In the context of austerity, public services in England have been focused on short-term crises rather than long-term solutions. This report argues that pooling central government funding in local…

New Zealand’s system of social supports does not meet the needs of some people, and significantly fails a small group of people. More resources are not enough to address this failure. Instead,…

This 2014 research report came out of the Families 100 project, which involved extensive research with 100 families experiencing poverty in Auckland. The report uses ‘composite characters’ to…

This 2014 research report came out of the Families 100 project, which looked into the lives of 100 families who use foodbanks, to understand what prevents them from moving out of poverty. Eight key…

Understanding what works for whom at what cost starts with asking the right questions. Questions should be framed to help a policy professional: • understand the population who will be the target of…

This policy sets out what is required for officers at Invercargill City Council to manage risk, but is helpful to any local government officer or policy professional seeking to understand risk. It is…

This guidance is aimed at any local government officer involved in the report writing process: writers, reviewers, managers and governance professionals. It supports officers to provide robust,…

Risk is a long-standing consideration for policy professionals, behavioural economists, and others. It can also be thought about as a dimension of wellbeing, with different people having different…

Providing free and frank advice is integral to the development and delivery of policy stewardship, good policy decisions, and to the legitimacy and performance of a politically neutral public…

New Zealand’s 1991 Building Act created a new regulatory environment, but led to the leaky building crisis. In light of the crisis, Peter Mumford asks whether New Zealand’s regulatory environment…