PIF Fact Sheet 2: Introducing the Performance Improvement Framework Review, Follow-up Review and Self-review

A PIF Review is conducted by independent Lead Reviewers.  It reviews an agency's capability, performance and ability to deliver on government priorities, its core business and a range of organisational management elements.  Using the Agency Model, the Review assesses what an agency does well and what issues it needs to work on to be more effective in the future.  The agency develops a response to address any matters raised and to indicate what it will do to face the challenges of the future.

What is a Follow-up Review?

This is a recent innovation.  It occurs 12-18 months after a PIF Review. Conducted by the Lead Reviewers, it is largely led by the chief executive and the senior leaders in the agency. While it does not have ratings, it is published. It is designed to ensure each agency has an opportunity to take stock, ensure it is realising the benefits of the most recent PIF Review and is still well placed to deal with the future challenges. Finally, it provides Ministers and the public with assurance that the agency is continuously seeking to improve and is transparent about that journey.  The first Follow-up Review was published in June 2012. See www.ssc.govt.nz/pif for a link to Follow-up Reviews.

What is a Self-review?

Agencies use the Agency Model as a self-review tool to measure and improve their own performances.  A Self-review is mandatory if an agency wants a PIF Review conducted.  Many agencies in the wider public sector will not be eligible for a PIF Review.  Thus specific Self-review guidance and workbooks have been developed for those agencies. See www.ssc.govt.nz/pif to download these documents. To register for the next Self-review workshop email the PIF team: performance.improvement.framework@ssc.govt.nz.

Why was the Performance Improvement Framework introduced?

When Iain Rennie became the State Services Commissioner he was concerned that the public service was not perceived as taking ownership of its own performance improvement.  He noted there were plenty of reports from external agencies and lobby groups, which were often critical of the public service.  He felt many of them did not recognise the real strength of the public service and equally he wanted to move the culture of the public service towards continuous improvement and innovation.

What are the origins of the Performance Improvement Framework?

In 2009, Iain Rennie and the then Chief Executive of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, now Sir Maarten Wevers, travelled to the United Kingdom to meet with the Cabinet Secretary of the British Civil Service. The origins of the Performance Improvement Framework (PIF) are in those discussions with the then Cabinet Secretary, and now Right Honourable, Lord Gus O'Donnell.  On their return to New Zealand, Iain and Sir Maarten commissioned a team from across the State Services to take the best of the United Kingdom's Capability Review Programme and the best of the organisational improvement models from the New Zealand private sector, as well as methodologies from other jurisdictions, and adapt them to the New Zealand public management system. 

What findings are emerging?

We do a number of things really well. We are responsive to Ministers.  We are good at delivering against government priorities.  We work well with a number of external stakeholders and we are good around the probity of our financial management system.  These are all good characteristics of the New Zealand public management system. 

Where do we need to do better? 

So far the Reviews have a very common theme.  They show the need for us as a system, ie, the wider State Services, to get better at working together.  We also need to take a longer-term view to what we do; this means anticipating the issues that the State Services need to deliver on for New Zealanders in the future.  For some agencies, it is clear they can do better at managing and developing their people. 

What are the benefits of PIF Reviews to central agencies?

The central agencies get a good picture of what is good about the New Zealand public management system and what needs to improve.  Central agency officials would frequently get asked 'who is good at financial management?' or 'who is good at setting strategy?' Up until now there has been no way they could point to the areas of demonstrable and evidential strength. Now they can. Before PIF everyone had their own anecdotes about what needed to be done better. For central agency officials PIF gives a system-wide diagnosis about what is good and where the system can improve. 

What is the benefit for Ministers?

Ministers get assurance that the agencies they are responsible for are constantly looking for ways to improve how they do business and deliver value for the taxpayers' investment in them.  Ministers also get independent assurance, as the PIF Reviews are undertaken by external expert parties. 

What about the public?

The public is able to see that the State Services are 'on the move' and are serious about the services it delivers and how these are delivered.  The public can see that the State Services are continuously seeking to improve and are transparent about that journey. 

What do you see as the future direction?

PIF will continuously be reviewed.  Every time we do a Meview we learn something and we seek to build that into our own continuous improvement process.  With the advent, for example, of the Better Public Services programme, we are seeking to shift the bar in respect of standards of performance. From our point of view, Better Public Services and PIF examine the same drivers.  Where PIF is all about jobs we do, and improving the workplaces for public servants so they can do their jobs better, Better Public Services is also about improving what we do on behalf of, and for, New Zealanders. 

Performance Improvement Framework: Continuous improvement

The PIF already has a number of dimensions to it. Agencies conduct Self-reviews where they rate themselves against the Agency model. For many this is a precursor to a PIF Review. An agency that is formally reviewed will also undertake a Follow-up Review, usually 12-18 months later, which reviews the progress the agency has made since the PIF Review.

In addition, ten PIF Elements will be upgraded between now and the end of March 2013. As part of this guidance release three PIF Elements are upgraded. Those elements are Asset Management and Financial Management, as well as Efficiency.

Successful agencies need their finance functions to look beyond the traditional core functions to use their financial acumen and insight to drive new value and higher levels of business transformation and performance.  A close reading of the current upgrades place more weighting on the use of financial management information and advice for operational and strategic purposes and on the proactive role the finance function needs to play in decisions around creating value for money and leading strategic financial management disciplines in the agency. 

Performance Improvement Framework: Crown entities

We have already started rolling out PIF to the Crown entity sector. Both the New Zealand Transport Agency and New Zealand Trade and Enterprise have been reviewed.  Over the next two or three years, as we complete reviews for the core public service, we are increasingly wanting to focus on the wider Crown entity sector.