News and events

In this presentation, lead agencies report on the progress of the eight commitments under New Zealand’s Fourth National Action Plan.

Read the presentation slides here.(PDF, 653 KB)

Kia ora,

In this edition, we invite you to read the latest Fourth National Action Plan progress report. We note the Open Gov Challenge and that OGP is inviting you to contribute to the agenda for the next OGP Asia and Pacific Regional Meeting in Manila in February 2025. We discuss two recent New Zealand initiatives aimed at increasing government transparency and efficiency. Finally, we highlight the opportunity to comment on the Public Service Commission’s next Long-term Insights Briefing.

National Action Plan Progress

The progress of the Open Government Partnership (OGP) Fourth National Action Plan commitments is reported on the OGPNZ website. This update follows the December 2023 report back. There will be a final progress report on completion of the plan at the end of 2024.

Read the progress report here:

August 2024 progress report(PDF, 567 KB)

The Open Gov Challenge

The Open Gov Challenge was launched on the 13th anniversary of the Open Government Partnership. This challenge continues to encourage countries to make more ambitious commitments and advance OGP’s mission of fostering inclusive accountable governance that serves all people.

Learn more about the challenge here:

Open Gov Challenge (opengovpartnership.org)

OGP Asia and Pacific Regional Meeting

The Government and civil society of the Philippines will host this meeting in Manila from 5-7 February 2025. OGP has launched a survey to identify priorities for the agenda, topics and suggestions for speakers. The deadline for taking the survey is 4 October 2024.

Find out more about the meeting here:

2025 OGP Asia and Pacific Regional Meeting (opengovpartnership.org)

Contribute to the meeting agenda here:

2025 OGP Asia and Pacific Regional Meeting (docs.google.com)

Recent developments in New Zealand

Two recent developments look set to make a real difference to government transparency and efficiency, in different ways. These are a new government direction on the use of AI and the work of the Social Investment Agency.

Use of Artificial Intelligence

Artificial intelligence (AI) refers to computer systems that can perform complex tasks that, in the past, only a human could do, such as reasoning and solving problems.  Today, “AI” describes a wide range of technologies being used in many of the services and goods we consume every day.

While AI use can lift government efficiency, transparency and accountability, its use can also raise concerns. For example, concerns about AI use in official decision-making led to a commitment in the Third National Action Plan(PDF, 1.5 MB) to review government algorithm use.

Government agencies have been hesitant about using AI for public services. 'Interim guidance on Generative AI use in the public service' was issued by the Government Chief Digital Officer in July 2023.

Read the guidance here:

Interim Generative AI guidance for the public service (digital.govt.nz)

However, recently Cabinet agreed to the Public Service taking a new, strategic approach to AI, and responsibly using this transformative technology to help deliver better outcomes for people and boost productivity.

Read the Cabinet paper here:

Approach to work on Artificial Intelligence – Cabinet paper (mbie.govt.nz)

Read the minute of decision here:

Approach to work on Artificial Intelligence – Minute of Decision (mbie.govt.nz)

Work of the Social Investment Agency

Openness in government is closely associated with achieving high standards of accountability. The public sector has been criticised at times for not measuring what it does with taxpayer’s money. See, for example, page 43 of Transparency International’s report released in August 2024.

Read the Transparency International report here:

An assessment of the effectiveness of anti-corruption institutions in New Zealand in deterring, detecting and exposing corruption (Transparency.org.nz)

In July 2024, the government established the new Social Investment Agency (SIA) as a central agency, to accelerate a social investment approach and to improve performance measures across the Public Service.

Read the SIA cabinet paper here:

Accelerating Social Investment – Cabinet paper (sia.govt.nz)

The media release about the new SIA includes links to information about social investment and the Minister for Social Investment’s media release and Getting Back on Track speech.

Read the SIA media release here:

We're changing to the Social Investment Agency – media release (sia.govt.nz)
Since the SIA was established, agency chief executives have worked closely with their portfolio Ministers in developing their measures. More information will be posted on the SIA website as work progresses.

Long term insights briefing topic consultation

The Public Service Commission is consulting on the choice of topic for its next long-term insights briefing (LTIB). LTIBs are ‘think pieces’ on the future that aim to help steward work on long-term issues. Topics being considered are the future of public service work and workforce; culture of integrity and integrity risks; and how to organise agencies to best address the complex problems facing New Zealand. Consultation closes on 13 October 2024.

Read more about the briefing and topic consultation here:

Our second long-term insights briefing (publicservice.govt.nz)

Contact the team if you would like more information or would like to be kept updated on the topic selection process here:

Longterminsights@publicservice.govt.nz.

