis
• identify the policy's impact on women and take account of the obligations of the Treaty of Waitangi
• contribute to reducing social inequality between Maori, Pacific peoples and other New Zealanders
• include all relevant information; any data and empirical research will be accurate
• present a range of options and assess the benefits, costs, risks and consequences of each option, and where appropriate, a preferred option
• identify support for, and potential objections to, proposals arising from other departments and other interested parties where appropriate
• raise issues and advise on aspects of policy issues such as problems of implementation, technical feasibility, timing and consistency of policies
• meet Cabinet Office and ministerial requirements; advice will be effectively, concisely and clearly presented in plain English
• present accurate, up-to-date and appropriately presented information, having regard to the audience(s) identified in each case.

Communication functions will ensure:

• information is available as appropriate to individuals and organisations
• feedback is sought from a range of individuals and organisations on the quality of information provided including an assessment of:
  • relevance
  • accuracy
  • accessibility
  • responsiveness
  • adequacy
  • timeliness.

Nominations Service will ensure:

• all nominations are relevant and accurate; all nominations provided are of women who will have the skills, qualifications and experience which match the criteria of the board or committee nominated for and all information supplied will be accurate and current
• feedback is sought on the quality and relevance of the nominations provided by the Ministry.

Ministerial support services will be consistent with the Minister's requirements, up to date, and presented having regard to the audience(s) identified in each case, with:

• 95% of the first drafts of responses to ministerial correspondence acceptable to the Minister
• background material for speech notes provided as required and by the negotiated deadline
• all draft replies to Parliamentary questions consistent with the standards and format required
• compliance with legislative requirements, such as the Official Information Act and the Privacy Act.

Product quality will be supported by a quality management process including:

• use of project management methodology
• external review of scope and methodology for major analytical work
• circulation of drafts for critiquing by other government agencies and other parties as appropriate
• internal peer review and checking procedures
• use of appropriate analytical frameworks, such as a gender analysis framework and a Treaty framework
• the quality of advice provided will be assessed by the Minister in the quarterly review questionnaire, which will be forwarded to the Minister within four weeks of the end of each quarter. On a scale of 1 (does not meet requirements) to 5 (exceeds requirements) the Ministry expects to meet a level of at least 3 (meets requirements) in each of the areas covered by the questionnaire. The Minister's responses will be used to identify any areas for further development or improvement.

Timeliness

• Specified reporting deadlines will be agreed between the Minister and the Chief Executive. Any variances will be agreed and recorded at quarterly intervals.
• Draft responses to ministerial correspondence will be provided within 20 working days of the receipt of the correspondence.
• All inquiries will be processed within one calendar month of receipt by the Ministry and all responses will be consistent with the standard procedures for this service.
• All publications will be published according to the Ministry's publications guidelines and published within six weeks of receipt of a management - approved final text.
• Nominations will meet the deadlines of the originating agency or the Minister.

Cost

Outputs will be provided within the appropriated sum of $4,115,000, funded by $4,056,000 from the Crown and $59,000 from other departments.

Notes

1 Action Plan for New Zealand Women, Ministry of Women's Affairs, 2004.

2 Household Labour Force Survey, Dec 2004 quarter Commentary.

3 Household Labour Force Survey, Dec 2004 quarter Table 10.

4. Household Labour Force Survey, June 2003 quarter.

5Around the Clock: Findings from the New Zealand Time Use Survey 1998-1999, Statistics NZ, 2001.

6The Future of Work within Households: Understanding Household-level Changes in the Distribution of Hours of Paid Work, Paul Callister, 2004.

7Childcare, Families and Work. The New Zealand Childcare Survey 1998: A Survey of Early Childhood Education and Care Arrangements. for Children, Department of Labour and National Advisory Council on the Employment of Women,1999.

8New Zealand National Survey of Crime Victims 2001, Ministry of Justice, 82, 83, 94.

9New Zealand National Survey of Crime Victims 2001, Ministry of Justice, 82.

10 New Zealand National Survey of Crime Victims 2001, Ministry of Justice, 122.

11 Fanslow, Janet and Robinson, Elizabeth 'Violence against women in New Zealand: prevalence and health consequences' (26 November 2004), The New Zealand Medical Journal, vol 117 no 1206.

12 The Social Report 2004, Ministry of Social Development.

13 The Social Report 2004, Ministry of Social Development.

14 This statement incorporates both Supplementary Estimates Appropriations for 2004/05 and Main Estimates for 2005/06.

15 This statement incorporates both Supplementary Estimates Appropriations for 2004/05 and Main Estimates for 2005/06.

16 This statement incorporates both Supplementary Estimates Appropriations for 2004/05 and Main Estimates for 2005/06.

17 This statement incorporates both Supplementary Estimates Appropriations for 2005/06 and Main Estimates for 2005/06.

18 Current assets minus current liabilities.

19 Current assets as a proportion of current liabilities.

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