Strategy isn’t only about foresight; it’s about building trusted partnerships that can withstand the unexpected.

New Zealand manufacturers face a double risk: rising costs that demand urgent action, and short-term cuts that could quietly erode the sector's long-term competitiveness

Meaningful change isn’t always about launching a data transformation strategy or procuring new tools. It can be about building trust in the information you already have and using that to support better decisions.

Doing the basics of clean, clear, accessible data well isn’t glamorous, but it is strategic. And it’s entirely within reach.

The biggest risk in strategy today isn’t getting it wrong; it’s standing still.

At Polis, we spend our days with leaders navigating complexity: geopolitical upheaval, economic uncertainty, shifting markets, resource constraints, stakeholder demands, and change that’s happening faster than systems can adapt. Across sectors, there’s a clear pattern: people are hungry for long-term grounded insight they can use now: not in six months, and not in the next budget round. 

System level fragmentation cannot be addressed with agency level fixes. System coherence isn’t a nice-to-have, it’s a prerequisite for efficient, trusted, and resilient public services.

“It’s localism, Jim, but not as we know it,” Spock might have said to Captain Kirk if the Starship Enterprise had beamed down to Takina – the new Wellington Convention Centre – in time to catch the PM’s address last week.

See the full article from David Cunliffe's Op-Ed in the The Post, September 1, 2024.

The new National-led Government has made clear calls for less central government, more infrastructure, and potential devolution. A great deal of responsibility could land on the regions to help get New Zealand moving. However, systems and processes are needed to balance increased regional powers with Cabinet prioritisation. It will be important to get the right balance between devolution and subsidiarity.