Happy holidays from the team at the Institute! Our office is closed from 21 December 2024 until 20 January 2025.
We are a non-partisan think tank applying hindsight, insight and foresight to explore major challenges and opportunities facing New Zealand over the long term.
We are committed to positively influencing public policy by empowering
New Zealanders to have the uncomfortable, but necessary, conversations
that are required to enable New Zealand to realise its potential.
Celebrating 20 years of exploring the future
As we celebrate 20 years since the Institute began, we would like to highlight a selection of our most pivotal works and publications. Some of these have directed the Institute’s focus, some have resulted in policy changes and others have had significant public impacts. The world has changed significantly over the past 20 years, but the need for quality non-partisan research and policy analysis remains.
Join us to take a walk down memory lane and revisit some of the team’s favourite pieces of work below. Thank you for your support over the years.
COVID-19 Nation Dates: A New Zealand timeline of significant events during the COVID-19 pandemic (second edition) |
September 2024 Purchase from our online store |
Foresight tools |
August 2023 Purchase from our online store |
Government Department Strategies Index Handbook – He Puna Rautaki |
June 2022 Download from Books, journals and other publications |
Discussion Paper 2019/01 – The Climate Reporting Emergency: A New Zealand case study |
October 2019 Download from Discussion Papers |
The future of scientific thought |
July 2015 Download from Articles |
TacklingPovertyNZ: Exploring ways to reduce poverty in New Zealand |
February 2016 Download from Workshop booklets |
Project 2058 – Report 11: A History of Future-thinking Initiatives in New Zealand, 1936–2010 |
March 2011 Download from Project 2048 reports |
Sir Paul Callaghan – StrategyNZ: Mapping our future |
March 2011 Watch the full speech |
Creating Intelligent Countries through Forward Engagement |
November/December 2010 Download from Articles |
invitation to comment
Feedback due before 31 March 2025
The Institute would like to welcome feedback and suggestions on our recent work. Your contributions are always valued and greatly appreciated; please don’t hesitate to email us at enquiries@mcguinnessinstitute.org if you have any ideas or thoughts. We are aiming to complete the Foresight Tools cards in April 2025.
Foresight tools cards
We are currently developing a set of foresight tools cards, which explore a number of foresight tools.
See the Foresight tools card set
Discussion Paper 2024/03 – Why we need to treat a crisis differently than an emergency
To come
We are hoping to have this paper published before the end of 2024
special topic 1
Government department strategies (GDSs)
We are delighted to publish the 2023 GDS Index Handbook, which is part of the fourth update to our ongoing GDS Index project.
The Institute’s GDS Index aims to illustrate how New Zealand might strengthen government department strategies (GDSs) to be more effective, responsive, measurable, aligned, comparable and durable through public consultation, engagement and ownership.
The GDS Index is important because if government departments make the content of GDSs more transparent, Ministers, officials and the wider public will be better able to assess their quality and, where appropriate, work together to deliver better outcomes more cost-effectively.
Better visibility and stewardship of GDSs would not only deliver an integrated and aligned approach to government activity, but would also reduce the risk of strategies working against each other. Further, it is all too easy to initiate a strategy and then quietly let it be replaced or lost into history without lessons being learned. Hence, it is critically important to monitor GDSs to the end of their useful life.
Also within the series is Working Paper 2024/08 – Methodology and Working Paper 2024/09 – Analysis of Climate Change (see GDS Index page).
Government Department Strategies Index Handbook – He Puna Rautaki as at 31 December 2023
December 2024
See the 2023 GDS Index Handbook
2023 GDS Index: By the numbers
Page 6 of the 2023 GDS Index Handbook
special topic 2
Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs)
Addendum to Discussion Paper 2024/01
This addendum explains what is new in terms of the recently published (10 October 2024) Financial Statements of the Government of New Zealand for the Year Ended 30 June 2024 (the 2024 Financial Statements) and other recent developments, including a discussion with Minister Watts at the Climate Change and Business conference.
It builds on our June 2024 Discussion Paper 2024/01 – Risks hiding in plain sight: Does a commitment under the Paris Agreement to purchase offshore carbon credits create a requirement to report that commitment in the financial statements of the New Zealand Government?
October 2024
Link to download
Discussion Paper 2024/01 – Risks hiding in plain sight
This is a technical accounting paper that explores whether a commitment by the New Zealand Government to purchase offshore carbon credits to offset emissions should be reported in the financial statements of the New Zealand Government (the overarching accounting problem). It applies current accounting standards to the issue and concludes that a commitment should be recognised as a liability and/or contingent liability in the financial statements of the Government of New Zealand.
June 2024
Updated 23 October 2024, in accordance with the Institute’s Addendum to Discussion Paper 2024/01. This resulted in an additional note being added to Figure 5.1 – The Government’s financial reporting system (see asterisk [*] on p. 35).
Link to download
See the press release.
Video: Minister Watts, 10 September 2024
Minister Watts discussing New Zealand’s decision to purchase offshore carbon credits to meet the NDC commitments under the Paris Agreement.
10 September 2024
Climate Change and Business Conference, Auckland
Our office
Welcome to the McGuinness Insitute’s office
latest blogs
2023 GDS Index – Government department strategies under the microscope
The Institute’s GDS Index aims to illustrate how New Zealand might strengthen government department strategies (GDSs) to be more effective, responsive, measurable, comparable and durable through public consultation, engagement and ownership.
Prime Minister’s summer reading list 2024/25
As part of our appreciation for books, since 2011, the Institute has sent each current Prime Minister a package of books to read over the summer break. To reflect our non-partisan approach, we also send the same package to the leaders of other major political parties.
McGuinness Institute celebrates 20 years
On 25 November 2024, the McGuinness Institute celebrated turning 20. The event brought together patrons, past and current staff, as well as friends and family. It was a great chance to reminisce on the Institute’s beginnings, connect with those who have helped shape the Institute, and look ahead.
