E whakaatu mai ana ngā paearu mahi a te rōpū tā mātou anga whakamua Our organisational performance indicators show how we are progressing
These indicators do not have fixed targets, but show the direction in which we would like to see results head over time. We expect them to evolve as we develop new and improved ways to measure what we think is important, including what we currently cannot measure but would like to.
Results, in general, indicate that performance is not yet following the desired direction of travel for all indicators. However, in the last year our employment-related indicators and effectiveness of spending metric have improved, and we have reported another positive net score for client trust.
Historical results for our performance indicators
Indicator 1: Percentage of clients who remain off main benefit having secured sustainable work
Outcomes linked to:
- New Zealanders get the support they require
- New Zealanders participate positively in society and reach their potential
Desired trend: Upwards
Trend observed in 2020/21: Upwards
Results for Indicator 1 in the last five years
| Year | Result |
|---|---|
| 2016/17 | 70.6% |
| 2017/18 | 69.3% |
| 2018/19 | 67.7% |
| 2019/20 | 65.2% |
| 2020/21 | 68.7% |
Notes on Indicator 1
The strength of the labour market contributes to the ease and speed with which people find and stay in work. Overall, as New Zealand exited from lockdown, economic conditions improved throughout the year. This resulted in an increase in the number of work exits, and has also helped New Zealanders to retain employment (as seen with the improved sustainability of work exits result and the decrease in clients returning to benefit within 13 weeks of exit).
The percentage of clients returning to main benefit within one year of exit has, however, increased, as the 2020/21 figure represents clients who exited between July 2019 and June 2020 and so were likely to be negatively affected by COVID-19 and lockdown.
Indicator 2.1: Percentage of clients exiting main benefit who return to main benefit (within 13 weeks)
Outcomes linked to:
- New Zealanders get the support they require
- New Zealanders participate positively in society and reach their potential
Desired trend: Downwards
Trend observed in 2020/21: Downwards
Results for Indicator 2.1 in the last five years
| Year | Result |
|---|---|
| 2016/17 | 22.4% |
| 2017/18 | 25.0% |
| 2018/19 | 24.2% |
| 2019/20 | 26.0% |
| 2020/21 | 22.1% |
Notes on Indicator 2.1
The strength of the labour market contributes to the ease and speed with which people find and stay in work. Overall, as New Zealand exited from lockdown, economic conditions improved throughout the year. This resulted in an increase in the number of work exits, and has also helped New Zealanders to retain employment (as seen with the improved sustainability of work exits result and the decrease in clients returning to benefit within 13 weeks of exit).
The percentage of clients returning to main benefit within one year of exit has, however, increased, as the 2020/21 figure represents clients who exited between July 2019 and June 2020 and so were likely to be negatively affected by COVID-19 and lockdown.
Indicator 2.2: Percentage of clients exiting main benefit who return to main benefit (within one year)
Outcomes linked to:
- New Zealanders get the support they require
- New Zealanders participate positively in society and reach their potential
Desired trend: Downwards
Trend observed in 2020/21: Upwards
Results for Indicator 2.2 in the last five years
| Year | Result |
|---|---|
| 2016/17 | 50.5% |
| 2017/18 | 69.3% |
| 2018/19 | 67.7% |
| 2019/20 | 65.2% |
| 2020/21 | 68.7% |
Notes on Indicator 2.2
The strength of the labour market contributes to the ease and speed with which people find and stay in work. Overall, as New Zealand exited from lockdown, economic conditions improved throughout the year. This resulted in an increase in the number of work exits, and has also helped New Zealanders to retain employment (as seen with the improved sustainability of work exits result and the decrease in clients returning to benefit within 13 weeks of exit).
The percentage of clients returning to main benefit within one year of exit has, however, increased, as the 2020/21 figure represents clients who exited between July 2019 and June 2020 and so were likely to be negatively affected by COVID-19 and lockdown.
Indicator 3: Average future years on benefit
Outcomes linked to:
- New Zealanders get the support they require
- New Zealanders are resilient and live in inclusive and supportive communities
- New Zealanders participate positively in society and reach their potential.
Desired trend: Downwards
Trend observed in 2020/21: Upwards
Results for Indicator 3 in the last five years
| Year | Result |
|---|---|
| 2016/17 | 10.6 years |
| 2017/18 | 10.6 years |
| 2018/19 | 11.6 years |
| 2019/20 | 11.6 years |
| 2020/21 | 12.4 years |
Note on Indicator 3
The estimation takes into account the historical, current and estimated future dynamics of the benefit system. The result is an average figure across all main benefit types – changes to the dynamics of the benefit system will impact the estimated future years on benefit in different ways for different benefit types. For example, year-on-year increases in the rate at which people exit the benefit system into sustainable employment would likely reduce the average estimated future years on main benefit for Jobseeker Support – Work Ready clients.
Indicator 4.1: Median time to house clients on the Housing Register (overall)
Outcomes linked to:
- New Zealanders get the support they require
- New Zealanders are resilient and live in inclusive and supportive communities
Desired trend: Downwards
Trend observed in 2020/21: Upwards
Results for Indicator 4.1 in the last five years
| Year | Result |
|---|---|
| 2016/17 | 54 days |
| 2017/18 | 63 days |
| 2018/19 | 101 days |
| 2019/20 | 126 days |
| 2020/21 | 168 days |
Note on Indicator 4.1
Many factors contribute to the Housing Register. The needs of New Zealanders are changing, and many families are finding it harder to access the private rental market. This is particularly true for those who have been renting for a while and now need to find a place to live in a more expensive and competitive housing market.
