State Services Commission Crown Copyright 2006 Im from the Government. Trust me! Beith Atkinson...

State Services Commission Crown Copyright 2006

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“I’m from the Government. Trust me!”

Beith Atkinson

State Services Commission


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“…and trust of course is the one thing that cannot be built in a one-off spate of advertising. Trust is built over a long term on the basis, not of communication, but of action. And then again, trust, once established, can be lost in an instant – one ill-judged remark and it’s gone forever”

Neil Fitzgerald, former Unilever Chairman


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• Insert Video on Trust Goal


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The Trusted State Services Development Goal

Strengthen trust in the State Services and reinforce the spirit of service

• 2007: Agencies demonstrate their commitment to earning trust by working with the State Services Commissioner to develop and promote codes of conduct

• 2010: Measurable improvement in New Zealanders’ trust in the agencies of the State Services


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Why go down this road?

• Academics write about declining trust worldwide

• Lowest trust levels since 9/11• “Trust in governments, and values-driven

organisations like UN and NGOs is falling almost as quickly as large companies” (Davos WEForum 2005)

• “Trust is the necessary glue of any properly functioning society” (Fukuyama)

• Trust is a permanent concern. Governments need to be proactive…” (OECD)


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Declining trust is nothing new

• Trust in US government to “do the right thing”: 1964 – 75%

1995 – 15%• Trust fell despite improvements in

performance on 72 indicators; quality of life, affordability of housing, tripling of GDP, pollution control etc

• Similar pattern in Japan and elsewhere• OECD challenges this popular wisdom –

eg little decline detectable in much of Western Europe


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Barnes and Gill study in NZ• Barnes and Gill replicated the US study as far as

possible• Declining confidence reflected in New Zealand World

Values Study despite similar findings of improvements in lifestyle etc

0%

25%

50%

75%

Government PublicService

Courts

1985 1998

“A great deal” or “quite a lot” of confidence


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Confidence in public administration

1998-1999 World Values Study, OECD countries, % showing “a great deal” or “quite a lot” of confidence in the Public Service


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So what then happened?

• Review of the Centre 2001

• State Sector Standards Board– Statement of Government

Expectations of the State Sector 2001

• Crown Entities Act 2004– Board member duties

• State Sector Amendment Act 2004– SSC integrity mandate


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But things aren’t all bad

1998(85 countries)

2004(145 countries)

2005(158 countries)

NZ 9.4 (4th) 9.6 (2nd=) 9.6 (2nd=)

Iceland 9.3 (5th) 9.5 (3rd) 9.7(1st)

Australia 8.7 (11th) 8.8 (9th) 8.8 (9th)

USA 7.5 (17th) 7.5 (17th) 7.6 (17th)

BangladeshNot Measured

1.5 (145th =) 1.5 (158th =)

Degree of corruption as seen by business people and country analysts ranging between 10 (highly clean) and 0 (highly corrupt)

Transparency International Corruption Perceptions Index


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Is that enough?• MORI suggests that confidence in

government requires more than honesty and integrity.

• Trust is an outcome of service and the way services are delivered. It is influenced by– Keeping promises– Learning from mistakes– What families and friends say about the

service– Staff treating people well– Being interested in people’s views– Quality managers and leaders


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What did NZers think of public services ?

Comparison with 30 other OECD countries in 1999


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Changing trust in NZ


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Public Influence on NZ Government

0%

25%

50%

75%

100%

Little controlover what

politicians do

Get nowheretalking toofficials

Great influenceon Government

decisions

Governmentresponsive topublic opinion

1998 2005

World Values Study


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Confidence in NZ organisations

World Values Study

0%

25%

50%

75%

100%

Government Public Service CommunityOrganisations

Police

1985 1998 2005

“A great deal” and “quite a lot” of confidence


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Confidence in NZ organisations

World Values Study 2005

“A great deal” or “quite a lot” of confidence

Organisation %

Police 73.9

Community Organisations 73.4

Armed Forces 66.2

United Nations 58.7

Public Service 56.4

Major Companies 54.4

Legal System 53.8

Women’s movement 50.5

Local government 49.6

Government 46.9

Churches 43.3

Green or ecology movement 42.3

Parliament 41.4

Trade unions 37.4

Television 34.9

Press 34.8

Political parties 25.4


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Declining trustWorld Economic Forum

www.weforum.org/trustsurvey

http://www.weforum.org/trustsurvey


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Are NGOs more trustworthy?

• Higher confidence in community organisations than in the Public Service

• But more confidence in the Public Service than the women’s movement, churches, ecology movement etc

• Does confidence reflect proximity? High trust in GPs, schools and small business….

• “Know us to love us”


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If trust is important, what does this mean for

Government?• Greater use of community

organisations to deliver services?

• Greater focus on shaping public services around local delivery?

• Provide for “real” participation in service design?

• Focus on “MORI” principles?


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State Services Commission Crown Copyright 2006 Im from the Government. Trust me! Beith Atkinson...

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