Develop the medium term planning system (statement of intent) to review the Department's outcomes and intermediate outcomes and ensure that its work effectively reflects and reinforces the strategic direction.

The Department established a single new outcome and contributory intermediate outcomes during 2007. They replace the protection and appreciation outcome sets reported on in this annual report. The new outcome set is being used for the first time in the Statement of Intent 2008-2011.

Work is progressing on reassessing the desired future state for each intermediate outcome - this drives work priorities and indicators of progress. During 2007, intermediate outcomes 5 (engagement) and 7 (business opportunities) were reworked, particularly the description of how they contribute to the desired future state. Further work is required to develop ways to measure success for these two intermediate outcomes.

During 2008­-2009, the remaining intermediate outcomes will be reassessed in terms of desired future state, work priorities and indicators, and the results of this work will be reflected in the statement of intent for 2009-2012.

Take into account the outcomes of the cost of outputs review process, and undertake steps to ensure that the limited resources available to the Department are optimally targeted in relation to the strategic direction.

Information gathered during the cost of outputs review was used to inform the 2008 strategy and budget alignment review. This review focused on ensuring the Department's budget allocation and its strategic direction are aligned, and balancing the budget over the coming three years.

Some specific areas examined during the cost of outputs review were financial services and support in conservancies, the decentralised concessions processing model, and the Department's geographical information system (GIS) capacity and capability.

The 2008 strategy and budget alignment review recommended some changes in these areas, in particular more sharing of services across conservancies boundaries, such as legal advice. The resulting changes have contributed to the Department achieving a balanced budget forecast for the next three years.

Follow-up to the review includes work to improve the Department's ability to prioritise projects and resources and its national analysis of output efficiency.

Progress a sustainable development programme consistent with the Govt³ initiative and, at the end of 2008, have a plan for being a carbon neutral business by 2012.

A Greenhouse Gas Reduction Plan 2008-2012 was completed. This commits the Department to, by 2012, reducing its emissions by 15% from the 2006-2007 baseline.

Further information on this and other initiatives is contained in the section on sustainable business practice.

In building people capability, emphasise the development of future leaders, in both management and specialist roles.

The Department is making a significant commitment to enhancing leadership within the organisation, by designing and implementing a leadership development framework that includes both formal and informal learning options. In 2007-2008, design work began on a specific programme that will challenge future leaders to examine their thinking and behaviour, and learn effective leadership practices. It will be developmental and transformational in nature, adding to what the participants know, how they make sense of themselves, and how they see their roles and impact in the Department.

The programme, to be piloted in 2008-2009, will work with cohorts of approximately 20 participants at a time, last for 9-12 months, and have a series of residential components that are reinforced by practice-based application and research, group projects and leadership coaching.

This programme forms part of the conservation leadership framework which outlines the four different domains of leadership where the Department will focus: technical and thought leadership, organisational leadership, people leadership, and self leadership. The initial emphasis will be on people leadership and self leadership, as the Department has focused a great deal of resource in the past on technical and organisational leadership.

As the programme progresses, it will support leaders at every level in the Department. However, over the next two years, it will focus more on developing future leaders from within the organisation, as this has not received due attention in the past.