Visit this page for more information about LTIBs including a list of published briefings and open consultations:

Long-term insights briefings (publicservice.govt.nz)

Know anyone who’d like to receive these OGPNZ updates?

If you have colleagues, friends or family who are interested in receiving these regular OGPNZ updates, please share with themthis subscription link.

If you have any questions about OGPNZ, please email us at ogpnz@publicservice.govt.nz.

In this presentation, lead agencies report on the progress of the eight commitments under New Zealand’s Fourth National Action Plan.

Read the presentation slides here(PDF, 567 KB).

This week is Open Government Week, a global initiative promoted by the Open Government Partnership to raise public awareness on the values of open government.

The Open Government Partnership has launched the Open Gov Challenge, a challenge for the open government community to rise up, raise the ambition of open government initiatives, and collectively meet the moment. 

Introducing the Open Government Challenge

Find out more about the challenge and events taking place around the world in recognition of Open Government Week here:

Open Government Week

Open Government Partnership – Open Government Week 2024

Professor John Gastil is one of the world’s leading scholars in the fields of deliberative democracy and democratic innovation.

He will be presenting on the future of democracy at a public lecture at University of Auckland on 5 June and two lunchtime seminars at Victoria University of Wellington or via Zoom on 11 and 12 June. These events have been organised by Trust Democracy New Zealand and Koi Tū: the Centre for Informed Futures at the University of Auckland and Victoria University of Wellington.

Find out more and register to attend these events here:

The Future of Democracy: Hear John Gastil while he's in New Zealand - Trust Democracy NZ

Under the Official Information Act 1982 (OIA), government information must be disclosed unless there is a good reason to withhold the information on the grounds set out in the OIA. Commitment 7 of the Fourth National Action Plan tasks the Ministry of Justice with looking at options to strengthen the scrutiny of legislative clauses that propose to override the disclosure requirements of the OIA.

In March 2024, the Ministry of Justice consulted on proposals. Here are the consultation documents:

Consultation paper and a summary of the submissions received (PDF, 561 KB)

Collation of the written submissions received on the proposals(PDF, 1.4 MB)

Commitment 7 - Ministry of Justice Guidance

17 December 2024

In December 2024, the Deputy Secretary of Policy at the Ministry of Justice wrote to the policy and legal teams across the public sector about Protecting the Integrity of the Official Information Act 1982 (OIA) and OIA Exemptions.

A copy of the letter is attached here [pdf] [1.31 MB] (PDF, 1.3 MB)

At a public meeting on 30 June 2023, lead agencies discussed the first six months’ progress on the eight commitments under New Zealand’s Fourth National Action Plan(PDF, 3.8 MB) under the Open Government Partnership.

These initiatives include a new counter-fraud and corruption strategy, increasing the transparency of government algorithm use and the beneficial ownership of companies and limited partnerships, improving government procurement, establishing a multi channel approach to the delivery of government information and services, strengthening the scrutiny of OIA exemption clauses researching deliberate processes, and adopting a community engagement tool for government policy.

You can view a recording of the event here and the presentation slides here.(PDF, 1 MB)

Many thanks to everyone who presented and attended.

30 June report back meeting - responses to questions(PDF, 229 KB)

Kia ora,

In this edition, we discuss the upcoming Fourth National Action Plan report back event, a recent case study on WaterCare's deliberative process and a new OECD report Open Government for Stronger Democracies: A Global Assessment.

Upcoming Fourth National Action Plan report back event

Update: Due to unforeseen circumstances, please note that this event is now being held online only. There will be no in-person event at Te Puni Kōkiri. All participants have been sent the Zoom details but if you haven’t received an email from us, please get in touch at ogpnz@publicservice.govt.nz.

The second report back event on the progress of New Zealand's Fourth National Action Plan(PDF, 3.8 MB) (NAP4) is taking place on Tuesday 5 December 2023 and everyone is welcome.

The event will be held in person at Te Puni Kōkiri in Wellington and online via Zoom from 1pm to 3pm, however we are inviting people to arrive early from 12.45pm for a meet and greet with the people responsible for implementing the Plan’s commitments.

Register to join the report back event here (this link is no longer available).

Recent case study on deliberative processes for community engagement

Te Kawa Mataaho Public Service Commission is responsible for Commitment 2 under the NAP4 which involves researching deliberative processes for community engagement. Deliberative processes can include things like citizens’ assemblies, juries and participatory budgeting.

We recently published a case study that looks at what a deliberative process is, how they work and how Watercare ran their citizens' assembly. The case study aims to help agencies and the public better understand what a deliberative process involves.

"Going into this I was a bit worried I’d be very strongly pushed towards a single option, but it really seems like they’re encouraging discussion" – Participant, WaterCare citizens' assembly

Read the deliberative processes case study here.

