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Statement of Intent 2007

5 Part Two: Forecast service performance 2007/08

This section describes each output expense that NZFSA is funded under and how we measure our performance on delivering these groups of outputs

5.1 Vote Food Safety

5.1.1 Food safety policy advice

Policy advice contributes to many of NZFSA’s intermediate outcomes. This includes purchasing policy advice and decision-making support for the Minister and the Government on food safety and related issues. It includes analysis and advice on legislation and policy to be applied to all aspects of food administration ensuring a robust, modern, comprehensive legislative base, implementation tools, and mechanisms to measure its effectiveness. Services to assist the Minister are also included.

5.1.1.1 Performance measures

• all policy advice conforms to the criteria set out in Schedule A (see page 28) as assessed by one or more of the methods identified in Schedule B (see page 28).

• priority work is completed as agreed with the Minister in the 2007/08 output plan (including any subsequent agreed amendments)

• all policy advice meets or exceeds the following

Ministerial quality thresholds:

• less than five percent of Ministerial letters rejected (for content)

• less than five percent of Ministerial letters submitted to Minister’s office more than 15 days after receipt

• no Ministerial letters submitted to Ministers’ office more than 20 days after receipt

• less than one percent of Cabinet papers submitted to Cabinet Committee after due date

• 100 percent of input into key international forums meets Ministerial expectations, consultation requirements of international organisations and is informed by consultation with relevant affected stakeholders.

5.1.1.2 Cost

Outputs will be provided within the appropriated sum of $3.126 million. The appropriation is funded by $3.105 million revenue Crown and estimated third-party revenue of $0.021 million.

5.1.2 Regulatory standards

The intermediate outcomes these activities primarily contribute to are:

• safe and suitable food for New Zealanders

• a business environment for the agriculture, food and forestry sectors that supports innovation, enterprise and high performance

• market access (technical or non-tariff related) for New Zealand’s animal and plant products is maintained and enhanced.

This covers the setting of technical standards for food production. It ensures that food and food-related products are produced in accordance with New Zealand legislation and, where appropriate, meet the requirements negotiated with countries importing New Zealand products to enable official assurance necessary for market access and to otherwise meet agreed levels of consumer protection. It includes standards for ancillary legislation associated with controls on inputs into food protection. It also covers the setting of operational standards, the development of joint food standards with Australia, the development of monitoring and review mechanisms to measure performance, and the provison of reports to the Minister, as well as providing official assurances.

5.1.2.1 Performance measures

• 100 percent of all standards are reviewed according to a schedule agreed with the accountable director

• 100 percent of approvals comply with the standards agreed with the accountable director

• the public health and other outcomes of regulatory standards (and other regulatory activities) are monitored according to programme parameters agreed with the accountable director and reviewed accordingly.

5.1.2.2 Cost

Outputs will be provided within the appropriated sum of $42,404 million. The appropriation is funded by $20,311 million revenue Crown and estimated third-party revenue of $22,093 million.

5.1.3 Response to food safety emergencies

The intermediate outcomes these activities primarily contribute to are:

• safe and suitable food for New Zealanders.

This covers food safety emergencies; these are to be expected and need to be handled in a systematic manner. The setting of standards for this purpose is covered in this output expense. It covers food safety emergencies where there is a need to be prepared for such emergencies and to handle events in a systematic manner to reduce threat to human health and/or impacts on the integrity of the programme. It includes the coordination of routine food recalls and communication with affected parties and those at risk, as well as responses to food safety emergencies. Responses are demand driven and budgeted for on a case-by- case basis.

5.1.3.1 Performance measures

• systems and measures to limit the impact of events that pose a threat to human health or to the integrity of the New Zealand food safety programmes are maintained in accordance with standards

• emergency responses are managed in an effective manner (limiting adverse impacts on health and the integrity of New Zealand food safety programmes) as measured by internal review.

5.1.3.2 Cost

Outputs will be provided within the appropriated sum of $0.383 million. The appropriation is fully funded by revenue Crown.

5.1.4 Systems audit and enforcement

The intermediate outcomes these activities primarily

contribute to are:

• a business environment for the agriculture, food and forestry sectors that supports innovation, enterprise and high performance

• safe and suitable food for New Zealanders

• market access (technical or non-tariff related) for New Zealand’s animal and plant products is maintained and enhanced. This covers the audit of component systems and specific areas within the regulatory progamme, as well as investigations of problems, complaints and suspected breaches of legislation. It covers obtaining the necessary evidence that the programme is effective in meeting public objectives and is being enforced.

