The officials are waiting too 

While we wait for the new Government to be formed and for Ministerial warrants to be appointed, officials are in the same boat. 
 
But while many of us are writing our BIMs and targeting the new Minister, we need to remember the officials with whom we also work.  They are a key part of the policy-making system. 
 
And, at this stage, they, too, aren’t exactly sure which Minister they’ll get (although some portfolios are shoe-ins) and they’ll be picking over the National/Act manifestos and first 100 day pledges to see what policy direction they are likely to have to deal with. 
 
Now is a good time to ensure the officials you work closely with are very clear about the policy initiatives you want to see coming across the new Minister’s desk. 
 
Importantly, the benefits of those policy initiatives need to be clear and concise, as do the risks of not implementing them. 
 
Now is also a good time to have a coffee with friendly officials, just to stay on their radar as they prepare their briefings, and to assess what they think the change of Government will mean for them personally and for the budgets and workstreams they manage. 
 
New Ministers are heavily reliant on officials’ briefings so being on the right side of those briefings is important.