New OECD report 'Open Government for Stronger Democracies'

Last week, the OECD released a new report ‘Open Government for Stronger Democracies: A Global Assessment’. The report takes stock of countries' implementation of the Recommendation on Open Government adopted by the OECD Council in 2017, its dissemination, and its ongoing significance. 

"Open government is a powerful catalyst for driving democracy, public trust, and inclusive growth." – Open Government for Stronger Democracies

Read the OECD report here.

Know anyone who’d like to receive these OGPNZ updates?

If you have colleagues, friends or family who are interested in receiving these regular OGPNZ updates, please share with them this subscription link.

If you have any questions about OGPNZ, please email us at ogpnz@publicservice.govt.nz

Update: Due to unforeseen circumstances, please note that this event is now being held online only. There will be no in-person event at Te Puni Kōkiri. All participants have been sent the Zoom details but if you haven’t received an email from us, please get in touch at ogpnz@publicservice.govt.nz.

You’re invited! The progress of the Fourth National Action Plan will be discussed at a public meeting in Wellington and via Zoom on Tuesday 5 December 2023 from 12.45pm (for a 1pm start) – 3pm. Registrations to attend are now open – details and link to register below.

At this event you will hear about the progress made in the first year of New Zealand’s Fourth National Action Plan. Public Service agencies will be discussing the progress of each of the eight commitments in the Action Plan and answering questions.

To register for this event, please use the button below before Monday, 27 November 2023. 

Register here

Please note, you can attend in-person or online via Zoom. These options are shown on the registration page.

If you have any further questions, please email ogpnz@publicservice.govt.nz

We hope to see you there. 

You’re Invited! The progress of the Fourth National Action Plan will be discussed at a public meeting in Wellington and via Zoom on 30 June 2023 2.00pm -4.00pm. Registrations to attend are now open – details and link to register below.

At this event you will hear about the progress made in the first six months of New Zealand’s Fourth National Action Plan. Public Service agencies will be discussing the progress of each of the eight commitments in the Action Plan and answering questions. 

To register for this event, please use the button below before Friday, 23 June 2023.  

Registration here

Please note, you can attend in-person or online via Zoom. These options are shown on the registration page. 

If you have any further questions, please email ogpnz@publicservice.govt.nz

We hope to see you there.  

Save the date! The progress of the Fourth National Action Plan will be reported at a public meeting in Wellington and via Zoom on 30 June 2023 from 2-4pm. Registrations for this free event will open this week, with further information released here.

Tēnā koe, 

You are warmly invited to the Open Government Partnership Report Back Event on Friday, 30 June 2023, 2.00pm - 4.00pm, at Te Puni Kōkiri, Wellington. 

At this event you will hear about the progress made in the first six months of New Zealand’s Fourth National Action Plan. Public Service agencies will be discussing the progress of each of the eight commitments in the Action Plan and answering questions. 

To register for this event, please use the link below before Friday, 23 June 2023.  

Registration Form

After clicking the button, you will be asked to RSVP and fill in your details. Once submitted, you will receive a confirmation email with the details for the event. 

Please note, you can also attend online via Zoom. This option is shown on the registration page. 

If you have any further questions, please email ogpnz@publicservice.govt.nz 

We hope to see you there.  

Ngā mihi nui,  

Open Government Partnership Team 

Te Kawa Mataaho Public Service Commission 

In this edition, we’re highlighting Open Gov Week, visit by Open Government Partnership (OGP) International, and the latest Kiwis Count results for New Zealand. 

Open Government Week

This is OGP International’s Open Gov Week (8-12 May 2023), a global call to action to transform the way governments respond to their citizens’ needs. In New Zealand, we have been spotlighting examples of open government in action on our social media channels (including LinkedIn and Twitter) – which you’re welcome to reshare. These include: the Policy Project’s community engagement resources; Koi Tū: The Centre for Informed Futures’ work using deliberative processes for community engagement; and the Ministry for Pacific Peoples’ (MPP) partnership work to protect and empower Pacific communities during COVID-19.

Demonstrating responsiveness and active citizenship, and recognising that many Pacific people prefer tailored health information and messaging, MPP worked in partnership with Pacific leaders and providers to boost the COVID-19 vaccination rollout to Pacific communities. This engagement work was successful because of community ownership – where Pacific communities were involved in the design and delivery of services and information. For more information, visit our online story It’s Open Govt Week.

