A fair chance for all: Breaking the cycle of persistent disadvantage - Productivity Commission inquiry material 2021 - 2023

The Productivity Commission was asked to look at the persistence of disadvantage, influenced by the quality of economic inclusion and social mobility.

The Productivity Commission examined their influence on individuals, different population groups and wider society, and the link to productivity and economic performance to:  

• generate new insights about the dynamics and drivers of persistent disadvantage, and the incidence/impacts across different population groups, including social and economic factors; and  
• develop recommendations for actions and system changes to break or mitigate the cycle of disadvantage (both within a person’s lifetime and intergenerationally).

From the Productivity Commission’s unique and specialist perspective it examined why 697,000 New Zealanders experience persistent disadvantage.

The Productivity Commission considered that people who are experiencing persistent disadvantage need to be empowered to influence the decisions that affect their lives. Through more effective support in their communities from people they trust and can hold accountable, and through long-term decisions and actions addressing the underlying causes, persistent disadvantage in Aotearoa New Zealand will steadily reduce over time.

The Productivity Commission’s final report contained 20 findings and 20 recommendations.

The Productivity Commission's pathway forward#

The road map summarises the Productivity Commission’s headline recommendations and its suggested order of priority. These recommendations were intended as a package - interlocking and reinforcing of each other. Its suggested phasing of action is: ‘start now’ (for urgent action), ‘do next’ (a second tranche of actions) and ‘keep moving forward’ (to maintain current progress).

Implementation road map details the system shifts the Commission has recommended with a suggested phasing of action