Statement of Intent 1 July 2005 - 30 June 2008
Chief Executive's introduction
This is the third Statement of Intent produced by the Ministry of Defence. The statement makes clear that 2005-08 will continue to be an active period for the Ministry.
The roles of the Ministry of Defence, which are founded on section 24 of the Defence Act 1990, are:
- to provide timely, high-quality advice to help the Government make well-informed decisions about the defence of New Zealand and its interests
- to conduct audits and assessments of the New Zealand Defence Force and the Ministry of Defence
- to arrange for the acquisition of significant items of military equipment needed to meet New Zealand Defence Force capability requirements.
These roles are reflected in three output classes, which are described in detail in Part 2 of this Statement of Intent. These are:
- policy advice
- audit and assessment of performance
- management of equipment procurement.
Our high-level and intermediate outcomes are:
- High-level outcome: supporting New Zealand's security objectives and contributing to the security of other countries.
- Intermediate outcomes:
- the Ministry of Defence develops sound advice on how Government's defence and security policies can best be advanced
- the Ministry's advice and actions are credible, effective and respected.
The Ministry of Defence works closely with the New Zealand Defence Force to promote New Zealand's defence and security interests. A major development has been the institution of both formal and informal consultation arrangements at chief executives' level between the Ministry's Deputy Secretary (Policy and Planning) and the Vice-Chief of Defence Force.
We also work closely with other government agencies that deal with external security. It is intended to further enhance key relationships with the Treasury, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, and the State Services Commission to ensure the Government continues to receive robust, timely, professional and independent defence advice.
In addition to the Defence Long-term Development Plan, which deals with military equipment, the Government has approved a Defence Sustainability Initiative to develop military and organisational capability to a level that will ensure that the Government's defence goals can be met on a sustainable basis. An important outcome of the process for the Ministry is the decision also to enhance the Ministry's capability analysis role. A central policy activity for the Ministry in 2005-06 will be contributing to the work of the inter-agency team that is implementing the Defence Sustainability Initiative. We will also review the Capability Management Framework, advance major procurement projects under the Defence Long-term Development Plan and continue our audit and assessment work.
Graham Fortune
Secretary of Defence