International Open Government Partnership visit 

In April, we welcomed Sanjay Pradhan (OGP Chief Executive Officer) and Alan Wu (OGP Senior Regional Coordinator, Asia and the Pacific). On 12 April, Sanjay and Alan met with the OGP NZ Expert Advisory Panel and the Te Kawa Mataaho Public Service Commission OGP team. On 13 April, Sanjay and Rt Hon Helen Clark (OGP Ambassador) participated in a panel discussion at the ‘Strengthening Democracy through Open Government’ event in Wellington. This event was organised by OGP, civil society organisations, and Victoria University of Wellington School of Government.  

Kiwis Count 

Every quarter, the Kiwis Count survey asks 1,000 people about their trust and confidence in New Zealand public services. The survey asks respondents why they’ve given a particular trust score based on their most recent service experience and their overall perception of the Public Service (the Public Service brand). The information gathered also identifies what drives high trust and where there are opportunities to improve public services.  

The latest Kiwis Count survey shows 60 percent of New Zealanders trust the Public Service. Trust in the Public Service brand has trended up from 39 percent 10 years ago. And 84% of New Zealanders trust public services based on their personal experience, the highest result to date for this measure.  

Fourth National Action Plan  

Implementation of New Zealand’s Fourth National Action Plan started in early 2023. Public meetings to report back on progress of the Plan's commitments are set to take place every six months. The first public report-back is planned for June 2023. Meeting details and information about how you can join the discussion will be posted on the OGPNZ website and social media channels (including OGPNZ Twitter). 

Co-create. Collaborate. Contribute. Be part of OGP International’s Open Gov Week (8-12 May 2023), and help create more transparent, accountable, responsive & inclusive governments. This week is a global call to action to transform the way governments respond to their citizens’ needs.

Open government is about strengthening democracy, building trust, and improving wellbeing by ensuring people can contribute and influence what government does, and how it does it.  

In New Zealand, for 2023 Open Gov Week, we are sharing examples of open government in action on our social media channels (including LinkedIn and Twitter) and e-newsletter. These include the: NZ Policy Project’s community engagement resources; Koi Tū: The Centre for Informed Futures’ work using deliberative processes for community engagement; and the Ministry for Pacific Peoples’ (MPP) partnership work to protect and empower Pacific communities during COVID-19. 

MPP: Engaging with Pacific communities  

Demonstrating responsiveness and active citizenship, and recognising that many Pacific people prefer tailored health information and messaging, MPP worked in partnership with Pacific leaders and providers to roll out key information on COVID-19 and boost the COVID-19 vaccination rollout to Pacific communities. This engagement work was successful because of community ownership – where Pacific communities were involved in the design and delivery of services and information.  

MPP used official information sources to package up bite size, easy-to-understand information in nine Pacific languages and English. The information was distributed through a national network of mass media, digital channels and community influencers. In addition, they worked with key community leaders and stakeholders to ensure that Pacific families had access to the right support and translated information. Through the COVID-19 digital campaign, MPP reached nearly 4.3 million audience, 1 million views and 439K audience engagement. For more information, visit MPP’s COVID-19 resources page, and We got your back New Zealand videos. 

The OGP team and NAP4 Commitment leads met on 2 May to give an update on OGP work underway including progress on the Fourth National Action Plan commitments. Check out the meeting minutes here: 02 May 2023 — OGP team and NAP4 Commitment lead Officials Meeting Minutes(PDF, 137 KB)

In this edition, we’re covering an update of New Zealand’s Fourth National Action Plan implementation, visit by Open Government Partnership (OGP) International, and the OECD results for New Zealand. 

Fourth National Action Plan  

Implementation of New Zealand’s Fourth National Action Plan has started. A public meeting to update on the progress of the Action Plan commitments is planned for 15 June 2023. Details will be advised shortly. 

International Open Government Partnership visit 

Next week is the inaugural New Zealand visit of Sanjay Pradhan (OGP Chief Executive Officer). Joining Sanjay on his two-day New Zealand visit is Alan Wu (OGP Senior Regional Coordinator, Asia and the Pacific).  

On 12 April, Sanjay and Alan will meet with the OGP NZ Expert Advisory Panel and the Te Kawa Mataaho Public Service Commission OGP team. On 13 April, Sanjay and Rt Hon Helen Clark (OGP Ambassador) will participate in a panel discussion at the ‘Strengthening Democracy through Open Government’ event in Wellington. The event is hosted by Trust Democracy, Victoria University of Wellington School of Government, NZ Council for Civil Liberties, Transparency International New Zealand, and OGP. 

OECD Report 

In March, OECD’s 2023 Drivers of Trust in Public Institutions in New Zealand report was released. The study reaffirms that trust and confidence in the Public Service is driven by responsiveness and the delivery of reliable public services that meet the needs of people.  

The OECD findings are in line with the Te Kawa Mataaho Kiwis Count survey, which also measures the trust and confidence of New Zealanders in the Public Service. According to the latest quarterly Kiwis Count survey, 80 percent of New Zealanders trust public services based on their personal experience. For more details, check out OECD: High level of trust in the Public Service. 

