Public Sector Reputation Index

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Public Sector Reputation Index 2017

Reputation matters for the public sector. A positive reputation:

Leads to better public engagement, and a greater willingness to accept changes in services and policy
Maximises the opportunity for agencies to change behaviour; for example, to encourage us to save for retirement, insulate our homes, drive safely, or adopt healthier lifestyles
Makes an organisation more resilient when things go wrong – people are more likely to view adverse events as one-off occurrences.

Scroll down to see which agencies in New Zealand have the strongest reputations

2016

In 2016 Colmar Brunton launched the Public Sector Reputation Index. This was in response to an increasing demand from our clients to understand how they are perceived in relation to others.

2017

We have repeated the research in 2017 providing public sector agencies with the opportunity to see how their reputation has changed over the past 12 months. In addition, we have expanded the list of agencies included in the survey from 31 to 39, and there are some new entrants in the top 10.

SURVEY DESIGN

graph

The survey uses the global RepZ framework tailored to the public sector, with each agency’s reputation indexed against the others (the average score is 100).

Standardised reputation attributes and advocacy asked across 39 leading public sector organisations.

2,000 online interviews conducted from 23 November to 13 December 2016.

Nationally representative sample by age, gender, household size, income, ethnicity, and region.

THE MODEL

Based on the global RepZ framework, the index uses four pillars to measure an organisation’s reputation.

pillars

A number of attributes sit under the four pillars. These pillars are of almost equal importance in determining reputation.

Leadership/ success

– Is a successful and well run organisation
– Is a forward looking organisation
– Attracts and retains top talented staff
– Is easy to deal with in a digital environment
– Contributes to economic growth
– Anticipates future trends and opportunities
– Adapts quickly to change
– Has a long term perspective

Fairness

– Deals fairly with people regardless of their
background or role
– Treats their employees well

Social responsibility

– Honours the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi
– Is a positive influence on society
– Behaves in a responsible way towards the environment

Trust

– Is open and transparent
– Is trustworthy
– Listens to the public’s point of view
– Can be relied upon to protect individuals’
personal information
– Communicates clearly and consistently
– Uses taxpayer money responsibly
– Provides effective services
– Understands customers’ needs

THE MODEL

Based on the global RepZ framework, the index uses four pillars to measure an organisation’s reputation.

pillars

A number of attributes sit under the four pillars. These pillars are of almost equal importance in determining reputation.

Hover over the pillars below to see the attributes.

Leadership/success

Fairness

Social responsibility

Trust

Above average RepZ scores

Top 10 agencies’ scores

REPUTATION SCORES

A score of 100 is average. A score of 95 and below is considered weak, while a score of 105 or higher is considered strong.

The following agencies have above average RepZ scores.

Agency	RepZ	Change since 2016
New Zealand Fire Service	129	1
Maritime New Zealand	111	0
Department of Conservation	110	1
Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority	109	3
Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand	108	1
New Zealand Customs Service	107	7
New Zealand Defence Force	107	n/a
Statistics New Zealand	107	3
Reserve Bank of New Zealand	107	0
Sport and Recreation New Zealand	107	n/a
Commission for Financial Capability	106	1
Office of Film and Literature Classification	106	n/a
New Zealand Police	106	4
Broadcasting Standards Authority	104	2
Ministry for the Environment	104	1
Office of the Privacy Commissioner	104	n/a
Department of Internal Affairs	103	2
Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment	103	6
Serious Fraud Office	102	n/a
The Treasury	102	4
Ministry for Culture and Heritage	101	n/a

TOP 10 AGENCIES

The top 10 demonstrate strength across all reputation pillars, albeit some have relative strengths.