The broader housing market situation contributes to a growing Public Housing Register. The social housing assessment measures an applicant’s need to move and their ability to access, afford and sustain a private rental. If an applicant meets the eligibility criteria, needs a home, and has very limited options in the private rental market, they will likely qualify for public housing. We are seeing more people with fewer options in the private market, and this is also reflected in higher numbers in emergency and transitional housing.
Indicator 4.2: Median time to house clients on the Housing Register (Priority A clients)
Outcomes linked to:
- New Zealanders get the support they require
- New Zealanders are resilient and live in inclusive and supportive communities
Desired trend: Downwards
Trend observed in 2020/21: Upwards
Results for Indicator 4.2 in the last five years
| Year | Result |
|---|---|
| 2016/17 | 54 days |
| 2017/18 | 62 days |
| 2018/19 | 104 days |
| 2019/20 | 128 days |
| 2020/21 | 175 days |
Note on Indicator 4.2
Many factors contribute to the Housing Register. The needs of New Zealanders are changing, and many families are finding it harder to access the private rental market. This is particularly true for those who have been renting for a while and now need to find a place to live in a more expensive and competitive housing market.
The broader housing market situation contributes to a growing Public Housing Register. The social housing assessment measures an applicant’s need to move and their ability to access, afford and sustain a private rental. If an applicant meets the eligibility criteria, needs a home, and has very limited options in the private rental market, they will likely qualify for public housing. We are seeing more people with fewer options in the private market, and this is also reflected in higher numbers in emergency and transitional housing.
Indicator 5: Percentage of our spend evaluated as effective (of the portion of our spend that we are able to evaluate)
Outcomes linked to:
- New Zealanders get the support they require
- New Zealanders participate positively in society and reach their potential
Desired trend: Upwards
Trend observed in 2020/21: Upwards
Results for Indicator 5 in the last five years
| Year | Result |
|---|---|
| 2016/17 | 81.7% |
| 2017/18 | 81.0% |
| 2018/19 | 79.0% |
| 2019/20 | 78.1% |
| 2020/21 | 80.9% |
Note on Indicator 5
The percentage of spend evaluated as effective is measured across two categories of the Improved Employment and Social Outcomes Support multi-category appropriation: Improving Employment Outcomes and Improving Work-readiness Outcomes. This year has seen a small improvement on 2019/20’s result.
Prior years’ results are different from those previously reported. The analysis to assess the effectiveness of employment assistance expenditure is subject to updates and revisions. For example, in the case of Mana in Mahi, although the programme has been running since 2018, it was not until 2021 that we were able to observe the difference it has made to participants’ outcomes and therefore to rate its effectiveness. Other reasons for changes in results include corrections and improvements to the methods used to estimate the effectiveness of employment programmes and services as well as to the method used to estimate their total cost.
Indicator 6: Client net trust score
Outcome linked to:
- New Zealanders get the support they require
Desired trend: Upwards
Trend observed in 2020/21: Downwards
Results for Indicator 6 in the last five years
Client satisfaction
| Year | Result |
|---|---|
| 2016/16 | 82.6% |
| 2017/18 | 81.6% |
| 2018/19 | 81.8% |
Client net trust score
| Year | Result |
|---|---|
| 2019/20 | +43.2 |
| 2020/21 | +39.8 |
Note on Indicator 6
Although the result is lower than the previous year, it is still considered a good result. The 2020/21 surveys only covered interactions with customer service representatives in contact centres, as we no longer use the IT systems that previously triggered service centre surveys.
Historically, results for conversations with contact centres have scored lower than for conversations with service centre staff, so this result is not unexpected. In 2019/20 the Net Trust Score result for contact centres was +37.9, compared with +51.6 for service centres .
Footnotes
A sustained outcome is where a client has not returned to a main benefit 26 weeks after exiting for work.
The number of years, on average, for which people receiving a benefit at 30 June in the respective year are expected to be supported by a benefit over the remainder of their working lives. The key driver in predicting the average future years on benefit (the future years projection) is how people move into, through and out of the benefit system: for example, if it is harder for people to exit the benefit system then, all else being equal, the future years projection will increase. Several factors can influence how people move through the benefit system, including:
Changes in the labour market – such as forecast unemployment rates – all else being equal, increases in current and forecast unemployment rates will lead to increases in predicted future years on main benefit. This is because those supported by a benefit will typically find it harder to find employment and, once they do, are more likely to cease employment if unemployment is high.
Policy and operational settings – for example successful programmes that help clients move to sustainable employment can reduce predicted future years on main benefit.
Demographic changes – if, for example, the proportion of clients who have a relatively low future years projection increases then the overall future years projection will decrease. If the proportion of clients supported by a benefit who are young increases then, all else being equal, the future years projection will also increase as young clients have a longer working lifetime remaining.
Methodology changes – every year, the models that predict future time on benefit are improved with new data and modelling techniques that help us understand more about how people transition through the benefit system. These can impact the future years projection. The exact impact will depend on the particular change.
The effectiveness of our spend is based on whether employment interventions such as training or wage subsidies increase the time participants have higher income, spend more time in employment and/or less time in corrections services and welfare assistance, and gain higher qualifications.
The result reported against each year refers to the evaluation of spending two years previously; that is, the 2020/21 result refers to spending in 2019/20, and so on.
Until 2018/19 we reported customer satisfaction results from the former Service Quality Monitor survey, as outlined in our 2018–2022 Statement of Intent, while we developed and tested a true Client Net Trust indicator. From 2019/20 we started to report a true Client Net Trust Score on a continuum from -100 to +100, where any score above 0 is considered a positive result.
Until 2018/19, the score for client satisfaction was built on representative measures from the SQM client satisfaction surveys.
Service centre surveys restarted in July 2021. We therefore expect to see the overall score improve in the future.