ANALYTICAL SUPPORT FOR SOCIAL WELFARE POLICY .DOC

ANALYTICAL SUPPORT FOR SOCIAL WELFARE POLICY AND ADMINISTRATION IN THE UK AND NEW ZEALAND John Clark Analytical Services Division Department of Social Security, London INTRODUCTION This paper describes aspects of the analytical services provided by the Department of Social Welfare (DSW) in New Zealand, and the Department of Social Security (DSS) in the United Kingdom. In early 1994 the author, based in DSS, spent six months in DSWs Social Policy Agency, working on the development of modelling tools. The paper begins with a brief overview of the organisation of the two departments, followed by discussion of the analytical support currently provided to them. A more specific description of work carried out during the period of secondment in New Zealand is then presented, and the paper ends with some concluding remarks. organisational comparisons The UK Department of Social Security comprises six agencies (Benefits, Contributions, Child Support, IT Services, War Pensions and Resettlement) and Headquarters. The NZ Department of Social Welfare consists of the NZ Income Support Service (NZISS). The Children and Young Persons Service (NZCYPS), TRITEC (the IT service), the Social Policy Agency (SPA) and the Corporate Office. The most obvious differences between the functions of the two departments are, first, that DSW has no contributory system, and second, that DSW combines Social Welfare and Social Services; in the UK the latter are administered entirely separately, by local government. In DSS, Headquarters is divided into a Policy Group, subdivided into five divisions covering the various areas of departmental policy, and a Resource Management and Personnel Group, comprising three divisions – Corporate Strategy and Personnel, Planning and Finance, and Analytical Services. In addition the Solicitors Office provides legal advice. In DSW, the Social Policy Agency is responsible for Social Welfare (and Social Services) policy advice, and also provides suppor