Formats
Chief Executive's foreword#
Kupu whakataki a te Tumu Whakarae
Kia ora koutou
The Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (DPMC) has a unique and important purpose.
We apply our whole-of-government perspective, skills, specialist expertise and leadership across the public sector to enable the Governor-General, the Prime Minister and Cabinet to lead and govern New Zealand.
We also do this with other agencies, civil society, and communities to build a stronger, more secure nation through our national security, and national risk and resilience activity.
The DPMC Annual Report 2023/24 is an opportunity to be held accountable for our work, while providing insights into the impact of what we do and how we operate.
During 2023/24, two Prime Ministers and two governments have been able to move quickly to deliver on their work programmes with our support. Significant examples in the past 12 months – also an election year – include the Cabinet Office’s work providing procedural and constitutional advice in the pre- and post-election periods for the 2023 General Election. After the election, the development and delivery of the Prime Minister and Cabinet’s 100-Day Plan initiatives and Targets were supported by DPMC insights, advice and coordination.
Like many organisations and for many people across New Zealand, DPMC operates in an environment of change. For us it is part of our DNA and operating effectively is built into our ways of working. We draw on these skills to move quickly when the country needs to deal with unusual or extraordinary events.
For the communities impacted from Cyclone Gabrielle, this has meant a more coordinated and effective response to their evolving challenges through our support to the Chief Executive, Cyclone Recovery and the Cyclone Gabrielle Recovery Taskforce.
New Zealand continues to strengthen its national security approach and systems through the first ever National Security Strategy guiding New Zealand’s approach to national security threats, released in August 2023. DPMC also concluded its role coordinating implementation of the Government response to the report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into the Terrorist Attack on Christchurch Mosques on 15 March 2019.
During the year we made some changes to ensure that we’re set up to deliver for the Government and for New Zealand. We separated our national security functions from our wider resilience ones to ensure a focus on both. We successfully transitioned the Child Wellbeing and Poverty Reduction Group to its new home within the Ministry of Social Development where it can continue its work within the wider social sector.
Government House supported the Governor-General to deliver her ceremonial, constitutional and community role. This year our role included supporting the Governor-General during the change of administration, the swearing in of the new administration and the delivery of the Speech from the Throne.
In April 2024, I had the privilege of taking over the reins of DPMC as Chief Executive. I want to acknowledge and thank Rebecca Kitteridge CVO, for her role leading and shepherding DPMC through the majority of 2023/24.
I would like to also recognise the wisdom, commitment and leadership of the former Chief Executive, Dr Brook Barrington, who has been appointed to the role of Secretary of Defence.
I want to thank our people for the way they have navigated this, and other change over the past year.
While DPMC will continue to evolve, what won’t change is the value our people bring to their work, and the critical role each of them plays in our success and delivering on DPMC’s purpose. I am looking forward to continuing to build an environment within DPMC where our people are valued, empowered and engaged, and continue to deliver for the government of the day.
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