MAF Outcomes
The strategic priorities represent an important focus of MAF's efforts over the next three years, but all of MAF's work ultimately contributes to its longer-term outcomes. "Business as usual" work is reflected in MAF's intermediate outcomes.
This section describes the nature and impact of MAF's diverse activities, how this work contributes to the outcomes, the performance measures used to assess this contribution, MAF's collaboration partners, and how MAF currently assesses the cost effectiveness of its interventions.
Improving MAF's ability to manage for Outcomes
Over the past three to four years there has been significant change in MAF. Some of that change was externally driven − the establishment of NZFSA and MAF's leadership of biosecurity − and a great deal was initiated internally. However, MAF still has more work to do to become the strategy-led organisation capable of really making a positive difference for New Zealand.
This year's SOI represents a new phase in MAF's strategic leadership work and its managing for outcomes programme. In terms of managing for outcomes, this means a significant work programme for the next year, involving:
- Modifying work programmes to meet new circumstances and align with MAF's three strategic priorities.
- Identifying the key performance drivers and developing appropriate performance measures.
- Ensuring clear and effective links between MAF outputs and the Government's outcome expectations.
- Prioritising investments to optimise the outcome benefits.
- Further enhancing organisational capability to better deliver on stakeholder expectations.
The strategic priorities and medium term organisational development strategy and their associated work programmes are detailed in this SOI.
The other significant work programme, from a managing for outcomes perspective, is the development of a whole-of-MAF performance monitoring system. At the highest level MAF uses state indicators3 and impact measures4 to inform its performance against the four key outcomes and ensure it is aligned with the Government's priorities. At the intermediate outcome level it is important that business groups are working efficiently and contributing towards MAF outcomes; measuring this contribution will enable the prioritisation of investments and provide information on how MAF can maximise future organisational capability. Work is currently underway to identify the links between the intermediate outcomes and the outputs for each of the three votes administered by MAF. This work will be complemented by the development of a system for assessing the cost-effectiveness of MAF's interventions.
3 Describes the things that MAF wants to change.
4 Quantifies how MAF itself has made a difference.
Contact for Enquiries
Strategy and Performance Group
Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry
Pastoral House
25 The Terrace
PO Box 2526, Wellington
Tel: +64 4 894 0100
Fax: +64 4 894 0738
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