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The Natural Resources Sector

Purpose, functions, design and operation of the sector network

The primary purpose of the sector network is to ensure that, across government agencies, a strategic, integrated and aligned approach is taken to natural resources development and management.

This requires a collective and “whole of system” thinking.  The sector network will provide high quality advice to government and effective implementation and execution of major government policies. This will be achieved through coordination and integration across agencies, management of key relationships, and alignment of the policies and practices of individual agencies.

For these purposes, the term natural resources will encompass a broad view of the state of the environment that includes:

  • all natural and physical resources
  • ecosystems and their constituent parts, including people and communities
  • economic, social and cultural needs and values affecting natural resources and ecosystems.

In giving effect to its purpose, the sector network will focus on issues that affect more than one sector and agency.  These issues are characterised by the following perspectives and focus.

Timeframes

The sector network brings a long term perspective to issues.

This recognises the different timeframes (often many decades) that may be required to significantly influence the quality and supply of natural resources or mitigate the pressures on the use of natural resources, and the nature and degree of adjustments that might be required by different sectors and communities.

The sector network also recognises that sometimes immediate action is required.

System perspectives

The dynamics and the quality of decision making in the broader system will determine how well New Zealand achieves desired outcomes.

Strategy formation and the leadership of the network require a collective perspective across a number of government agencies.  The sector network, however, also recognises individual perspectives and will not operate on a simple “majority rules” basis.

Systems thinking and approaches are required for the ongoing development of the different capabilities and relationships needed by regional and local government, iwi, non government agencies and others who comprise the broader natural resource management system.

Integrated and aligned approaches

The sector network is developing integrated and aligned ways of working across agencies that include:

  • clearly articulated shared goals and outcomes
  • recognition of the different contributions required to achieve the shared goals and outcomes
  • embedding into the work of individual agencies the shared goals and outcomes and the strategies for achieving them
  • commitment to achieving natural resource outcomes in ways that support strong social, economic and cultural development to the greatest extent possible consistent with sustainable natural resource management
  • adopting “no future regrets” approaches that minimise potential long term losses of environmental and natural resource quality
  • an effective point of connection with other related networks, especially for economic growth.

Functions and tasks

In pursuing a strategic approach, the core functions of the sector network will include the following.

Strategic oversight and collective leadership

The work and priorities of the sector network will drive off the evidence base and understanding of trends relating to the supply of, demand for, and quality of, natural resources. It will be informed by assessment and analysis of the long run implications of these trends. It will require regular scanning and review of such trends.

Specifically the sector network can be expected to provide the following.

  • Identify and assess key issues, needs and pressures – especially at the intersections between natural resource management and economic, social and cultural needs and outcomes.
  • Develop and maintain a high quality, collective, comprehensive and integrated evidence base of environmental indicators, related research, and evaluations and analysis of trends. This evidence base will inform the identification of key natural resource issues and related pressures that could have major impacts on natural resource systems and/or major consequences on economic, social and cultural needs and outcomes.
  • Meet the individual and collective needs of ministers.
  • Prepare periodic projections of natural resource trends and indicators of future states, or aspects, of the environment to enable early identification of emerging issues and inform policy priorities and policy design.
  • Make (through the Governance Group) key judgements:
    • relating to potential intersections between economic, social and cultural needs and values and natural resource issues and related trade-offs
    • in relation to relative priorities, the sequencing of policies and the speed of policy change
    • about desired outcomes, indicators and targets.

Set clear priorities

The sector network develops and works to a clear set of agreed priorities. To do this effectively the sector network is able to:

  • assess and advise on relevant long term priorities
  • decide on how cross sector and system resources and capacity could/should be effectively and efficiently marshalled and/or capabilities built to deliver on an overall programme of work
  • decide on and acquire resourcing, capability and budgets for programmes and projects.
  • commission particular programmes and projects to meet identified outcomes, indicators and targets and/or to further develop outcomes, indicators and targets

Ensuring that programmes of work are clearly defined

Each strategic priority area should have an overall and coherent programme of work associated with it.

Each programme of work should contain clear and differentiated work streams each with clear leadership, clearly articulated priorities/tasks and clear deliverables. 

Specific oversight of each programme of work should be expected and would be “mandated” by the sector network governance group. Such oversight is likely to involve a mix of the following:

  • specific governance – as is the case with climate change
  • dedicated programme management capability that monitors the progress being made across all work streams relative to expectations
  • clearly mandated leadership of each work stream
  • explicit, and in some cases formal, commitments from individual agencies to supporting/leading a specific programme of work or a work stream within the programme.

Each priority area should provide regular reports to the Sector Governance Group. This reporting should identify emerging issues or risks.

Ensure effective monitoring and evaluation

The sector network must monitor and assess its effectiveness in meeting its objectives. To do this it needs to be able to:

  • maintain regular oversight of the priority programmes of work; how they are progressing and what risks to quality or delivery might need more active management
  • monitor its delivery against commitments
  • identify risk, and put in place risk management measures
  • build effective ways of assuring quality in its processes
  • evaluate the effectiveness of specific and overall programmes of work
  • effectively manage complex programmes of work
  • access and assess new intelligence1
  • ensure relevant learning is fed back into the network and into departments.

Ensuring an effective and efficient sector network operation

The success of the sector network will depend on the quality of its processes and decision making. Success will require:

  • sector governance and institutional arrangements for Chief Executives and Deputies that support the achievement of the Natural Resources Network’s purpose and goals
  • a Sector Support Unit that supports the efficient operation of the network
  • processes that facilitate efficient working across agencies
  • ensuring the network is supported by good infrastructure, good processes, efficient administration, good communication and the development of specific capabilities
  • perspectives that centre on collective and system goals – rather than agency specific goals
  • values that emphasise collaborative effort and respect for different perspectives and experiences
  • effective planning, reporting, monitoring and independent quality assurance.

1. Such intelligence could relate to regular identification and assessment of significant linkages across programmes of work or whether any external developments are potentially of importance to the network.

 

Last updated: 15 October 2009