Statement of Intent 1 July 2008 - 30 June 2011
Strategic direction - impacts and outcomes
This section of the SOI applies the requirements of section 40 (b) of the Public Finance Act 1989, which requires discussion of ‘the specific impacts, outcomes or objectives that the department seeks to achieve or contribute to through its operations’
Context
Defence is a core component of New Zealand’s broader foreign and security policy.
A critical part of the Ministry’s business lies in understanding events in the international environment because these affect the demands likely to be placed on our defence forces in the future. Only thus can the Ministry effectively undertake its statutory duty to give advice to the Government on issues relating to New Zealand’s defence policy, doctrine, capabilities and deployments. As well, the Ministry is statutorily responsible for acquiring major items of equipment for the New Zealand Defence Force and for conducting independent audits of New Zealand Defence Force functions, duties or projects.
Because the international environment is in a state of flux and because the consequences of misdirected effort can be costly, the Ministry spends considerable effort in ensuring the advice it gives to the Government on policy directions and on the capability requirements necessary to operate within the international environment is well-informed and consistent with government initiatives in other parts of the defence and security sector, especially those of the New Zealand Defence Force and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
A secure New Zealand is a critical precondition to economic growth and social well-being. New Zealanders need to live free from physical threat from external parties to be able to achieve their aspirations. As well, New Zealand’s security is directly affected by the security of other countries, by the stability of other regions and by the maintenance of multilateral systems that ensure stability and security.
The Government’s June 2000 Defence Policy Framework outlines New Zealand’s security interests which provide the context for Departmental outcomes. These interests are:
- a secure New Zealand including its people, land, territorial waters, exclusive economic zone, natural resources and critical infrastructure
- a strong strategic relationship with Australia in support of common interests for a secure and peaceful region
- a political environment in the South Pacific in which national economies, societies and identities continue to evolve in a climate of good governance and internationally agreed standards of compliance with human rights
- an expanding role in the regional dialogue of South East and North East Asia and, where appropriate, a role in regional security consistent with New Zealand's interests and capabilities
- a global approach which supports New Zealand's place in an international community committed to the maintenance of human rights and the collective security responsibilities enshrined in the United Nations (UN) Charter, and which strengthens New Zealand's international economic linkages.
Within this context the Ministry’s strategic direction, framed as a high-level outcome, is designed to ensure that:
- New Zealand is secure and New Zealand’s contribution to regional and international peace and security is effective.
The ability to respond to events in the security environment (whether those events are proximate or prospective) is fundamental to New Zealand’s security. Before sensible responses can be made the Government needs to be sure that it is receiving comprehensive and coherent advice on the issue at hand. That is so whether the advice relates to the deployment of forces at short notice, or the acquisition of major equipment to respond to potential changes in the international environment that might not occur for 10 or more years, and after which the equipment might remain in service for another 40 years.
To support its high-level outcome, the Ministry has three intermediate outcomes:
- the Government has security, defence and capability policy options that allow it to respond to the international, regional and local security environment appropriately
- the New Zealand Defence Force is equipped with those major systems and equipments it needs to contribute to the Government’s defence and security sector requirements
- the Government is provided with independent audit advice on the performance of the New Zealand Defence Force and the procurement activities of the Ministry of Defence.
The intermediate outcomes are discussed in detail in the next section.
