Hard Truths
Getting a better handle on ‘what works’ in government
The New Zealand state spends around $150bn a year – but too often, we know too little about what that funding actually achieves.
Evaluating public programmes, and making changes based on those assessments, should be one of the key ways we reduce waste, ensure taxpayers’ money is spent well and bolster trust in government. As public frustration with state non-delivery grows, and trust declines, this question of ‘what works’ has taken on ever-greater urgency.
Yet too often, evaluation doesn’t happen, leaving the public in the dark as to whether state schemes are performing well or not. So how can we make sure more initiatives get evaluated?
Hard Truths, an IDEA report by Alex Barker and Max Rashbrooke, calls for a step-change in evaluation efforts right across the public service. The report argues New Zealand should emulate the recently created Australian Centre for Evaluation, creating a local equivalent that can lift efforts throughout the public sector.
In addition, the report recommends that we make evaluation mandatory for some initiatives, such as those that go to Cabinet for approval. And over time, government agencies’ track record of evaluating their schemes should count for or against them next time they go to the Treasury for funds.
If implemented, these proposals could help us get a better handle on what is (and isn’t) a good use of our taxpayer dollars, helping us cut waste and giving New Zealanders greater confidence that their government is working as it should.