Agency	RepZ	Leadership/ success	Fairness	Social responsibility	Trust
New Zealand Fire Service	129	125	130	128	133
Maritime New Zealand	111	110	109	113	111
Department of Conservation	110	109	106	116	109
Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority	109	110	108	109	109
Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand	108	109	107	106	110
New Zealand Customs Service	107	108	107	107	109
New Zealand Defence Force	107	106	109	107	107
Statistics New Zealand	107	108	107	105	108
Reserve Bank of New Zealand	107	110	106	104	108
Sport and Recreation New Zealand	107	106	107	108	105

Global comparison: The top 10% of commercial brands achieve RepZ scores above 105.

Agencies with above average RepZ scores

Click here to see the top 10 agencies’ scores on the four pillars

REPUTATION SCORES

A score of 100 is average. A score of 95 and below is considered weak, while a score of 105 or higher is considered strong.

The following agencies have above average RepZ scores.

Agency	RepZ	Change since 2016
New Zealand Fire Service	129	1
Maritime New Zealand	111	0
Department of Conservation	110	1
Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority	109	3
Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand	108	1
New Zealand Customs Service	107	7
New Zealand Defence Force	107	n/a
Statistics New Zealand	107	3
Reserve Bank of New Zealand	107	0
Sport and Recreation New Zealand	107	n/a
Commission for Financial Capability	106	1
Office of Film and Literature Classification	106	n/a
New Zealand Police	106	4
Broadcasting Standards Authority	104	2
Ministry for the Environment	104	1
Office of the Privacy Commissioner	104	n/a
Department of Internal Affairs	103	2
Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment	103	6
Serious Fraud Office	102	n/a
The Treasury	102	4
Ministry for Culture and Heritage	101	n/a

TOP 10 AGENCIES

The top 10 demonstrate strength across all reputation pillars, albeit some have relative strengths.

Agency	RepZ	Leadership/ success	Fairness	Social responsibility	Trust
New Zealand Fire Service	129	125	130	128	133
Maritime New Zealand	111	110	109	113	111
Department of Conservation	110	109	106	116	109
Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority	109	110	108	109	109
Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand	108	109	107	106	110
New Zealand Customs Service	107	108	107	107	109
New Zealand Defence Force	107	106	109	107	107
Statistics New Zealand	107	108	107	105	108
Reserve Bank of New Zealand	107	110	106	104	108
Sport and Recreation New Zealand	107	106	107	108	105

Global comparison: The top 10% of commercial brands achieve RepZ scores above 105.

Agencies with above average RepZ scores

Click here to see the top 10 agencies’ scores on the four pillars

REPUTATION SCORES

A score of 100 is average. A score of 95 and below is considered weak, while a score of 105 or higher is considered strong.

The following agencies have above average RepZ scores.

Agency	RepZ	Change since 2016
New Zealand Fire Service	129	1
Maritime New Zealand	111	0
Department of Conservation	110	1
Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority	109	3
Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand	108	1
New Zealand Customs Service	107	7
New Zealand Defence Force	107	n/a
Statistics New Zealand	107	3
Reserve Bank of New Zealand	107	0
Sport and Recreation New Zealand	107	n/a
Commission for Financial Capability	106	1
Office of Film and Literature Classification	106	n/a
New Zealand Police	106	4
Broadcasting Standards Authority	104	2
Ministry for the Environment	104	1
Office of the Privacy Commissioner	104	n/a
Department of Internal Affairs	103	2
Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment	103	6
Serious Fraud Office	102	n/a
The Treasury	102	4
Ministry for Culture and Heritage	101	n/a

TOP 10 AGENCIES

The top 10 demonstrate strength across all reputation pillars, albeit some have relative strengths.

Global comparison: The top 10% of commercial brands achieve RepZ scores above 105.

TOP 10 AGENCIES FOR EACH PILLAR

Explore the tabs below to view the rankings for each pillar.

Click to view the top 10 in leadership/success

Click to view the top 10 in fairness

Click to view the top 10 in social responsibility

Click to view the top 10 in trust

Top 10 – Leadership/success

Agency	2017	2016
New Zealand Fire Service	125	124
Maritime New Zealand	110	108
Reserve Bank of New Zealand	110	110
Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority	110	113
Department of Conservation	109	110
Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand	109	110
Statistics New Zealand	108	111
New Zealand Customs Service	108	114
Commission for Financial Capability	107	108
New Zealand Defence Force	107	n/a

The results (across all agencies) for the attributes which determine leadership/success are detailed below. Each bar shows the proportion of people who agreed with the statement.