Open Government Week 

OGP International’s Open Gov Week (OGW) – 8-12 May 2023 – is a global call to action to transform the way governments respond to their citizens’ needs. In New Zealand, we’ll be supporting OGW through examples of open government in action which we will share on the OGPNZ and Te Kawa Mataaho social media channels.  

Happy New Year! In this update, we’re covering New Zealand’s Fourth National Action Plan and the inaugural State of the Public Service briefing. 

Fourth National Action Plan  

Many thanks to everyone who contributed to the development of New Zealand’s Fourth National Action Plan, under the Open Government Partnership (OGP). The Plan was published in December 2022 and commenced in January 2023. 

To develop the Plan, New Zealand’s OGP Multi-stakeholder Forum (MSF) worked with the public, government agencies and civil society. The development work included ideas generation, commitment development, commitment refinement, and Cabinet decision-making processes. 

The Cabinet-approved Plan, including PDF and HTML versions, is published on the Fourth National Action Plan web page. A summary of the stakeholder feedback received on the draft Plan is also available here(PDF, 341 KB). 

The plan contains eight commitments: 

1. Adopt a community engagement tool
2. Research deliberative processes for community engagement
3. Establish an inclusive, multi-channel approach to the delivery of government information and services
4. Design and implement a National Counter Fraud and Corruption Strategy
5. Increase transparency of beneficial ownership of companies and limited partnerships
6. Improve government procurement transparency
7. Strengthen scrutiny of Official Information Act exemption clauses in legislation
8. Improve transparency and accountability of algorithm use across government.

Citizen Workshops – Deliberative Processes  

Commitment 2 of the Fourth National Action Plan is about researching deliberative processes being used for community engagement. 

Reflecting deliberative processes in action, the Ministry of Transport is working with Auckland University’s Koi Tū The Centre for Informed Futures team to address the question: “How should we fund the transport system in the future?” The next stage includes a set of deliberative workshops, in which a group of citizens is invited to join in the conversation and learn more about the issues.   

State of the Public Service briefing  

In December 2022, the Public Service Commissioner Peter Hughes released the first Te Kahu Tuatini | State of the Public Service briefing, which provides an overview of the Public Service and how it is performing. The briefing highlights progress, as well as areas of challenge, across key dimensions of the Public Service – including trust, integrity, open government and Māori-Crown relationship building.  

This three-yearly briefing plays an important role in providing for strong stewardship of the Public Service and sits alongside the Long-term Insights Briefings, which were also introduced under the Public Service Act 2020. There is a close alignment between the purpose of these documents and work in the OGP space. The briefings, for instance, are publicly released, referred to Select Committee for consideration, and provide input into government thinking over the medium-to-longer term that goes beyond future OGPNZ Action Plans. 

If you would like to share the Fourth National Action Plan or Te Kahu Tuatini briefing on social media, you can find posts on OGPNZ Twitter and Te Kawa Mataaho | Public Service Commission Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn platforms. 

International OGP Strategy  

The international body of OGP has published a draft OGP 2023-2028 strategy that is available for public feedback until February 15, 2023. To have your say, visit Creating OGP’s Future Together: Draft Strategy. 

Know anyone who’d like to receive these OGPNZ updates? 

If you have colleagues, friends or family who are interested in receiving these regular OGPNZ updates, please share with them this subscription link. 

If you have any questions about OGPNZ, please email us at ogpnz@publicservice.govt.nz  

New Zealand’s Fourth National Action Plan under the Open Government Partnership was made public today. “Open government is about strengthening democracy, building trust and improving wellbeing. This Fourth Plan includes commitments that are designed to bring positive change for the people in New Zealand,” Public Services Minister Chris Hipkins said.

Have your say on the Fourth National Action Plan
Following Cabinet’s agreement to release the draft for consultation, we’re seeking your feedback on this Plan, via this web page.

Consultation on the draft Plan is open to all and is a public process. All comments and feedback are considered and will published publicly on the OGP New Zealand website, in accordance with the moderation policy.

To have your say, by 5pm 12 December 2022, please review the Plan on the Fourth National Action Plan web page, then:

• email your feedback to us at ogpnz@publicservice.govt.nz, OR
• provide feedback via the Open Government Partnership Dialogue platform (‘Current Challenges’ section’). 

