Introduction

Satisfaction with public services in New Zealand is equal with Canada.
Canadians are among the world leaders in providing citizen-centred public services and have been carrying out public service satisfaction surveys since 1998. The Kiwis Count survey uses the same methodology as the Canadian surveys, allowing us to make direct comparisons. The results show that satisfaction with New Zealand public services is 68%, equal with Canada's score in their most recent survey.

We already know what's most important to New Zealanders, now we know how public services are performing in these areas.
The 'Drivers Survey', published in July 2007, identified the six main factors, or drivers, that have the greatest impact on satisfaction with services, for example 'you were treated fairly'. The Kiwis Count survey tells us how services are performing against these drivers, which means that service improvements can be targeted where they are most likely to increase satisfaction.

Ensuring services meet the expectations of New Zealanders is the most effective way of improving satisfaction overall.
'The service experience met your expectations' is the most important driver of satisfaction for New Zealanders. Therefore, improving performance against this driver is likely to have the greatest impact on satisfaction.

Public services perform well on having competent staff, treating New Zealanders fairly and keeping promises, but less well on providing good value for tax dollars spent.
Three-quarters of New Zealanders agreed that on their most recent service experience, staff were competent, but only just over half agreed that their most recent service experience was an example of good value for tax dollars spent.

There is no significant difference between Māori views on public services and the views of New Zealanders as a whole.

The telephone is the second most common way of contacting public services, but this method of contact has the lowest satisfaction levels.
60% of New Zealanders are satisfied with calling public services on the telephone, compared with 75% satisfaction with visiting an office or service location.

New Zealanders' experiences of public services tend to be more positive than their perceptions.
New Zealanders generally rate their most recent service experience more highly than their experiences of public services overall. They also rate their experiences of public services more highly than similar private sector services, even though they do not think that the public sector as a whole performs better than the private sector. And New Zealanders trust individual public servants and services more highly than public services overall.

The Kiwis Count survey provides us with a valuable opportunity to improve services and we need to act on the results.
SSC has developed a Common Measurements Tool, which provides a set of common questions for agencies to use for their own satisfaction surveys, consistent with the approach used for the Kiwis Count survey. SSC wants agencies to use this. Agencies also need to engage with their own staff and staff in other agencies to identify ways of improving services, including setting up Communities of Practice to share expertise and information on what works.