Attribute benchmarks – percentage agree across the NZ public sector

LEADERSHIP/SUCCESS

Attribute	Score	Importance to Pillar (Rank)
Communicates clearly and consistently	4.3	1
Is open and transparent	4.1	2
Is trustworthy	4.4	3
Listens to the public's point of view	4.1	4
Understands customers' needs	4.2	5
Can be relied upon to protect individuals' personal information	4.4	6
Uses taxpayer money responsibly	4.2	7
Provides effective services	4.4	8

Top 10 – Fairness

Agency	2017	2016
New Zealand Fire Service	130	128
New Zealand Defence Force	109	111
Reserve Bank of New Zealand	109	n/a
Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority	108	110
Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand	107	108
Statistics New Zealand	107	110
Sport and Recreation New Zealand	107	n/a
Office of Film and Literature Classification	107	n/a
New Zealand Customs Service	107	114
Commission for Financial Capability	107	109

The results (across all agencies) for the attributes which determine fairness are detailed below. Each bar shows the proportion of people who agreed with the statement.

Attribute benchmarks – percentage agree across the NZ public sector

FAIRNESS

Attribute	Score	Importance to Pillar (Rank)
Treats their employees well	4.4	1
Deals fairly with people regardless of their background or role	4.4	2

Top 10 – Social responsibility

Agency	2017	2016
New Zealand Fire Service	128	128
Department of Conservation	116	117
Maritime New Zealand	113	112
Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority	109	112
Sport and Recreation New Zealand	108	n/a
New Zealand Police	108	111
New Zealand Customs Service	107	114
New Zealand Defence Force	107	n/a
Ministry for the Environment	107	105

The results (across all agencies) for the attributes which determine social responsibility are detailed below. Each bar shows the proportion of people who agreed with the statement.

Attribute benchmarks – percentage agree across the NZ public sector

SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

Attribute	Score	Importance to Pillar (Rank)
Honours the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi	4.4	1
Behaves in a reponsible way towards the environment	4.4	2
Is a positive influence on society	4.4	3

Top 10 – Trust

Agency	2017	2016
New Zealand Fire Service	133	133
Maritime New Zealand	111	112
Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand	110	111
Department of Conservation	109	110
Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority	109	113
New Zealand Customs Service	109	117
Statistics New Zealand	108	111
Reserve Bank of New Zealand	108	108
Office of Film and Literature Classification	108	n/a

The results (across all agencies) for the attributes which determine trust are detailed below. Each bar shows the proportion of people who agreed with the statement.

Attribute benchmarks – percentage agree across the NZ public sector

TRUST

Attribute	Score	Importance to Pillar (Rank)
Is open and transparent	4.1	1
Listens to the public's point of view	4.1	2
Communicates clearly and consistently	4.3	3
Use taxpayer money responsibly	4.2	4
Understands customers' needs	4.2	5
Is trustworthy	4.4	6
Provides effective services	4.4	7
Can be relied upon to protect individuals' personal information	4.4	8

TOP 10 AGENCIES FOR EACH PILLAR

Explore the tabs below to view the rankings for each pillar.

Top 10 in leadership/success

Top 10 in fairness

Top 10 in social responsibility

Top 10 in trust

Top 10 – Leadership/success

Agency	2017	2016
New Zealand Fire Service	125	124
Maritime New Zealand	110	108
Reserve Bank of New Zealand	110	110
Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority	110	113
Department of Conservation	109	110
Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand	109	110
Statistics New Zealand	108	111
New Zealand Customs Service	108	114
Commission for Financial Capability	107	108
New Zealand Defence Force	107	n/a

The results (across all agencies) for the attributes which determine leadership/success are detailed below. Each bar shows the proportion of people who agreed with the statement.

