Factors facilitating the adoption of wellbeing budgets in New Zealand: a case study with budget actors

New Zealand made international waves when it implemented a wellbeing budget in 2019. We investigated the factors which facilitated the adoption of this novel budgeting policy. In interviews with 22 key informants from New Zealand’s central government, most interviewees (90% and over) emphasized the impact of politics, internal direction, and the international policy environment as key factors of effect on the formulation and adoption of wellbeing budgeting. Results of our study add new insights to Good’s theory that predicts similar motivations and behaviors to be expected from groups of budget actors who inhabit monolithic roles of politicians, treasury officials, and ministerial bureaucrats. Rather, even with inherent tensions within budget actor groups, they can be positioned to debate differing approaches that lead to the aim of adopting innovative policy. Wellbeing budgetary reform may be undertaken with a combination of legislation, fostering public sector debate, and responding to global conditions of uncertainty.