High on Aspiration, Low on Implementation: The development and implementation of the New Zealand Disability Strategy

Abstract

In 2001 the New Zealand Government launched the New Zealand Disability Strategy. This thesis examines the historical background behind the Strategy’s formulation, the rationale for it, and implementation within government. The Strategy’s implementation met numerous obstacles within the state sector during the first ten years of its existence. These obstacles are evaluated at the micro-organisational level within two case studies, namely the Otago and Capital Coast District Health Boards. This thesis found that the Strategy initially met an enthusiastic reception across government and from within the disability sector. However, implementation slowed down significantly within sections of the public sector while it continued apace within others. The reasons for the two-speed nature of Strategy implementation are analysed within the two studies. The lack of progress on the Strategy (as viewed from a disability perspective) comes down to a variety of factors including a lack of funding and a national plan of action for implementation from central government, as well as the impact of managerialist theory and minimal understanding of disability issues on the part of some officials.