Last week, I had the privilege of attending the Hutt Valley Sports Awards — a celebration of excellence, grit, and years of commitment by some of our finest local athletes. As I watched them take the stage, one thought stuck with me: we’d never expect high performance sports people to succeed without expert coaching and hours of deliberate practice. So why do we expect it of our public service?

In sport, exceptional performance is never left to chance. It’s built — methodically, intentionally, and over time. Yet in government, when budgets tighten and delivery pressure ramps up, training and development are too often the first things to go.
The irony? That’s exactly when our people need it most.

Imagine if we approached capability in the public sector like an elite training programme. What could our policy outcomes look like if building capability wasn’t viewed as optional — but as essential to delivering for New Zealanders?

When we expect gold-medal performance but cut the training, we’re asking our teams to compete without even warming up.

So, here’s a question: How does your agency protect professional development when the pressure is on?

Let’s start a conversation.

~Emily Mason, Managing Director, FrankGroup