Not given to mincing words

By Selwyn Parker


State Services Commissioner Michael Wintringham is not one for platitudes. Here is a sample of his comments:

* On the importance of public servants remembering the big picture: "We get so carried away by the processes of good government that we are in danger of forgetting the object of good government and the activities of the state, namely to make life better for all citizens."

* On the dangers of the "managerial" approach: "[It] drives us to look at the world from a particular perspective - first comes the minister, then the organisation, and finally the people."

* On the limitations of the requirement on ministers to state their goals in the Public Finance Act: "For the most part, they are vague. There is no formal requirement to report or explain progress in achieving the outcomes ... [They do not] encourage planning and prioritising by government as a whole, nor the development of integrated policy responses to many-faceted problems."

* On the dangers of turf-consciousness: "The state sector needs a workable way of dealing with issues and objectives that span agencies and ministers."

* On the effect of constant restructuring: "Loss of productivity from low staff morale, poorly integrated information systems, distractions from the day-to-day management of the organisation."


* Selwyn Parker is at wordz@xtra.co.nz