Andrew Kibblewhite

New Zealand’s top public servant Andrew Kibblewhite and four other departmental heads are being replaced. But in a move that would seem strange in Australia, Kibblewhite will stick around.

To produce good policy public servants should engage diverse communities and ensure decision makers have enough time to examine the data, urges NZ’s specialist policy evidence unit.

Instead of thinking that any one new method of policymaking will be the silver bullet, the public service needs to build a more sophisticated toolkit and a multi-disciplinary approach to policy challenges, says NZ’s top mandarin. Andrew Kibblewhite explores four capabilities and how they fit into people-centred policy.

How do you resist attempts to pre-determine advice by the ministerial office? Top mandarin Andrew Kibblewhite has some advice for public servants facing political interference or an inaccessible minister.

SPEECH: There a few ‘F words’ to consider when providing “free and frank” advice, says Andrew Kibblewhite, the head of New Zealand DPMC. Advise without fear or favour — but don’t be foolish. Facts, focused, future and … fallible?

Freedom of information rules allowing advice to ministers to be made public undermines the ability to be “free and frank”, says the head of the NZ public service. The Peter Shergold report has made an impact across the Tasman.