Ngā Whakaritenga Kāwanatanga Government Settings

Government identity

System lead: Te Kawa Mataaho | Public Service Commission

The use of the New Zealand Government Identity applies to all Public Service departments, departmental agencies, interdepartmental ventures, interdepartmental executive boards, and Crown agents. Other categories of Crown entity and agencies in the wider public sector can use the responsive logo mark if they wish, or as invited by responsible Ministers - (excluding the Coat of Arms which is administered by Manatū Taonga | Ministry of Culture and Heritage )

The administration of the New Zealand Government Identity is the responsibility of Te Kawa Mataaho Public Service Commission

Published guidance: Government Identity

Contact for further advice: communications@publicservice.govt.nz

Requirements and expectations

Digital government

System lead: Department of Internal Affairs

The Government Chief Digital Officer (GCDO) is designated as a System Leader under the Public Service Act 2020 s56 to develop and improve digital government.

Responsibilities include setting digital policy and standards, improving investments, establishing and managing digital services, and providing system assurance across the public sector

The GCDO has no regulatory or legislative powers.  Its primary source of influence is through Cabinet mandates that establish long-term directives across government. The GCDO works with and through government agencies and entities to support their digital initiatives and deliver customer-centred digital government

GCDO’s role includes establishing and managing common cross government processes, standards, infrastructure and services that agencies and the listed Crown agents are required to adopt

The Government Chief Privacy Officer (GCPO) reports to the GCDO. The GCPO leads an all-of-government approach to privacy to raise public service privacy maturity and capability. Agencies are supported to meet their privacy responsibilities and improve their privacy practices. See: Government Chief Privacy Officer | NZ Digital government

Published strategy, standards, guidance and services: Home | NZ Digital government

Contact for further advice:

Digital government - gcdo@dia.govt.nz

Privacy - gcpo@dia.govt.nz

Requirements and expectations

Open Government

System lead: Te Kawa Mataaho | Public Service Commission

Open government is one of the Public Service principles in the Public Service Act 2020, underpinned by the values of responsiveness and accountability.  Open government supports transparency and participation, and accountability. Enabling legislation includes the Official Information Act 1982 (OIA). The OIA allows for requests of official information and sets out the principle that the information shall be made available unless there is good reason for withholding it. Proactive release, where information is made publicly available without being requested, is also widely encouraged

Agencies should also be aware of the requirements of the policy for the Proactive Release of Cabinet Material 

Published guidance: Te Kawa Mataaho Public Service Commission has a lead role in providing advice and assistance to agencies on the management of official information 

Contact for further advice: Enquiries@publicservice.govt.nz

Requirements and expectations

Public Records Act 2005

System lead: Department of Internal Affairs

The Public Records Act 2005 requires the public sector to create and maintain full, accurate and accessible records of the affairs of government

Section 17 of the Public Records Act states every public office and local authority must create and maintain full and accurate records of its affairs, in line with normal prudent business practice

Additionally Section 18 of the Public Records Act states the authority required to dispose of public records and protected records

Published Guidance:

• Key obligations - Public Records Act 2005 – Archives New Zealand
• Disposal Process for public records
• Transfer Process
• Access

Contact for further advice: rkadvice@dia.govt.nz

Requirements and expectations

Government Expectations for Good Regulatory Practice, including Regulatory Stewardship

System Lead: The Treasury

The regulatory systems maintained by the government are intended to be assets providing long term value to our communities.  Like other assets, these regulatory systems need ongoing care and maintenance to ensure they remain effective, fair and appropriate over time

Regulatory stewardship is the governance, monitoring and care of our regulatory systems.  The government has set expectations for regulatory stewardship by government agencies in three broad areas:

• monitoring, reviewing and reporting on existing regulatory systems
• robust analysis and implementation support for changes to regulatory systems, and
• good regulatory practice

Published guidance: Government Expectations for Good Regulatory Practice (treasury.govt.nz) and Starting out with regulatory stewardship: A resource

Contact for further advice: regulation@treasury.govt.nz

Plain Language Act 2022

System Lead: Te Kawa Mataaho

The purpose of the Plain Language Act 2022 is to improve the effectiveness and accountability of public service agencies and Crown agents, and to improve the accessibility of certain documents that they make available to the public, by providing for those documents to use language that is

• appropriate to the intended audience; and
• clear, concise, and well organised.

Published Guidance: Plain Language Act 2022: Guidance for agencies - Te Kawa Mataaho Public Service Commission

Contact for further advice: enquiries@publicservice.govt.nz