Attribute benchmarks – percentage agree across the NZ public sector

LEADERSHIP/SUCCESS

Attribute	Score	Importance to Pillar (Rank)
Communicates clearly and consistently	4.3	1
Is open and transparent	4.1	2
Is trustworthy	4.4	3
Listens to the public's point of view	4.1	4
Understands customers' needs	4.2	5
Can be relied upon to protect individuals' personal information	4.4	6
Uses taxpayer money responsibly	4.2	7
Provides effective services	4.4	8

Top 10 – Fairness

Agency	2017	2016
New Zealand Fire Service	130	128
Maritime New Zealand	109	111
New Zealand Defence Force	109	n/a
Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority	108	110
Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand	107	108
Statistics New Zealand	107	110
Sport and Recreation New Zealand	107	n/a
Office of Film and Literature Classification	107	n/a
New Zealand Customs Service	107	114
Commission for Financial Capability	107	109

The results (across all agencies) for the attributes which determine fairness are detailed below. Each bar shows the proportion of people who agreed with the statement.

Attribute benchmarks – percentage agree across the NZ public sector

FAIRNESS

Attribute	Score	Importance to Pillar (Rank)
Treats their employees well	4.4	1
Deals fairly with people regardless of their background or role	4.4	2

Top 10 – Social responsibility

Agency	2017	2016
New Zealand Fire Service	128	128
Department of Conservation	116	117
Maritime New Zealand	113	112
Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority	109	112
Sport and Recreation New Zealand	108	n/a
New Zealand Police	108	111
New Zealand Customs Service	107	114
New Zealand Defence Force	107	n/a
Ministry for the Environment	107	105

The results (across all agencies) for the attributes which determine social responsibility are detailed below. Each bar shows the proportion of people who agreed with the statement.

Attribute benchmarks – percentage agree across the NZ public sector

SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

Attribute	Score	Importance to Pillar (Rank)
Honours the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi	4.4	1
Behaves in a reponsible way towards the environment	4.4	2
Is a positive influence on society	4.4	3

Top 10 – Trust

Agency	2017	2016
New Zealand Fire Service	133	133
Maritime New Zealand	111	112
Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand	110	111
Department of Conservation	109	110
Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority	109	113
New Zealand Customs Service	109	117
Statistics New Zealand	108	111
Reserve Bank of New Zealand	108	108
Office of Film and Literature Classification	108	n/a

The results (across all agencies) for the attributes which determine trust are detailed below. Each bar shows the proportion of people who agreed with the statement.

Attribute benchmarks – percentage agree across the NZ public sector

TRUST

Attribute	Score	Importance to Pillar (Rank)
Is open and transparent	4.1	1
Listens to the public's point of view	4.1	2
Communicates clearly and consistently	4.3	3
Use taxpayer money responsibly	4.2	4
Understands customers' needs	4.2	5
Is trustworthy	4.4	6
Provides effective services	4.4	7
Can be relied upon to protect individuals' personal information	4.4	8

ADVOCACY

People are twice as likely to speak highly of organisations with a strong reputation.

I would speak highly of them

Weak reputation

(95 and below)

23%

Average reputation

28%

Strong reputation

(105 and above)

46%

Reputation scores are positively related to advocacy. Organisations with a strong reputation will experience greater support and social licence to operate.

MEDIA COVERAGE

Being on the front foot in terms of communications is essential to an agency’s reputation. Negative media coverage outweighs positive coverage for those agencies with a weak reputation. In contrast, most media coverage is positive for agencies with a strong reputation.

Weak reputation

(95 and below)

Average reputation

Strong reputation

(105 and above)

Positive media coverage

Both positive and negative

Negative media coverage

MEDIA COVERAGE

Being on the front foot in terms of communications is essential to an agency’s reputation. Negative media coverage outweighs positive coverage for those agencies with a weak reputation. In contrast the majority of media coverage is positive for agencies with a strong reputation.