State Services Commission

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The State Services Commission is the central public service department of New Zealand charged with overseeing, managing, and improving the performance of the State sector of New Zealand and its organisations.The SSC's official responsibilities, as defined by the State Sector Act 1988, include: appointing and reviewing Public Service chief executives, promoting and developing senior leadership and management capability for the Public Service, providing advice on the training and career development of staff in the Public Service, reviewing the performance of each department, providing advice on the allocation of functions to and between departments and other agencies, providing advice on management systems, structures, and organisations in the Public Service and Crown entities, promoting, developing, and monitoring equal employment opportunities policies and programmes, and any other functions with respect to the administration and management of the Public Service, as directed by the Prime Minister. The role of SSC, as described in the four year plan, is "to work with leaders across the State Services to change the way agencies think, organise and operate".CommissionerThe State Services Commissioner is the chief executive of the commission and has a range of responsibilities for the public service, the State Services and the wider state sector. The position has previously been known as the Public Service Commissioner, Chairman of the Public Service Commissioner, Chairman of the State Services Commission, and Chief Commissioner of the State Services Commission. The current State Services Commissioner is Peter Hughes.