5.1.4.1 Performance measures

• 100 percent of audits undertaken are completed so their outcomes are managed and reports are produced according to the agreed procedures and by competent assessors

• 100 percent of audit results are analysed by an external reviewer to substantiate assurances provided by NZFSA that delivery is in accordance with relevant standards

• 100 percent of complaints are investigated in accordance with strategies and legal powers

• 95 percent of investigation files prepared for prosecution meet prima facie requirements (sufficient evidence to initiate criminal proceedings)

• at least 90 percent of prosecutions successfully meet outcomes agreed with the accountable director

• less than 5 percent of cases lodged with the court incur adverse judicial comment (to allow for the pursuit of precedent setting by the court).

5.1.4.2 Cost

Outputs will be provided within the appropriated sum of $4.292 million. The appropriation is funded by $2.792 million revenue Crown and estimated third-party revenue of $1.500 million.

5.1.5 Consultation and food safety information

The intermediate outcomes these activities primarily

contribute to are:

• a business environment for food and food-related sectors that supports innovation, enterprise and high performance

• safe and suitable food for New Zealanders. This covers consultation with stakeholders (including the public) and involves the Consumers’ Forum and the Officials’ Committee of Food Safety. It covers communication of food safety information including all regulatory and other relevant matters to stakeholders and managing issues from a communications perspective.

5.1.5.1 Performance measures

Consultation and food safety information provided meets the needs of the majority of stakeholders as assessed by stakeholder feedback.

5.1.5.2 Cost

Outputs will be provided within the appropriated sum of $3.432 million. The appropriation is funded by $2.749 million revenue Crown and estimated third-party revenue of $0.683 million.

5.1.6 Regulatory programmes

The intermediate outcomes these activities primarily contribute to are:

• market access (technical or non-tariff related) for New Zealand’s animal and plant products is maintained and enhanced

• a business environment for the agriculture, food and forestry sectors that supports innovation, enterprise and high performance

• safe and suitable food for New Zealanders. This covers primary components of the regulatory programmes where arrangements exist to contract out regulatory services. District Health Boards are jointly contracted with the Ministry of Health to provide a range of functions across the public health continuum. District Health Boards provide NZFSA with oversight of parts of the programme at a local level, investigate possible cases of foodborne illness and provide a link to wider public health areas. NZFSA’s Verification Agency provides verification functions to the meat and seafood industries.

5.1.6.1 Performance measures

• District Health Boards’ technical compliance with relevant standards and food legislation are confirmed by NZFSA assessment

• verification services delivered by NZFSA’s Verification Agency meet pre-set effectiveness standards as determined by independent assessment.

5.1.6.2 Cost

Outputs will be provided within the appropriated sum of $37,759 million. The appropriation is funded by $2,165 million revenue Crown and estimated third-party revenue of $35,594 million.

5.1.7 Service performance – overview

NZFSA administers one area of government responsibility:

5.1.7.1 Vote Food Safety

Under this vote are a number of output expenses. These are groupings of the goods and services NZFSA delivers. Our performance against them will be assessed against the performance measures and financial forecasts included in this section.

The delivery of these goods and services is what NZFSA is doing externally to achieve our outcomes (and intermediate outcomes). If we have performed well under our output expenses there should be movement towards the outcomes in our Outcome Framework.

Good performance against these 18 output expenses drives our progress toward our main outcomes.

5.2 Schedule A

5.2.1 Schedule of Performance Criteria of Policy Advice

Policy advice delivered through this output expense must underpin effective decision-making by Ministers and the Government. To maximise the quality of Ministerial and Government decision-making, policy advice must meet the following measures:

5.2.1.1 Process integrity

• compliance with formal Cabinet Office, Ministerial and other requirements governing policy advice

• fulfilment of NZFSA peer review, consultative, evaluation and other requirements governing the structure and process for developing policy advice

5.2.1.2 Fitness for purpose

• relevant to the issues being addressed

• responsive to the Government’s policy objectives, desired outcomes, portfolio commitments and obligations

• evidence-based and accurate

• frank and dispassionate

• timely

• clear, unambiguous and appropriate for the audience

• apply managing for outcomes and intervention logic methods and disciplines

• give Ministers clear guidance and specific recommendations

• accepted by Ministers or other recipients as meeting their needs.

5.2.1.3 Comprehensiveness

• identifies all relevant options

• takes account of all relevant factors and ramifications, including regulatory impacts, compliance costs, changed incentives and unintended consequences

• is based on comprehensive consultation

• takes account of, and where appropriate gives direction on, the longer-term strategic implications, opportunities and ramifications

• lends itself to monitoring, evaluation and future refinements or enhancements.

5.3 Schedule B

5.3.1 Assessment Methods for the Quality of Policy Advice

To ensure the quality of policy advice meets the measurement criteria identified in Schedule A, it will be assessed using one or more of the following methods:

• ministerial rating

• independent third-party review

• evaluation results

• agency/stakeholder feedback

• internal peer review process.