Policy Projects

Strategy NZ

Building pathways to New Zealand’s preferred future

Strategy NZ aims to contribute to a discussion on how to improve strategic decision-making, strategy stewardship and implementation in both the private and the public sector.

Strategy development explores the means to achieve a preferred future (the ends). When working on strategy, we tend to focus on values, objectives/goals, resources, capabilities, limitations, relationships, key results and actions (what to do and what not to do).

Latest publication

Discussion Paper 2023/01 – BIG Ideas: Brief to the Incoming Government (B.I.G.)

Visit Discussion papers

This discussion paper suggests that Government should urgently focus all public policy on the year 2040 – because climate change impacts are expected by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) to significantly impact our way of life around that time, and Te Tiriti bicentennial commemorations provide a time to reflect and create an enduring way forward. This paper presents a package of BIG policy actions for analysis by government and others that put people and the planet at the centre. The ideas are for consideration and debate, in the hope of contributing to a wider conversation about Aotearoa New Zealand’s long-term future.

Past initiatives

Mission Aotearoa: Mapping our future
30 March 2021: 8.30am – 10.00am

Thank you to all the speakers and participants for joining our discussion about New Zealand’s long-term future. This webinar was a collaboration between Callaghan Innovation and the McGuinness Institute.

The webinar marked the tenth anniversary of Sir Paul Callaghan’s 2011 keynote address at StrategyNZ: Mapping our future, where he challenged New Zealanders to think about the type of country we might like Aotearoa to become. Sir Paul’s 20-minute address identified and busted key myths, then suggested the country should focus on creating ‘a place where talent wants to live’.

Learn more about speakers and the event

Powerpoints from the event

Recording of the webinar

Key initiative

Sir Paul Callaghan Speech

One hundred inspired New Zealand entrepreneurs can turn this country around. That is the challenge for us all. – Sir Paul Callaghan (1947–2012).

In March 2011, the Institute was fortunate to have Sir Paul as the keynote speaker for our first workshop, StrategyNZ: Mapping our future. In this talk, he shared his unique strategy for changing the way we live in NZ by doing more of the ‘weird’ stuff we are good at. This strategy could open up a pathway to achieve low-carbon, sustainable economic growth that has a minimal impact on the environment. As Callaghan says, ‘creative and talented people have a choice where they live in the world’, so the goal is to make New Zealand ‘a place where talent wants to live’.

Assorted publications

See a selection of our latest research and publications related to StrategyNZ below.

Submission – Market governance of the New Zealand Emissions Trading Scheme Discussion document

Submission – Natural and Built Environment (NBE) Bill Spatial Planning (SP) Bill Climate Change Adaptation Bill

Submission – New Zealand Productivity Commission: A fair chance for all: Breaking the cycle of persistent disadvantage

Think Piece 39 – Three Waters: New body corporate model reduces government accountability