Being Productive at the Productivity Commission

Date: 29 October 2013 Time: 11.00 am
Professor Sally Davenport has been on secondment as a commissioner at the NZ Productivity Commission for 2.5 years. Modelled on the Australian Productivity Commission (but about 1/10 its size), in its short history the Commission has begun to make a valuable contribution to the policy scene in New Zealand. The Commission is effectively a research think-tank, staffed largely by top-notch economists and policy specialists. It is an independent entity that is 'told what to investigate' (through terms of reference decided by the Minister of Finance) but not 'told what to say'. The inquiry topics are generally complex, some would say 'wicked', problems and the inquiry teams try to rally together new or unknown evidence upon which to base their commentary and recommendations. Having commenced with Housing Affordability in April 2011, the Commission undertakes 2 topics a year so is now on its 5th and 6th inquiries, into the Services Sector and Improving Design and Operation of Regulatory Regimes, respectively. The Commission also has a research function and a role in promoting public understanding of productivity issues. In this informal (non-research) seminar, Sally will outline the work and approach of the Productivity Commission and her experiences as an academic stepping out into 'the real world' of Wellington.