Introducing the Plan commitments

1. Adopt a community engagement tool
2. Research deliberative processes for community engagement
3. Establish an integrated, multi-channel approach to public services and support
4. Design and implement a National Counter Fraud and Corruption Strategy
5. Increase transparency of beneficial ownership of companies and limited partnerships
6. Improve government procurement transparency
7. Strengthen scrutiny of Official Information Act exemption clauses in legislation
8. Improve transparency and accountability of algorithm use across government

Visit from OPG International

Coinciding with the final stages of developing our Fourth National Action Plan, between 23-25 November, Alan Wu (OGP Senior Regional Coordinator) visited New Zealand. While in Wellington, Alan met with representatives from:

• Te Kawa Mataaho OGP team
• OGP New Zealand Expert Advisory Panel
• Government agency stakeholders
• Members of civil society organisations.

Based in Singapore, Alan joined OGP in August 2018. Prior to this, he was the OGP point of contact for Australia and had several roles within the Australian Public Service.

National Action Plan News

Agency and Ministerial consultation on the draft Fourth National Action Plan (the Plan) was undertaken in late October and early November 2022. This step followed public workshops in mid-2022, and an intense period of work by civil society and agencies to finalise the draft Plan.

The draft Plan will be considered by Cabinet on 23 November 2022. With Cabinet’s agreement, the draft Plan will be published for a two-week period of public consultation during November/December 2022.

Your submissions and feedback matter. You can have your say on the draft Plan when it is published on this web page. We’ll have more details about the consultation in our next e-update and via Twitter.

Know anyone who’d like to receive these OGP New Zealand updates?

If you have colleagues, friends or family who are interested in receiving these regular OGP updates, please share with them this subscription link.

If you have any questions about OGP New Zealand, please email us at ogpnz@publicservice.govt.nz.

Our Expert Advisory Panel, civil society organisations and government officials met on 6 and 13 July to discuss the “fledgling” commitments for our next National Action Plan. Check out the notes from these meetings here: Expert Advisory Panel (EAP), civil society organisation (CSO) and Officials Meeting(PDF, 215 KB)

Are you wondering what’s happening with the National Action Plan 4? If so, read on. We’re also sharing an update about trust in the New Zealand (NZ) public sector from the new Kiwis Count and Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) report.

What’s the latest on National Action Plan 4?

Work on potential commitments for NZ's fourth National Action Plan(PDF, 3.8 MB) (NAP4) is progressing. The output of the four public workshops, held in April-May, has been discussed by the Expert Advisory Panel, civil society members and officials. The potential commitments will now be progressed to the point of draft proposals, to be submitted to the Minister for his consideration.

For details of the workshops, please see the “Summary: 2022 Open Government Partnership NZ Workshops on Potential NAP4 Commitments” published on Ideas for the Fourth National Action Plan(PDF, 210 KB).

On 13 July, we saw the release of two key indicators of trust and confidence in the NZ Public Service – the latest Kiwis Count results and the OECD Survey on the Drivers of Trust in Public Institutions.

The Kiwis Count survey measures the trust and confidence in the NZ Public Service. The latest Kiwis Count results, published by Te Kawa Mataaho | Public Service Commission (for the June quarter 2022), show ongoing stability in both trust in the public sector brand and experience of trust in the public sector.

Overall, the results from this latest survey show there’s a long-term upward trend in overall trust in the Public Service brand – now at 62% (up from 61% last quarter, and 41% in 2012). And based on their personal experience of services, people’s trust in the NZ Public Service remains high at 81%. This is up from 80% last quarter, and up from 72% in 2012 when these surveys began.

Historically, OECD data shows New Zealanders have high trust in public institutions, as reported in the Government at a Glance publications. NZ was one of 22 OECD countries that participated in the inaugural OECD Trust Survey.

The new OECD report Building Trust to Reinforce Democracy helps find out where citizen confidence is wavering and remains solid, and what needs to be done to close the gap. The report shows that NZ is performing well above the OECD average on trust in the Public Service, sitting alongside countries in the top bracket – Finland, Ireland, Iceland, and Latvia.

In this edition, we’re sharing an update of the new long-term insights briefing, new Protected Disclosures (Protection of Whistleblowers) Act 2022, and updated Acting in the Spirit of Service Speaking Up model standards.

Long-term insights briefing published!

How can we enable better public participation in government in the future?

To further this discussion, Te Kawa Mataaho | Public Service Commission has published its first ever long-term insights briefing, Te Kirirarautanga: Te Whai Wāhitanga Tūmatanui ki Te Kāwanatanga Anamata | Enabling Active Citizenship: Public Participation in Government into the Future.

In 2021, Te Kawa Mataaho reached out to the Open Government Partnership New Zealand (OGP NZ) community looking for input about the topics for this briefing. Thanks to everyone who was involved with the development of this briefing, including though the 2021 online survey.

