Appropriation - Policy Advice and Ministerial Services (Multi Class Output Appropriation)
Appropriation - Policy Advice
This output class is limited to the provision of advice (including second opinion advice and contributions to policy advice led by other agencies) to support decision-making by Ministers on government policy matters
What we do
Providing advice (including second opinion advice and contributions to policy advice led by other agencies) to support decision-making by Ministers on government policy matters.
Operating context
Policy advice was provided across a number of issues including:
- Sentencing (Electronic Monitoring of Offenders) Legislation Bill
- Drug and Alcohol Testing of Community-based Offenders and Bailees Legislation Bill
- Amendments to governing legislation
- Child protection offender register
- Ensuring that offenders deported from other countries are managed appropriately.
How we performed
Previous Years | Current Year | Next Year | |||||
Performance Measures | 2011/12 Actual standard | 2012/13 Actual standard | 2013/14 Actual standard | 2014/15 Actual standard | 2014/15 Budget standard | 2014/15 Variance | 2015/16 Budget standard |
Policy Advice and Ministerial Services | |||||||
The office of the Minister of Corrections is satisfied with the level of quality of advice, and of draft ministerial correspondence, provided by the department (determined by an Annual Survey of Satisfaction) | – | – | New for 2014/15 | 91% | ≥84% | 7% | ≥84% |
Quality | |||||||
The technical quality of the department’s policy advice will be externally assessed from a representative sample by a third party assessor (measured through an annual review)14 | – | New for 2013/14 | 75% | 75% | ≥70% | 5% | ≥70% |
The office of the Minister of Corrections is satisfied with the quality of policy advice provided, including quality of the written material and quality of the advice provided (measured through an annual survey)15 | – | New for 2013/14 | 100% | 83% | ≥78% | 5% | ≥78% |
Cost | |||||||
Total cost per output hours of professional staff time devoted to policy advice and other policy functions16 | – | New for 2013/14 | $98 | $92 | ≤$126 | $34 | ≤$105 |
14. This indicator provides a standardised score for the policy technical quality reviews undertaken by the third party assessor, in this case, the New Zealand Institute of Economic Research.
15. This indicator is a quantitative representation of the Minister of Corrections’ satisfaction with the policy advice provided by the department against the following standards: completeness/alignment, timeliness, robustness, value for money, likelihood to recommend, overall satisfaction and possible improvements in the delivery of policy advice.
16. This indicator provides the total costs of an hour of professional staff time devoted to both policy advice and other policy unit outputs. Total cost includes labour, overhead, support staff, direct costs, and outsourced work to support output production.
Corrections met all the performance standards for this output with the quality of advice and ministerial satisfaction above the performance standard.
How much did it cost?
2013/14 | 2014/15 | 2015/16 | |||
Actual $000 | Actual $000 | Budget (unaudited) $000 | Supplementary estimates (unaudited) $000 | Forecast* (unaudited) $000 | |
Revenue | |||||
Crown | 4,216 | 3,836 | 4,135 | 3,836 | 3,331 |
Departmental | – | – | – | – | – |
Other | – | – | – | – | – |
Total revenue | 4,216 | 3,836 | 4,135 | 3,836 | 3,331 |
Total expenses | 3,071 | 3,332 | 4,135 | 3,836 | 3,331 |
Net surplus/(deficit) | 1,145 | 504 | – | – | – |
* Forecast financial statements have been prepared using Budget Economic Fiscal Update (BEFU) 2015
The total expense for this appropriation was $3.3 million. Expenses within this output class are primarily staff related costs incurred in providing policy advice.
Refer to the chart below for the composition of total expenditure by major category.
Appropriation Ministerial Services
This output is limited to the provision of responses to ministerial correspondence and parliamentary questions.
What we do
Providing responses to ministerial correspondence and parliamentary questions.
Operating Content
Corrections ensures that timely, accurate and relevant responses are provided to ministerial correspondence, parliamentary questions and requests for information made under the Official Information Act.
How we performed
Previous Years | Current Year | Next Year | |||||
Performance Measures | 2011/12 Actual standard | 2012/13 Actual standard | 2013/14 Actual standard | 2014/15 Actual standard | 2014/15 Budget standard | 2014/15 Variance | 2015/16 Budget standard |
Quality | |||||||
The percentage of ministerial draft correspondence that is signed without changes | 97% | 96% | 96% | 98% | ≥90% | 8% | ≥90% |
Timeliness | |||||||
The percentage of all responses to parliamentary questions that are completed within five working days | 100% | 100% | 99% | 98% | ≥98% | – | ≥98% |
The percentage of responses to ministerial draft correspondence that are completed within 20 working days | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | ≥98% | 2% | ≥98% |
The number of ministerial drafts increased for this financial year with 167 drafted (2013/14: 129). Of these 98% were completed without changes and all within the timeframe of 20 working days.
The number of parliamentary questions decreased to 259 (2013/14: 346) with 98% of the answers provided within the target of five working days.
How much did it cost?
2013/14 | 2014/15 | 2015/16 | |||
Actual $000 | Actual $000 | Budget (unaudited) $000 | Supplementary estimates (unaudited) $000 | Forecast* (unaudited) $000 | |
Revenue | |||||
Crown | 1,486 | 976 | 1,474 | 976 | 1,040 |
Departmental | – | – | – | – | – |
Other | – | – | – | – | – |
Total revenue | 1,486 | 976 | 1,474 | 976 | 1,040 |
Total expenses | 1,335 | 1,008 | 1,474 | 976 | 1,040 |
Net (deficit)/surplus | 151 | (32) | – | – | – |
* Forecast financial statements have been prepared using Budget Economic Fiscal Update (BEFU) 2015
The total expense for this appropriation was $1 million. Expenses within this output class are primarily staff related costs incurred in providing responses to ministerial and parliamentary questions.
Ministerial Services is part of a multi-class output expense appropriation whereby a single appropriation covers more than one output class. As such, Corrections is permitted to reallocate resources between output classes within a multi-class appropriation without seeking further parliamentary approval. Despite this appropriation incurring a net deficit for the year, the multi-class appropriation was within approved levels.
Refer to the chart below for the composition of total expenditure by major category.
