Our strategic outcomes focus on the core areas where we can directly influence living standards – the economy, public finances, and public sector performance.
These outcomes are inter-connected: a high performing public sector is critical to achieving outcomes in both economic and fiscal areas. Delivering fiscal priorities and reforms can also have significant impacts on public sector performance. Through our economic and financial roles, we provide advice on issues with significant impacts on the economy and living standards, as well as on fiscal management, public sector spend, long-term trends, financial management, and probity issues.
One of our three strategic outcomes is: A high-performing public service.
We have a core role in supporting the Government to drive the performance of public sector agencies and Crown entities. Areas that we can influence to achieve this outcome include:
- implementing system-level changes that will drive better public sector performance, including strengthening institutional settings
- monitoring and reporting that will drive better public sector performance to ensure the delivery of value for money, and
- supporting the development of public sector capability, frameworks, and guidance for better delivery of the Government’s strategic priorities.
The quality of expenditure, regulation and other interventions by public sector agencies has a significant impact on the living standards of New Zealanders. It affects both directly and indirectly New Zealand's stocks of financial and physical capital, human capital, social capital, and natural capital. Given the significant impact it has, the public sector needs to do the right things in the right ways at the right time and they must be affordable.
Our role
The Treasury has an important role to play in providing advice to the Government on economic and fiscal conditions and strategy, and the economic and financial implications of proposed and existing government interventions. It also has a role to play in supporting agencies to build their financial capability to better deliver results now and in the future.
The Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, the Public Service Commission, the Treasury, the Ministry for Regulation, and the Social Investment Agency are the five central agencies responsible for coordinating and managing public service performance.
As a central agency, the Treasury (along with the other central agencies) assists the Government to improve the performance of the system.
To find out more about the Treasury's objectives and priorities concerning improved public sector performance, please refer to our latest:
- Strategic intentions (formerly a Statement of Intent)
How are we doing?
For an overview of recent work done by the Treasury relating to public sector performance, see the relevant outcome performance section of our latest:
Research and commentary publications
Treasury Working Papers and Analytical Papers are commissioned as part of our core function in developing and providing advice to the Minister of Finance. Papers relating to the public sector can be found through the Public Sector subject link in the Publications Index.
Speeches
Treasury's senior management, including the chief executive, regularly attend speaking engagements where they present on topics related to the Treasury's work programme, including improved public sector performance. Notes from these engagements can be found at Speeches in the Publications section of this website.