This article is edited from a speech delivered to the University of Victoria, Wellington - IPMN Workshop on the theme lessons from experience in New Zealand. The author articulates a number of lessons that have been learned, and identifies some lessons that should have been learned. Scott writes from the perspective of having been directly and centrally involved in the development and implementation of what has been characterized as "the New Zealand model" or public management for more than twenty years, a record of service that continues to date. The views expressed also benefit from extensive consulting by the author for governments around the world. Among the lessons learned are (a) the need for clarity of roles, responsibilities and acountability in the implementation of management reform, (b) the importance of matching decision capacity to responsibility, (c) the significance of ministerial commitment and clarity of roles, on expectations, (d) the advantages gained from structural innovations within the New Zealand cabinet, (e) the need to analyze disasters carefully for what they teach, (f) approaches to embrace and foibles to avoid in implemeting performance specification, (g) problems caused by confusion over ownership and improper assessment of organizational capability,(h) the fact that actually doing strategic managemetn in the public sector is hugely complicated, (i) that it is time to put and end to the notion that there is an `extreme model' of public management in application in New Zealand, and (j) that public management, governmentand governance innovations in New Zealand are no longer novel compared to those advanced in other nations. With respect to lessons not learned satisfactorily, many are simply the dark shadow of positive lessons, i.e. , having not understood or implemented the successes achieved in some parts of New Zealand governments into others. The author concludes with an admonition to avoid jumping too quickly, in response to post-electoral rhetoric, to the conclusion that past reforms in have to be modified quickly and radically, and that the New Zealand Model has failed