Under the Public Service Act 2020, all NZ government departments are required to publish a briefing at least once every three years. Long-term insights briefings are designed to be ‘think pieces’ on the future (rather than government policy), providing information about medium and long-term trends, risks, and opportunities that affect, or may affect, NZ.

There is a close alignment between the purpose of the briefings and work in the OGP space. The briefings provide an opportunity to input into government thinking that goes beyond the next OGP NZ National Action Plan.

If you would like to share the briefing on social media, you can find the posts on these Te Kawa Mataaho Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn platforms.

The longterminsights@publicservice.govt.nz email address will remain active, if you’d like to keep in touch. You can find all departments’ long-term insights briefings (as these are published) on this Te Kawa Mataaho web page.

Protected Disclosures (Protection of Whistleblowers) Act 2022

On 1 July, the new Protected Disclosures (Protection of Whistleblowers) Act 2022 came into effect. Thanks to everyone who provided feedback on the Act during its development phase.

NZ was one of the first countries to introduce a dedicated law to protect whistleblowers – the Protected Disclosures Act 2000 – to support people to expose criminal, fraudulent or other serious misconduct in their workplaces by protecting them from unfair dismissal or treatment. NZ's Protected Disclosures law covers all organisations, whereas most other countries’ equivalent laws only apply to the public sector and/or to large corporates.

Replacing the Protected Disclosures Act 2000, the 2022 Act covers wrongdoing in, or by, any organisation – large or small, public, private, or voluntary sector. It’s relevant to anyone who has worked, or volunteered, for any organisation.

The 2022 Act improves the provisions and principles of the 2000 Act, while making the process for whistleblowing more accessible and easier to understand.

For more details, check out the guidance available on the Te Kawa Mataaho web page Protected Disclosures (Protection of Whistleblowers) Act 2022.

Acting in the Spirit of Service Speaking Up model standards

NZ is held in high regard for the standards of honesty, openness, transparency and integrity in the Public Service. This reputation is bolstered by the ability to build and maintain a culture that promotes speaking up about wrongdoing.

All NZ workers, including public servants, must be able to raise concerns without fear of punishment or reprisal. Good policies and processes that encourage staff to speak up about possible wrongdoing are vital for maintaining the integrity of our Public Service.

Last week, Te Kawa Mataaho published the updated Acting in the Spirit of Service Speaking Up model standards for organisations where public servants raise wrongdoing concerns.

The standards were first issued in 2017 (under the State Sector Act 1988), and further updated in 2019. The standards have now been updated in line with the Public Service Act 2020 and Protected Disclosures (Protection of Whistleblowers) Act 2022.

For more information, visit the Speaking up in the Public Sector web page and blog Speaking up in the Public Service made easier.

Here's an update of the development of our fourth National Action Plan.

Summary of National Action Plan Workshops

Many thanks to our Expert Advisory Panel, civil society groups, and government agencies for your involvement with the April-May Fourth National Action Plan(PDF, 3.8 MB) (NAP4) workshops.

As part of the process to deliver NAP4, the aim of these online workshops was to review and prioritise focus areas on the four sub-themes for further work towards commitments.

The workshops covered these themes:
1.         Access to, and usability of, public information
2.         Enabling and supporting participation in our democratic processes by individuals and groups
3.         Government use of data and personal information
4.         Information to support financial accountability.
 
For details of the workshops, please see the “Summary: April -May 2022 Workshops on potential NAP4 Commitments" published today on Ideas for the Fourth National Action Plan(XLSX, 285 KB).

Next Steps for NAP4

The OGP NZ team is now looking at fledgling commitments from the workshops:

• Establish a central government information repository, linked to open data
• Address disinformation and misinformation risks
• Enable access to information
• Investigate reasons why some people choose not to vote in local and central government elections
• Promote use of the community engagement tool to increase community engagement in government policy
• Improve protocols, and increase consistency and priorities for the collection, use, and storage of government data
• Improve performance of government agencies using complaints information, and actions taken to address these
• Research awareness and use of AI (artificial intelligence) by government, and develop a monitoring framework
• Undertake a review of clauses being added to legislation exempting certain information from Official Information Act (OIA) coverage
• Increase anti-corruption measures in relation to exporting corruption
• Improve government procurement information transparency
• Establish an independent fiscal institution
• Establish a Beneficial Ownership Register for companies and trusts.

The OGP NZ team will be engaging with interested parties to develop and refine commitments before the final subset will be presented to the Minister, and then Cabinet for consideration later this year. NAP4 needs to be finalised by the end of 2022.

Open Gov Week

The week of 16-20 May 2022 was Open Gov Week (OGW). The week is a global call to action to transform the way governments serve their citizens.  

