Formats
Chief Executive's foreword#
Kupu whakataki a te Tumu Whakarae
It has been a productive and positive year for the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (DPMC). We have been focused on supporting the Prime Minister and the Government to deliver their priorities, and implementing our internal transformation programme so we can work more efficiently and effectively in the future.
Throughout the 2025/26 year our purpose has remained constant: advancing an ambitious, resilient and well-governed Aotearoa New Zealand.
We refreshed our strategic intentions to reflect DPMC’s renewed focus on our core roles and responsibilities. This includes supporting informed decision-making, supporting well-conducted government, and leading an effective, strategically focused National Resilience and National Security System. This annual report reflects our performance across both sets of strategic intentions.
At DPMC, we play a vital role in supporting the government by providing expertise, leadership, and coordination across the public sector. This ensures the Governor-General, Prime Minister, and Cabinet can effectively lead and govern New Zealand. Our work is characterised by free and frank advice, agility, collaboration, and a commitment to adding high value.
Notable achievements for the year include contributing to the coordinated government response to the fuel supply disruption, activation of the Officials' Committee for Domestic and External Security Coordination (ODESC) across a number of hazards and threats, establishing the National Resilience Board, hosting the inaugural Policy Leaders' Summit, and publishing New Zealand's 2025 Countering Terrorism and Violent Extremism Strategy and the Cyber Security Strategy 2026-2030.
This year also saw the transfer of hosting responsibilities for the National Emergency Management Agency and insourcing of HR and Finance functions, both covered in more detail later in this document.
In the upcoming reporting year, DPMC will oversee two major constitutional transition events which usually only coincide once every 15 years. In quick succession there will be the General Election in November 2026, and the appointment of the new Governor-General in early 2027. These events demand significant preparation and coordination from the department.
As we look ahead, DPMC remains ready to adapt and respond to the priorities of the government of the day and to changes in our domestic and international environment. We are committed to stewardship, delivery, and innovation to ensure that we continue to provide trusted advice, coordination, and leadership across the public sector. Internally, we will continue embedding our new operating model and building our capability, culture and ways of working needed to support our people and sustain high-quality delivery for the benefit of New Zealanders.
Finally, I want to acknowledge our people, who have navigated a year of change with determination, professionalism and dedication while continuing to deliver across DPMC's core roles. Their efforts have been instrumental in positioning DPMC as a more streamlined, focused, and impactful agency.
Together, we are well-placed to meet the challenges and opportunities ahead.
Ben King
Secretary of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, and Chief Executive
Te Tumu Whakarae mō Te Tari o te Pirimia me te Komiti Matua