The New Zealand Government is the key supplier of information regarding migrating to New Zealand. They provide this service not only nationally but globally and have offices and Embassies around the world to provide this information. While there are immigration consultants who are not employed by Immigration New Zealand, these are not taken into consideration in these studies and the Government continues to be the key information provider. As the key supplier of information, their consultants are understood to be most knowledgeable and informed regarding Immigration Policy and procedure. However in recent studies it has been found that the information provided by these consultants has not been incredibly reliable, and has been labelled as inconsistent.[1] This is the key issue, the government’s inability to provide quality control of information while failing to provide an efficient government solution to a problem.
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This is the key idea of government failure, as “government failure is not a failure of the government to bring about a particular solution into existence, but is rather a systemic problem that prevents an efficient government solution to a problem”[2] This systematic problem is the inconsistency and unreliability of information produced to consumers, or immigrants, by New Zealand Immigration Services. There are non-government organizations that provide immigration advice; this could suggest a failure in the market to produce suitable outcomes. However there may or may not be problems in that area, this is not discussed in this report as it is limited to New Zealand Immigration Services and to some extent rules out market failure as a possible analytical framework.
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What can be most easily applied is a Government Failure framework as identified by Charles Wolf, whose “theory focuses on factors that contribute to inefficiency in the supply of goods and services by government”.[3] This form of government failure connects the issue of inconsistency in New Zealand Immigration Services to problems faced in other Government Departments. It is seen in those who are responsible as information outlets and consultants to the general public and has been experienced in other government departments such as the Ministry of Social Development. Further the skills required for the position, which will be discussed later in the report, effect educational policy and the training given also correlates wider immigration policy and where funding is spent.
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Regarding New Zealand Immigration Service and the services provided, it would be correct to assert that the information provided is government good and service. However due to the problems confronted and inconsistency observed, it would appear there has been an inefficiency in the supply of this by the Government. These supply problems can be improved as introduction of new and developing policy to the departments, as policy “may play a beneficial role by simply making sure that alternatives to government production are raised in the appropriate political forums.”[4] This report aims to apply a Government failure framework, to understand what can be done on behalf of the government in order to maintain efficient supply of the service, consistent and thorough advice given by New Zealand Immigration Services Consultants.
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