The Development, Organization, and Future of Personnel Administration in the New Zealand Public Service

Abstract

On the following pages is a study of the development of personnel administration in New Zealand from 1840 to 1950 and of some prospects for its future. The paper attempts to trace the developmental pattern, discover past mistakes and advances, former weaknesses and strengths in the control machinery, present difficulties and strong points, and possible future trends. Going from the instructions given to Captain Hobson to forecasts on the future developments in personnel administration within New Zealand is a large assignment. To attempt to cover such a long period means that some valuable material had to be excluded, and other items had to be greatly shortened. There is no good complete work on the historical development of the Public Service in New Zealand. Generally secondary sources supplied the broad pattern of development and primary sources filled in the details. Thus Lipson's "Politics of Equality", the "Staff Training Manual" of the Public Service Commission and "A History of the New Zealand Civil Service 1840-1866", a thesis by Balfour Douglas Zohrab, furnished the basic ideas and path to follow. A study of the Acts affecting the public service, special commission reports, letters and other primary sources filled in the specific details which were lacking in the above mentioned general studies. With the establishment of Commissioner control the main source of information switched to the annual reports which were made to Parliament since 1913. These reports from the advent of Commission control in 1946 have been supplemented by other primary sources and many interviews with officials of the Public Service Commission, with officers of the Public Service Association, and with other Public Servants. The interview method has its limitations. The spoken word isn't the best medium of communication. Often these men when speaking about a controversial issue have asked that their remarks remain unquoted. These requests have been honored. However, their ideas appear in this work. This means that often in the later part of this paper sources are not given in the quantity that they should. However, no unquoted item has been included unless the material was mentioned by at least two individuals. In discussing personal traits in the final sections, no offence is meant. The opinions are given frankly. The conclusions were reached after discussions with men who should know the particular individual well. The idea for making this study came from a similar project completed at the United States Civil Service Commission in 1948. The study of personnel practices in New Zealand makes an interesting and valuable comparison with developments in the United States.