Ensuring Cost Effectiveness

Print

The Department monitors its efficiency, and considers this against its effectiveness by reviewing its outcome indicators (listed in the preceding outcomes sections) and Statements of Service Performance.
The Department endeavours to improve its efficiency whilst at the same time maintaining and improving its effectiveness. This way, it seeks to continuously improve the value it delivers to the New Zealand public. Increases in efficiency should not be at the expense of effectiveness.
The following indicators are used by the Department to monitor its efficiency:

  • Cost per offender per day, disaggregated by:
    • prisoners and community-based offenders
    • including capital-related costs
    • excluding capital-related costs.
  • Staff offender ratios, disaggregated by:
    • frontline staff
    • prisoners and community-based offenders.

The Department compares a wide range of indicators (including many Statements of Service Performance and outcome indicators) against comparative international correctional systems. The Department shares information to understand the comparative indicators and identify good practice, which in turn helps it to improve its business. The Department reports against these indicators in its Annual Report.