How government organisations are led and held accountable, which departments oversee Crown entities and where to find current governance opportunities.

Public sector governance refers to the systems, processes, and practices through which public institutions are directed, controlled, and held accountable. It ensures that public entities operate with integrity, transparency, and accountability, while delivering outcomes that serve the public interest.

In New Zealand, public sector governance is shaped by legislation (including the Crown Entities Act 2004, Public Finance Act 1989, and Public Service Act 2020), Cabinet expectations, and Public Service values. It encompasses both government departments and Crown entities, which are legally separate but publicly funded bodies.

Crown Entities Act 2004 — New Zealand Legislation

Public Finance Act 1989 — New Zealand Legislation

Public Service Act 2020 — New Zealand Legislation

Governance of Crown entities

Statutory Crown entities are governed by boards appointed by ministers, or in some cases by the Governor-General on ministerial advice. These boards are responsible for ensuring effective governance, strategic leadership, and oversight of organisational performance.

Ministerial advisory groups offer another avenue for contributing to public sector governance. These are temporary, non-statutory bodies established by ministers to provide independent, expert advice on specific policy issues. They operate under defined terms of reference and are supported by the relevant government department. 

Establishing a ministerial advisory group

Ministers play a critical role in appointing capable and diverse boards to ensure Crown entities and advisory groups are well-governed and responsive to public needs. Government departments support this process by identifying, assessing, and recommending suitable candidates.

Find out more about monitoring departments, their Crown entities, the public sector governance appointment process and where to find current governance opportunities below.

Public sector governance appointment process

1. Nominations and recruitment

2. Consultation

3. Cabinet consideration

4. Making the appointment
  • Skills identified
  • Agreement on process
  • Call for nominations
  • Candidates to the responsible minister
  • Responsible minister undertakes ministerial consultation on preferred candidates
  • Lodgement of Cabinet paper
  • Cabinet committee considers paper (generally Cabinet Appointments and Honours Committee)
  • Decisions confirmed by Cabinet
  • Appointee confirmed and notified
  • Appointment announced

For more information on the public sector governance appointment process see the following guidance.

Board Appointment and Induction Guidelines: Planning appointments

Cab Guide: The appointment process – Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet

Nomination Services

Nominating agencies maintain databases of suitably qualified people from within their specific populations. A list of the nominating services available is provided below. 

If you’re interested in starting or furthering your governance career within the public sector, consider registering with a relevant Nominations Service.

  • Manatū Wāhine | Ministry for Women – Nominations Service

    The Ministry for Women’s Nominations Service focuses on providing high quality women candidates for public sector board roles.

    The Service:

    • maintains a database of women from different sectors and professions
    • notifies women of suitable vacancies and where to apply for them
    • provides short biographies and contact details of nominees in confidence when required
    • collates a yearly stocktake of gender, Māori and ethnic diversity, and reports on women’s participation on public sector boards and committees
    • provides women candidates with governance advice through online resources, newsletters and governance training.

    Nominations Service – Manatū Wāhine | Ministry for Women

  • Te Puni Kōkiri – Te Pae Ārahi: Nominations Service

    The Service:

    • promotes Māori participation on statutory boards, committees and advisory groups, particularly those playing a role in New Zealand’s social and economic development
    • maintains a database and nominations service
    • aims to develop and maintain relationships with key Māori, community, and industry and sector organisations.

    Te Pae Ārahi Nominations Service – Te Puni Kōkiri

  • Ministry for Pacific Peoples (MPP) – Nominations Service

    The Service:

    • promotes Pacific representation on statutory boards, committees and advisory groups, and grows Pacific leadership capacity for nominations to those entities whose decisions have an impact on Pacific people
    • maintains a database of Pacific candidates and a small nominations service
    • promotes the nominations service through the MPP Fetu Pasifika e-newsletter, MPP website/Facebook and Pacific media networks.

    Nominations Service – Ministry for Pacific Peoples

  • Ministry for Ethnic Communities – Nominations Service

    The Ministry for Ethnic Communities’ Nominations Service maintains a database of suitably qualified candidates from their mandated ethnic communities who want to be considered for participation in advisory groups and for appointment to public sector boards and committees.

    The Service:

    • maintains extensive links with ethnic communities and their representative organisations throughout Aotearoa New Zealand, through their regionally based community engagement teams
    • provides advice to the public sector on engagement with ethnic communities
    • encourages increased civic participation within ethnic communities
    • promotes its nominations service through its communications channels and community engagement events
    • advocates for greater connections between appointing agencies and its service
    • advises potential candidates of vacancies from appointing agencies for self-nomination, or nomination through its service
    • provides short biographies and contact details of nominees in confidence when required
    • provides candidates from its service with governance advice and governance training and networking opportunities where possible.

    Nominations Service – Ministry for Ethnic Communities

  • Whaikaha Ministry of Disabled People – Nominations Service

    The Service:

    • has extensive links with disabled people and their representative organisations throughout Aotearoa
    • promotes participation of disabled people on statutory boards, committees, and advisory groups
    • provides a nominations service and manages a database of disabled people and some carers and whānau of disabled people as candidates for nomination to boards, committees, and advisory groups
    • advises potential candidates of vacancies from appointing agencies for self-nomination to positions that interest them and align with skills and experience
    • advocates for participation of disabled people in all aspects of decision making that will impact on them.

    Nominations Service – Ministry of Disabled People – Whaikaha

Appointing and monitoring departments

If you are interested in contributing to public sector governance, the list below outlines the government departments responsible for supporting ministerial appointments to Crown entities and monitoring their performance on behalf of responsible ministers.