The NSW Labor Government will introduce a new Performance and Wellbeing Framework as part of its budget papers to improve transparency and accountability along with driving positive social outcomes.
Minister for Finance Courtney Houssos announced the new framework in a speech to the Committee for Economic Development of Australia in Sydney.
It will replace the previous Liberal-National Government's Outcomes Statement.
The Performance and Wellbeing Framework will:
- Provide improved 'line of sight' for monitoring performance by more explicitly linking the government's objectives with the results and impact achieved.
- Reflect the government's priorities, emphasising state responsibility across key service delivery areas such as health, education, transport and housing.
- Embed wellbeing considerations in advice to government, supporting improvements in resources allocation, decision making, and public accountability.
- Work alongside the Commonwealth's 'Measuring What Matters' statement, along with similar tools used in other states and territories, and in similar jurisdictions around the world.
The Outcomes Statement was a flawed document because it didn't provide sufficient accountability and transparency to the people of NSW, didn't allow for proper collaboration across agencies and didn't consult with stakeholders on its creation.
The NSW Government will refer the new framework to Parliament's Public Accountability Committee for a full inquiry and hearings as the framework is developed. The government will also engage in direct consultations with community and industry stakeholders.
An initial set of indicators will be published in this year's budget papers. They will be expanded through consultations, with a more comprehensive approach in next year's budget papers.
Minister for Finance Courtney Houssos, said:
"As we embark upon this approach, a key challenge is how to show and measure progress on our long-term reform plans.
"Matching indicators which reflect the values at the core of the government's ethos with the spend it makes increases clarity in the state's economic discourse.
"The NSW Performance and Wellbeing Framework will help drive transparency and efficiency across government.
"The former Liberal-National Government's Outcomes Statement was a polite fiction - a gesture towards accountability on government spend without actually achieving it.
"Being up front and honest about the challenges means providing genuine data that's transparent, reliable and accessible to the people of NSW."
