Introduction from the Chief Ombudsman
The Ombudsman role is a key democratic institution focused on helping people interact with the state. Our oversight and interventions can consider the impact of state actions and decisions on people, help to ensure people are treated fairly, and support government accountability and transparency. Ultimately, this contributes to public trust and confidence in government, and making New Zealand a safe and stable place to live and do business.
In an era of societal and technological upheaval, significant pressures on government, and a growing number of people resorting to the Ombudsman, it is clear that to be relevant and effective we need to evolve as an organisation.
Our immediate and future focus is to:
- reach out to diverse communities and government agencies to understand their perspectives and priorities;
- ensure our oversight and interventions are timely, proportionate and effective; and
- make better use of technology to enhance the efficiency of our processes and inform and engage with our stakeholders in ways that add value and meet their expectations.
We expect the demand from complaints and protected disclosures will continue to rise. We are committed to responding in a flexible and innovative manner, to make the best use of the resource we have available, and to achieve good outcomes through resolution and investigation where necessary. We will couple this with proactive oversight to help improve administrative practices, particularly in the areas of decision making, complaint handling, official information practices, disability rights and detention practices.
To do this, we need skilled and committed people, effective business processes, data-informed decisions, and up to date technology and resources. We will focus on growing and empowering our people, developing our capability through streamlined governance processes, and considering how we can best demonstrate our effectiveness.
Ultimately, we will know we have been successful when we can establish the impact we have had, both to address matters for the individuals coming to us with their concerns, and to improve administrative processes overall.
John Allen
Chief Ombudsman