The Ministry for the Environment is looking for the country’s best policy practitioners.

The Ministry’s objective is to be government’s primary policy adviser on the environment and economy. The Ministry wants to be respected for the depth, innovation and quality of its policy advice, and be a Ministry which governments and others turn to as their first stop for ways to approach difficult, complex and emerging issues. The Ministry began as a small organisation, with a core focus on developing, implementing and marinating oversight of a resource management framework. In the 2000s, the Ministry focused on direct engagement with stakeholders and ‘fixing problems’. Over the past few years, the policy issues the Ministry has been asked to deliver on has grown in number, priority and complexity, a trend that is set to continue. These changes mean we have had to think about how we deliver and accept some hard decisions about doing things differently. This includes looking at how we deliver our policy advice – the systems and processes, the frameworks we use, our structure and roles, our competencies and people, and our culture. The Ministry needs to take a stronger role in leading and influencing policy thinking and debate on environmental issues. This requires the Ministry to have a strong factual and analytic base so it can be authoritative. To this end, the Ministry has undergone a major revision of its policy function to ensure we can continue to lead policy debate on major government priorities. In the future, the Ministry must be characterised by: 1. A shift toward strategic, complex policy issues. The Ministry is increasingly working on complex policy issues for which there is not just one response. Many of these challenges are completely new, and require a complex, multi-faceted approach. 2. New policy framework A new policy framework will help the Ministry resolve the ore complex policy issues we are grappling with. This will involve tools to help us better define a policy problem and making better use of evidence-based research. 3. More blue skies thinking One of the Ministry’s strengths is our ability to rigorously identify the challenges and strengths of a policy option. However we have less experience and ability identifying solutions for completely new issues. We need to build this capability – and choose when we will express it in a public forum to influence debate. The work of the Ministry has a key role in shaping the way New Zealand manages its natural resources, and their contribution to the country’s economic growth.

To apply or request more information, contact Kirsty Bidwell on 04 915 1472 or email your CV and application form to mfe@thejohnsongroup.co.nz