PSSM 2001: Public Service in a Crowded Age
Innovation and stability: meeting the challenge

The world is crowded with information, demands on time and resources, and ideas. For New Zealand to make its way in this world, the Public Service must make a positive contribution and continually seek to improve performance. We are looking to improve performance in a system that must provide stability where necessary and innovative policy and delivery solutions where appropriate. Government and citizens quite rightly expect both.

The conference will challenge managers to find a new and better balance between stability and innovation to help make the most of the opportunities provided by our crowded environment.

Seeing what is working and hearing from our own about how they capitalised on opportunities is a focus of the conference. Some of the most successful Public Service initiatives of recent times have grown from frontline experience and innovation. The programme for the day has been set up to focus on both the theory and the practical implications of the challenge between stability and innovation.

There is a strong regional flavour to the conference, including case studies which highlight successful community-based, cross-sectoral initiatives involving government agencies. The case studies will be presented as short, documentary style video clips and will be followed by on-stage interviews with the leaders of each initiative.

The speakers, the case studies and the panels will all highlight implications for leadership.

New Zealand State Services Commission