Public sector governance
How government organisations are led and held accountable, which departments oversee Crown entities and where to find governance opportunities.
Crown entities are government organisations that deliver many of the services New Zealanders use every day. They handle a large part of government spending and service delivery.
The rules for how they work are mainly set out in the Crown Entities Act 2004, with extra rules in other laws like the Public Finance Act 1989 and the Public Service Act 2020. Each Crown entity also has its own specific law that explains what it does.
Crown Entities Act 2004 — New Zealand Legislation
Find a list of all Crown entities on our website.
There are several different types of Crown entity with the statutory entities delivering a wide range of government services. These are described in section 7 of the Crown Entities Act 2004.
Section 7, Crown Entities Act 2004 — New Zealand Legislation
Statutory Crown entities are government organisations set up by law to deliver specific services. They get their funding mainly from taxpayers, but sometimes also from fees, levies or other sources.
Most Crown entities are run by a board chosen by a government minister. A few are led by just one person such as the Privacy Commissioner. While some of Crown entities work is independent (as set out in law), they still need to follow government priorities and policies.
These entities are expected to act in line with what their minister wants and follow many of the same rules as other government departments—like being fair, working well with others, and managing staff properly.
Their boards are responsible for how well they perform and how they spend public money, and they must answer to both their minister and Parliament.
It Takes Three – the overall operating expectations framework
A guide for ministers – comprehensive guide for ministers for engaging with Crown entities
Board appointments and induction guidelines – sets out best practice appointment processes
Personal qualities and attributes for Crown entity boards
Crown entity performance levers for Ministers to get the performance they want
Four page summary guide for responsible Ministers
Ministerial checklist for supporting appointments to statutory Crown entity boards
Establishing a ministerial advisory group
It Takes Three – the overall operating expectations framework
Crown entity boards
Board member induction slide pack
Resource for Preparation of Governance Manuals - Guidance for Statutory Crown Entities
Code of conduct for Crown entity board members
Statutory Crown Entities and the Public Service Act 2020
Personal qualities and attributes for Crown entity boards
Expectations and requirements
Enduring Letter of Expectations
Government Workforce Policy Statement
“All-of-Government” Requirements and Expectations on Statutory Crown Entities
Monitoring
The Foundations of Good Practice: Guidelines for Crown Entity Monitoring
It Takes Three – the overall operating expectations framework
Appointments and induction
Board Appointments and Induction Guidelines – sets out best practice appointments processes
Board member induction slide pack
Crown entity board chair induction
Personal qualities and attributes for Crown entity boards
“All-of-government” requirements and expectations on statutory crown entities
Ministerial Checklist for Supporting Appointments to Statutory Crown Entity Boards
The Treasury provides guidance aimed at Crown entities for preparing the required accountability documents as detailed in part 4 of the Crown Entities Act 2004.
Part 4,Crown Entities Act 2004 — New Zealand Legislation
This guidance includes:
Crown Entities Act: Statement of Intent Guidance — The Treasury