These pages are part of the 96 - 99 Cabinet record. For the current pages, click here

The Ministry of Youth Affairs

Role and Function
Ministry Outputs
Policy Advice
Communication and Facilitation
Grants Administration
Organisational Structure and Staffing
Maximising Effectiveness

 

Role and Function

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The principal role of the Ministry of Youth Affairs is "to promote the direct participation of young people aged between 12 and 25 years in the social, economic and cultural development of New Zealand both locally and nationally."

The scope of the Ministry's work is determined by the Purchase Agreement, which is negotiated with the Minister of Youth Affairs. The agreement sets out those outputs the Ministry will deliver to the Government during a financial year. The agreement is completed before the announcement of the Government's budget each year.

The work undertaken by the Ministry must add value to the responsibilities of a range of other government agencies in respect of young people. The Ministry is in a prime position to promote co-ordination across portfolios, identify gaps and duplication, and lead in areas where co-operation is essential.

Identifying the levels and mix of Government's expenditure on the youth population is important to provide strategic policy advice. For the 1996/97 year it is conservatively estimated that Government will spend 4.3 billion dollars on the youth population, roughly two-thirds of which is spent in the education sector. The 4.3 billion dollars excludes health expenditure and Votes with limited connection to youth activities. The Ministry is currently working to increase the integrity of youth-related expenditure figures across Government agencies.

 

The Ministry's Outputs

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  • The Ministry has three outputs. These are:

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    Policy Advice

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    The Ministry provides policy advice on major issues affecting young people. This includes undertaking and identifying research to inform its advice. In 1996/97 policy advice is being provided under the following four sub classes:

    Communication and Facilitation

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    The communication and facilitation output, in particular, undertakes to:

    It contributes to the policy advice output through regular targeted consultation with young people and those who work with them.

    Grants Administration

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  • This output primarily involves the management of contracts for the delivery of the New Zealand Conservation Corps (NZCC) and the youth Service Corps (YSC) programmes. It also includes administration of the payment to the Commonwealth Youth Programme and ministerial servicing related to the NZCC and the YSC.

    Both the YSC and the NZCC are development programmes that aim to improve the long term employment prospects and life chances of young people.  

    Organisational Structure and Staffing

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    The Ministry is organised into five units that broadly reflect its three main outputs. The groups are:
      • Policy;
      • Grants Administration;
      • Communication and Facilitation;
      • Administration and Finance; and
      • CEO Support.

    Maximising Effectiveness

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    The Ministry must ensure that the interests of young people are properly considered by decision makers in political, economic, social and cultural matters. It has the ability, as distinct from other government agencies which have specific portfolio responsibilities, to do this in an integrated manner

    The Ministry uses its small resource, in comparison to its given and bold purpose, strategically and to advantage. It must gain authority through influence. It does this through:
      • focusing on those areas where it can make a difference within the three inter-related Strategic Results Areas of Education and Training, Community Security, Health and Disability Services;
      • using expert data-bases and specialist methodologies to inform its own work and those of other agencies;
      • establishing alliances with key stakeholders in government, the community and the private sector;
      • using its ability to shift focus quickly in response to rapidly changing issues;
      • using its neutrality to broker policy discussions across portfolio interests; and
      • using its operationally based work to inform its policy focus.