| Performance Measures | Performance Standards | Actual |
| Quantity | | |
| Ministerial Correspondence | 80-90 (estimated) | 180 (Numbers were double the estimate because the Minister actively sought correspondence from consumers. In particular, the Ministry's "Powerline" elicited a large number of letters to the Minister.) |
| Parliamentary Questions | 20-30 (estimated) | 9 |
| Information resources and programmes | | |
| Resources and programmes for traders. | Three town visits in conjunction with the Commerce Commission and in accordance with project plans agreed with the Minister. | Town visits, in conjunction with the Commerce Commission, have been undertaken in Wairarapa, North Shore, Hamilton and Gisborne. |
| | Three print resources on consumer law. | The following resources were produced:- Layby Sales guide
- Quotes and Estimates fact sheet
- Consumer Guarantee Act Guide for Manufacturers (reviewed).
In addition several fact sheets were produced in response to issues on loans, gift vouchers, scams and contracts. |
| Resources and programmes for community agencies. | One programme (involving 12 sessions) of regional training for Budget Advisory Services and one programme (involving 16 sessions) for Citizens Advice Bureau workers in accordance with the project plan agreed with the Minister. | Each programme is run over a calendar year. Citizens Advice Bureau: eight sessions held between July-October 1999 and five sessions between March and June 2000 (13). |
| | | Budget Advisory Services:
three sessions were provided July-October 1999 and six sessions provided March-June 2000 (9). The difference is due to scheduling agreements with the organisations, which:- are not made until after the Departmental Forecast Report is developed;
- may mean more sessions are scheduled after 30 June 2000;
- may result in some sessions being combined upon being scheduled.
The agreement for the Budget Advisory Services programme is that national coverage of training is spread over two calendar years. |
| Resources and education for target consumers | One programme of activities targeting Maori comprising media, training, liaison and networking and resources for consumers delivered via Maori service providers in accordance with the project plan agreed with the Minister, by 30 June 2000. | Media: Iwi radio programme delivered to all Iwi stations resulting in small increase in callers to Iwi hotline.
Training: Training not required this year.
Liaison and Networking: Attended Aotearoa Maori Arts Festival with a stand promoting consumer messages.
Resources: Pukeko image developed for use with Maori resources, in particular the Kidsite Maori component. Discussed consumer content in publications for Kura Kaupapa, agreed to provide consumer material as required. |
| | One programme of activities targeting Pacific Island consumers comprising media, training, liaison and networking and resources for consumers delivered via Pacific Island church groups in accordance with the project plan agreed with the Minister, by 30 June 2000. | Media: Year long programme of consumer messages aired on Radio 531 PI. Triangle TV infomercials filmed but on hold until Auckland office fully staffed.
Training: Pacific Island Presbyterian Church (PIPC) consumer education package nearing completion.
Liaison and Networking: Mounted stand at Pasifika festival to promote consumer profile.
Resources: The PIPC consumer education package combines training and resources. |
| | One programme of activities targeting low-income consumers comprising training, liaison and networking, and resources for consumers, traders and service providers delivered by community agencies in accordance with the project plan agreed with the Minister, by 30 June 2000. | Training: Training agreements reached with Budget Advisory Services and Citizens Advice Bureau (see training for CAB and BAS above), but formal statements of intent not signed this year. Liaison and Networking: Completed annual local networking strategies in each office focusing on liaison with local community organisations to promote use of consumer hotline by community workers. Resources: Provided hotline and undertook consumer advocacy work on issues of most detriment to these consumers. Budget Advisory Services handbook reviewed, drafted and being edited. |
| Quality | | |
| Ministerial servicing in the form of letters and parliamentary questions is undertaken as required by the Minister. | An acceptance rate of 100% is achieved in respect of first drafts. | Discussion/negotiation with the Minister's office achieved an agreed final version. |
| Information resources and programmes | | |
| Technical correctness of resources and programmes. | 100% of responses from external consumer, trader and education professionals, who check the resources and programmes before use, indicate that they are technically correct. | 100% |
| Appropriateness of presentation, language and accessibility of resources and programmes. | All resources and programmes produced are developed in consultation with representatives of the intended audience. | - Trader resources checked with Retail Merchants Association.
- Budget Advice Service manual revision undertaken in consultation with NZ Federation of Family Budgeting Services.
- Fact sheets are not developed in consultation with representatives of intended audience due to the tight timeframes for their production.
- No other significant new programme requiring consultation was produced during the year.
|
| | 90% of recipients of training/liaison programmes give a rating of between 3 (good) and 5 (excellent) to indicate their understanding of the information on consumer rights delivered face to face through five community and community agency training/liaison programmes. | Use of this measure was discontinued as the measure did not provide useful information. New indicators to address the objectives are currently being developed. |
| Consumer advocacy team and hotline for community agencies | | |
| Accuracy, practicality and legal basis of advice provided. | In 95% of cases surveyed using peer review and client satisfaction criteria, advice is judged accurate, practical and legally based. | Peer review provided on complex advice and for newer staff ensured accuracy and practicality in all cases. New indicators to address the objectives are being developed. |
| Focus towards target groups and target issues. | 90% of the contacts meet the requirements of the stated targeting criteria. | This has not been achieved in respect of "core" work. The Consumer Information Service team has also responded to the Minister's requests to cover a wider view on specific issues. |
| Support for national community agencies. | 90% of responses received from surveyed community agencies indicate that support by means of provision of written information, training and advice is "adequate" or better. | 90% |
| Timeliness | | |
| Draft ministerial correspondence is submitted to the Minister within 10 working days of receipt in the Ministry. | 100% | 75% (Given the high volume of ministerials received, resources were stretched in both the Minister's office and the Ministry, and it was not always possible to achieve the final version within 10 days.) |
| Where only an interim reply is possible a final reply shall be provided within the following timeframes. | 90% within 20 working days of the original receipt in the Ministry; and
100% within 30 days of receipt in the Ministry. | Not applicable - no interim replies. |
| Time taken to respond to inquiries received on the Community Agency Hotline message manager. | 100% are responded to within 40 minutes and follow-up action is taken within 24 hours. | 94% (2,815 calls) were responded to within 40 minutes.
1.5% (45 calls) of all calls required follow-up action. Data was not kept of the time taken to complete follow-up action. |