Case Studies By Service Area
Organisational Strategy, Design & Change
Outcomes framework for Pacific peoples in NZ
The scope
In late 2008, we were asked by the Ministry of Pacific Island Affairs to assist them to develop a comprehensive outcomes framework in relation to the wellbeing of Pacific peoples in New Zealand. The Ministry was seeking to add more value to cross-government activities though playing a critical linking and strategic role across this range of issues. This meant ensuring that strategy and policy in key areas could be seen in the context of a broad framework that spans individual areas of focus, so that a holistic view could be taken on points of influence and actions that will make a difference.
The framework was intended to serve three objectives:
- enabling better strategy and policy
- enabling more focused monitoring and reporting of progress on key outcomes
- influencing and communicating with government and community stakeholders.
Our Involvement
The framework was developed in a collaborative process led by MartinJenkins Senior Consultant, Richard Tait, with a team of advisors from the Ministry, and input from the Institute of Policy Studies. Richard ran a series of workshops to identify key outcomes and indicators, and the connections between them. Outcomes and indicators in specific areas were also informed by discussions with individuals from key agencies.
The Outcome
The draft framework and process for developing it have been well supported by the Ministry. The process of developing the draft framework led the Ministry to critically examine and challenge its views on the most important areas for strategy and policy to improve the wellbeing of Pacific people. The framework has also created a platform for future conversations and ongoing learning across government about the different points in the system where government and communities can usefully intervene to improve outcomes. Finally, it will provide a better platform for departmental contributions to Pacific outcomes to be reported, assessed and influenced.
The MartinJenkins Difference
Developing a useful outcomes framework that spans a broad range of social and economic dimensions is challenging. The risk is that it becomes too complex to be communicated effectively, or too simple to be useful. This project required an ability to guide a team of people through a process to distill the factors that matter out of a complex set of variables, and explain in relatively simple terms the relationships between these factors. Expertise in systems thinking techniques enabled us to guide the team through this process, in a way that created a strong shared view of the important outcomes and the best points of influence across the system.
