SECTION TWO: SPECIFIC MATTERS
- Origins and Their Continuing Effect
- Funding
- Maori Issues
- Key Performance Indicators
- Student Loans
B. FUNDING
7.1 It would be foolish to comment in detail on the funding of an operation of this size without undertaking a full financial analysis - something which the review was not asked to do. It is necessary to point out, however, that the implication of some of the suggestions made to improve the management of the system - e.g. an increase in case managers, work brokers and receptionists - would be to increase substantially the cost of service delivery.
7.2 In view of the other demands on resources, it is unlikely the Government will be in a position to increase the organisation's operating budget. The choice then becomes one either of a reduction in service levels (since the problem of overload must be fixed) or of modifying the delivery model - for example, through differentiation or specialisation - so that the same level of service can continue. It could be that confining case management to the area of largest pay-off and intensifying and diversifying its use, while at the same time providing less resource intensive services for the bulk of the clientele, could lead to a higher level of performance overall. Only a thorough analysis of the various service models and the testing of options would clarify the cost of operating a system adjusted to meeting the Government's revised policy objectives.
7.3 Proposals have been made to enhance the current system so that it will be in a better position to fulfil the Government's objectives (e.g. the nation-wide introduction of "application line") but these also will depend on new funding or the transfer of funding from elsewhere in the operational budget. Such decisions cannot be made in isolation; they must be taken as part of the overall review of the organisation's future directions. Until the full scope of the Government's policy and delivery framework has been determined it would be unwise to foreshadow resource allocation alternatives.
7.4 A further general point on funding stems from the Government's intention to improve DWI's response to special needs and emergency benefit requests. Undoubtedly there is room for improvement, something the staff freely admit. There is equally no doubt the department must act as the gatekeeper to ensure the system overall provides the full entitlement to those in need while simultaneously preventing abuse. It is not an easy task, often DWI is damned if it does and damned if it doesn't. Again, because of the strain on resources generally, however, it will be crucial to avoid the risk of fiscal blow-out. The implementation of new processes will require fine judgement, the exercise of informed discretion and careful listening on the part of hundreds of DWI employees. The maintenance of good records will be an essential requirement to protect both the client and the employee.
