Revamping the Cook Islands Public Sector. Vaine Iriano Wichman

up of 15 islands spread over 2 million square kilometers of the Pacific Ocean. Located in the center of the Polynesian triangle, the country is flanked by Fiji Islands to the west, Tahiti to the east, Hawaii to the north, and New Zealand in the south. The population in 2006 was about 19,500, with more than 11,000 living on the main island of Rarotonga, and the remaining dispersed on 11 islands throughout the Cook Islands group.

      The country became self-governing in 1965, after many years of New Zealand administration. Today Cook Islanders enjoy easy access to New Zealand based on a constitutional agreement with their neighbor to the south. In fact, Cook Islanders have been migrating to New Zealand for the last 60 years. They do so for many reasons—but it is usually to pursue a better life or higher income, for an education, for medical reasons, or for extended visits with family and relatives there.

      Rarotonga is the main island in the Cook Islands, and hosts the capital Avarua and the major sea and airports for the country. Parliament and key government agencies are all located on the main island. The remaining 12 inhabited islands are divided regionally into the Northern and Southern Cook Islands. The Northern Islands are made up of Penrhyn, Pukapuka, Nassau, Rakahanga, Manihiki, Palmerston, and Suwarrow. The Southern islands are Aitutaki, Mangaia, Mitiaro, Mauke, and Atiu. The Northern islands are atoll islands (and more remote), while the southern islands, including Rarotonga, are volcanic.

      The Cook Islands Economic Reform Program began in 1996 and had an important impact on the economy, shifting it from being public sector-driven to private sector-led, and focusing on growth.

      This case highlights a component of the reform program that was initiated to assist government employees shift their practices and policies to align with reform directions.