To celebrate OGW, we showcased some of New Zealand’s Open Government Partnership (OGP) success stories via OGP NZ Twitter and Te Kawa Mataaho | Public Service Commission social media channels (inc. LinkedIn). You're most welcome to re-share these stories on your channels.

National Action Plan Workshops

Many thanks to our Expert Advisory Panel, civil society groups, and government agencies for your involvement with the April-May fourth National Action Plan(PDF, 3.8 MB) (NAP) workshops.
The workshops are based on the four sub themes, agreed with the Minster in the Joint Report: Potential focus areas for New Zealand’s fourth OGP NAP:

• Access to and usability of public information – 11 April
• Enabling participation by individuals and groups – 2 May
• Government use of data and personal information – 16 May
• Information to support financial accountability of the government – 30 May.

The OGP NZ team is now looking at the fledgling commitments worked up in Workshop 1 “Access to and usability of public information”, to progress these to become potential commitments. These are:

• Developing a central information repository for government information
• Improving government procurement information transparency
• Improving public access to facilitate better engagement with government 
• Addressing disinformation and misinformation risks.

Protected Disclosures (Protection of Whistleblowers) Act 2022

Significant improvements are set for New Zealand workplaces to better protect whistleblowers, with the final reading of the Protected Disclosures (Protection of Whistleblowers) Act 2022 completed on 10 May.

The 2022 Act, which replaces the Protected Disclosures Act 2000, will come into effect on 1 July. Applying across both the public and private sectors, the new Act will make the protected disclosures regime easier to access, understand, and use.

Reflecting the OGP NZ vision, this new legislation will help reinforce New Zealand’s international reputation as a free and transparent society.

For more details, check out Government bolsters protection for whistleblowers. New guidance for public sector agencies is available on the Te Kawa Mataaho Protected Disclosures page.

Developing the next National Action Plan

April-May workshops with our Expert Advisory Panel, civil society groups, and government agencies on the fourth National Action Plan(PDF, 3.8 MB) (NAP) are underway.
 
The aim of these four virtual workshops is to review and prioritise focus areas on the sub-themes for further work towards commitments.
 
The workshops are based on the four sub themes, agreed with the Minster in the Joint Report: Potential focus areas for New Zealand’s fourth OGP NAP:

• Access to and usability of public information – 11 April
• Enabling participation by individuals and groups – 2 May
• Government use of data and personal information – 16 May
• Information to support financial accountability of the government – 30 May.

As part of the workshop process, we will:

• Define the commitments at a high level  
• Identify key stakeholders, leads, potential benefits, and measures.

These will need to be further developed by the stakeholders involved at a later stage to ensure any commitment is clearly defined and has SMART objectives.
 
Many thanks to workshop participants for your invaluable contributions so far. We’ll publish notes from the workshops on the OGP New Zealand website.(XLSX, 285 KB)

Open Gov Week

Coming up, 16-20 May, is 2022 Open Gov Week (OGW). The week offers opportunities for everyone to join the conversation and add your perspective and ideas to seminars, hackathons, public debates, webinars, open dataset releases and other events planned by citizens, civil society and governments around the globe.

Welcome to our latest Open Government Partnership (OGP) update on New Zealand’s 2018-2021 Transitional Results Report, and progress on the fourth National Action Plan.

Final Transitional Results Report 
In February, we alerted you that OGP's Independent Reporting Mechanism Transitional Results Report on New Zealand’s third National Action Plan was available for public comment.

The final report was published on 9 March, along with comments received on the consultation version. To see the report, click here.

This report looks at the results from the 2018-21 Plan’s commitments as at the end of the Plan cycle.

Developing the next National Action Plan
Workshops with our Expert Advisory Panel (EAP), civil society groups (CSOs) and government agencies on the fourth National Action Plan(PDF, 3.8 MB) will now start in April.

These are looking in more detail at the four focus areas agreed with the Minister last year: access to and usability of public information, enabling participation by individuals and groups, government use of data and personal information, and information to support financial accountability of the government. We’ve also been working with the EAP and CSOs on our prioritisation frameworks and increasing participation.
We’ll publish notes from the workshops on the OGP New Zealand website.

On 10 February 2022, OGP's Independent Reporting Mechanism published New Zealand’s third National Action Plan Transitional Results Report for public comment. To see the report and/or have your say, click here. 
 
This report looks at the results from the 2018-21 Plan’s commitments as at the end of the Plan cycle. OGP has opened this report for public comment for a period of 14 days, until 5pm on 24 February 2022. 
 
We encourage you to read the report and comment if you wish. You may like to refer back to OGP’s 2020 independent design report and New Zealand’s 2021 self-assessment of the Plan.  
 
Unless requested otherwise, please note that comments and responses received during this public comment period will be published alongside a final version of the report.