Purpose
1. In accordance with EDC Min (03) 7/3, the Ministry of Economic Development has conducted an evaluation of the World Class New Zealanders programme (WCNZ). This evaluation was completed as part of the review of Sector Facilitation undertaken by the Ministry of Economic Development.
2. The focus of the evaluation was to examine:
- programme implementation
- programme delivery
- programme outcomes
and conclude whether the programme should continue, continue unchanged, or with changes.
World Class New Zealanders
3. The WCNZ programme was established in December 2001 (DEV (01) 69 refers). The objectives are to develop business enterprise skills, leadership capacities and to contribute to the economic growth of New Zealand through partnerships with the wider New Zealand international community. It has an annual budget of $1.228m p.a. (GST exclusive).
4. WCNZ currently undertakes 3 streams of activities:
• The facilitation of active engagements of experts (typically inward visits by international business leaders and specialists)
• Establishing a network of experts and the provision of a forum for maintaining these relationships
• Provision of an annual award scheme
Findings
Implementation
5. To date the WCNZ programme has largely been utilised by NZTE to finance bringing an expert into New Zealand to meet with NZTE and New Zealand businesses. These individuals are being accessed on an issue-specific basis and are identified by NZTE’s sector teams. Although the visits are producing some tangible results for businesses, there is little evidence that these ‘active engagements’ are part of an ongoing effort to establish a long-term relationship with the experts, or to establish a network of international experts for NZTE to call on – as intended in policy.
6. In August 2005, a paper was submitted to NZTE’s Senior Executive Team proposing to refocus the programme. This new strategy puts emphasis on NZTE developing long-term relationships with international experts to inform NZTE’s sector strategies, provide information about market opportunities and assist in the delivery of NZTE’s sector strategies. This recognition of the need to focus more on developing relationships with these experts (including following up their visits to NZ) is more in line with the original policy intent of the programme.
Delivery
7. NZTE’s record keeping for WCNZ has been unsatisfactory. Records existed as paper files only. For many engagements there was very little information, and for some, no information at all. NZTE has been unable to satisfactorily account for how the annual budget for the programme has been allocated prior to 2005/06. This has affected MED’s ability to make judgments about the effectiveness of the programme.
Outcomes
8. The evaluation indicates that there is merit in NZTE continuing to facilitate contact between New Zealand businesses and international experts. As would be expected from such a programme, there have not always been consistent results and some active engagements have produced much better leads than others.
9. Only a few of the 23 firms spoken to had remained in contact with the main guest(s) of the engagement. However, eight out of 23 firms acknowledged that the engagement had translated into revenue gains, improved management capability or easier offshore access.
10. WCNZ was designed to improve the global connections of New Zealand businesses by developing a senior network of expatriates or New Zealand sympathetic business people. NZTE has invested in a web-portal, as part of Kea New Zealand’s infrastructure, through which it will be able to invite clients and international experts to collaborate and receive targeted communications (this portal has yet to go ‘live’). The WCNZ awards have also been widely recognised as a success in engaging those high-profile individuals who have made significant contributions to New Zealand. Engaging New Zealand’s significant offshore pool of talent is a long-term process and this networking activity needs renewed emphasis.