Standards New Zealand
Finalist: Best Plain English Document — Public Sector / Non-Government Organisation (NGO) 2013
Standards Council Statement of Intent 2013 – 2016
Judges' comment
A potentially dry topic is made much more appealing with use of a corporate persona. This document breaks with bureaucratic tradition. Impressive.
Using ‘we’ has allowed the writers to create natural sentences. Headings contribute to the reader’s understanding with directness, ‘Who we are’, ‘What we seek to achieve’ and ‘How we will operate’.
Media statement
Standards New Zealand is delighted to be recognised by WriteMark for our commitment to plain English.
Every day, standards make a difference in the lives of New Zealanders. They help to keep our homes, public buildings, playgrounds, electrical appliances, and health services safe. They also protect people and our environment, increase productivity, and drive innovation.
The Standards Council Statement of Intent 2013 – 2016 sets out our medium-term strategic goals, how we intend to achieve those goals, and how we will measure our progress. It is used by the government to assess our performance and it promotes understanding of how we contribute to New Zealand.
The statement of intent is important to us, not just as a part of planning and measuring our performance, but also because it tells our story. Plain English helps us to explain what we do and why this work is valuable.
Kim Marshall
Executive Officer, Strategic Development and Governance