To deliver our purpose of advancing an ambitious, resilient and well-governed New Zealand, we perform four core functions.
Executive government advice and support – serving the Prime Minister and Cabinet
Our Policy Advisory Group (PAG) provides free and frank advice to the Prime Minister, and on occasion to other Ministers, and leads policy initiatives if needed.
The Cabinet Office acts as ‘Government secretariat’, providing impartial services to the Executive Council, Cabinet, and Cabinet committees. This includes processing submissions, preparing summaries, managing agendas, and recording decisions.
It advises on constitutional, policy, and procedural matters, including relationships between the Executive, Governor-General, and Parliament; the appointing of Ministers and making of statutory appointments; and assisting the coordination of the legislation programme.
Constitution and nationhood – supporting well-conducted government
The Cabinet Office acts as a channel of communication between the Governor-General and the Government. It provides advice and support to the Government (including any period of caretaker government) over the election and government formation period.
The Honours Unit sits within the Cabinet Office, administering and providing policy advice on the New Zealand Royal Honours System.
Government House provides administrative and support services for the Governor-General and maintains the official residences and grounds.
National Security – Risk and Resilience – leading an effective National Security System, including cross-government arrangements across the ‘4Rs’ of risk management: reduction, readiness, response, and recovery
Our Chief Executive chairs the Officials’ Committee for Domestic and External Security Coordination (ODESC), and is the ‘lead official’ in the National Security System. The ODESC system has three Chief Executive-level leadership boards: ODESC-G (overall governance), and the Security and Intelligence and Hazard Risk Boards.
DPMC stewards the National Security System and leads cross-government responses to events via our National Security Group (NSG). It ensures the National Security System is alert, coordinated, delivers high-quality decisions across complex issues, and communicates effectively with its stakeholders.
NSG also exercises a collaborative leadership role within the New Zealand Intelligence Community (NZIC), and its policy teams provide advice on intelligence, cyber security, and Civil Defence Emergency Management (CDEM) policy issues. Intelligence and Assessments (including the National Assessments Bureau) coordinates all-source assessments for decision-makers.
The National Emergency Management Agency contributes as a member of the Hazard Risk Board, by providing strong, national leadership to the emergency management system, as the lead agency for geological and meteorological hazards, and by providing support to other lead agencies.
The National Emergency Management Agency works across central government and with local government, communities, iwi, and business to create an emergency management system that is ready and able to provide an effective and integrated response to, and recovery from, emergencies so as to reduce the impact of emergencies on New Zealand’s people, communities, property, critical infrastructure, economy, and environment.
The National Emergency Management Agency administers the CDEM Act 2002, and maintains the CDEM strategic framework. It supports CDEM guidance, planning, and operations build the capability and capacity of the emergency management system to plan for, withstand, respond to, and recover from emergencies; supports the resilience of communities and the public by educating and informing; and manages the central government response to emergencies.
Greater Christchurch regeneration – providing leadership and coordination of the Crown’s regeneration effort
For the period of transition to locally-led regeneration our Greater Christchurch Group (GCG) will provide policy and planning advice and manage the closse out of the horizontal infrastructure programme.
We will work across government, and with Ōtākaro Limited and Regenerate Christchurch, so Ministers receive consistent and connected advice. We will ensure learning and insights from the recovery and regeneration are collated, embedded, and put into action to ensure New Zealand is more resilient.
Once the transition to local leadership is complete, it is anticipated that GCG will be disestablished as a separate business group, and its residual policy and monitoring functions incorporated elsewhere in DPMC.