One of the key functions of the APS is how it interacts with ministers, and the nature and quality of that relationship affects the quality of public administration. This paper explores those interactions, how they have changed over time, and explores a new vision of the APS which is open to the community.

The Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet’s corporate plan outlines the direction for the organisation over the next four years.

Ministers and Parliamentary Secretaries are entrusted with the conduct of public business and must act in a manner that is consistent with the highest standards of integrity and propriety. The public, quite rightly, has high expectations of them, in terms of their personal conduct and decorum.

Presents the initial results of a survey of staff working in Ministerial offices in New Zealand.

The accountability of ministerial staff has re-emerged as an issue during the hearings of the Senate Committee inquiring into "a certain maritime incident". The growth of ministerial staff numbers and the perception that they operate independently of direct ministerial supervision suggests that new accountability mechanisms should be considered, and this report discusses a number of...