Formats
Organisation overview, context and commitment - Tā te whakahaere matawhānui, manawanui hoki #
The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) operates as a departmental agency within the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (DPMC). NEMA works to build a safe and resilient Aotearoa New Zealand by empowering communities before, during and after emergencies. NEMA's key functions are steward, operator, and assurer of the emergency management system. To fulfil its mission, NEMA requires an influential, agile, and high-performing workforce where people feel empowered, valued, and engaged.
NEMA is dedicated to fostering a workforce that reflects the diversity of Aotearoa New Zealand. This commitment aligns with the broader goals of DPMC, which emphasize the need for cultural competence in engaging with diverse local and global communities.
Our aspiration for our kaimahi is that they:
- hear conversations that embrace and value difference, and focus on how we can make equitable change and positive difference for all people in New Zealand
- feel a strengthened sense of inclusion, where we can all bring our best and true self to work
- experience environments and leaders fostering and modelling a more diverse and inclusive culture with words, actions, systems and processes
- understand a variety of world views and how that impacts our mahi, and
- see a workforce that is more diverse, and more reflective of the population.
All business units have shared internal priorities that focus on improving our te ao Māori capability (including te reo Māori and Whāinga Amorangi actions) and fostering a positive and inclusive wāhi mahi (work environment).
We actively encourage our staff-led networks and provide access to other networks within the wider public service.
By embedding DEI into all aspects of its operations, NEMA aligns with DPMC's and NEMA's joint commitment to creating an inclusive, diverse, and high-performing organisation. This approach not only strengthens the agency but also ensures it is better equipped to serve the diverse communities of Aotearoa New Zealand. Additionally, this plan supports and aligns with the Papa Pounamu Public Service work programme led by Te Kawa Mataaho Public Service Commission, reinforcing our dedication to the broader Public Service Diversity & Inclusion work programme.
This plan was originally developed following discussions with our employee-led networks, staff workshops, all-staff and people leaders' hui, and a workshop with the DPMC Executive Leadership Team. Originally separate plans for Diversity and Inclusion, and Kia Toipoto were developed.
Our intentions to deliver on Diversity and Inclusion, Kia Toipoto and This Papa Pounamu commitments are included in this plan.
NEMA Total number of employees #
- 158 employees (147 permanent and 8 fixed term)
- 56% female staff and 43% male staff.
In terms of gender balanced leadership, women occupied:
- 53% of all people leader roles (18 of 35)
- 60% of T2 and T3.
Table 1: Our ethnicity breakdown over the agency[1]
| European | Māori | Pacific | Asian | MELAA[2] |
Disclosed Ethnicity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 88% | 7% | 4% | 5% | 3% | 99% |
Average Salaries #
Table 2: Average pay by employee type
| Mean Base salary | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Employee Type | Male $ | Female $ | % Gap |
| Permanent | $128,966.23 | $ 125,666.17 | 2.6% |
| Fixed Term | $188,266.16 | $ 146,864.83 | 22% |
| Total | $131,621.45 | $126,884.48 | 3.6% |
Average pay by ethnicity:
- European: $128,222.48
- Māori/Pacific/Asian/MELAA2/Other: $122,015.92
Non-European ethnic groups have low numbers of representation at NEMA, numbers are too small to create robust measures for ethnic pay gaps for all groups. We have calculated a pay gap between European and Māori/Pacific/Asian/MELAA2/Other which sits at 0.15% a similar result from 0.4% in September 2023.
Overall experiences of females and males appear similar at DPMC and NEMA. However, men report less agreement with remuneration being appropriate to the market and are less confident than women that people leaders will implement our purpose, strategic objectives and values successfully.
In total, of 23 people at DPMC and NEMA who identified as LGBTTQIA+ their experiences appear similar to those who don't identify with this community. However, those in the LGBTTQIA+ community did not agree as strongly that we celebrate achievements as a team, and understand DPMC's purpose, vision and values.
Ethnicity data was available for 161 people (around 69 percent of respondents) from both DPMC and NEMA, of which eight were Māori, five were other European and the remainder NZ European. The sample sizes are not large enough to draw conclusions around the experience of staff in those ethnic groups.
Gender Pay Gap (GPG) #
As of 31 June 2024, NEMA's GPG (Mean) was 3.6%. NEMA's gender pay gap has improved by 1.4% within the last year, from 5% in June 2023.
Our gender pay gap continues to improve. The GPG has improved 1.4% within the last year from 4.5% in June 2023 to 3.6% in June 2024. In the last few years NEMA has seen improvements in the GPG with the implementation of the 24/7 MAR function which has increased the number of men in lower grade roles (Grade 15 and 17). Women at NEMA are no longer over-represented in lower paid roles in the organisation and are not underrepresented in higher paid roles.
Table 3: Gender Pay Gap
Data definitions:
Mean pay is the sum of all pay, divided by the number of people earning that total pay - the amount of money each employee would receive if the total pay was divided evenly among all employees.
Total number of employees: 158 employees (147 permanent and 8 fixed term).
Data measurement date: 31 June 2024.
Disclosure rate: Disclosed ethnicity: 99%.
Recruitment Demographics Data #
NEMA onboarded 31 employees and offboarded 33 in the 12 months to 30 June 2024.
Table 4: Candidate ethnicity demographics who applied for jobs at NEMA from July 2023 to June 2024
| Ethnicity | Applications |
Shortlisted/ Interviewed |
Offered/ Hired |
Number Hired |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| European | 55% | 74% | 79% | 26 |
| Māori | 8% | 7% | 6% | 2 |
| Asian | 16% | 8% | 3% | 1 |
| Pacific Peoples | 3% | 3% | 0% | 0 |
| MELAA2 | 3% | 2% | 3% | 1 |
Table 5: Candidate gender demographics who applied for jobs at NEMA from July 2023 to June 2024
| Gender | Applications |
Shortlisted/ Interviewed |
Offered/ Hired |
Number Hired |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Female | 50% | 57% | 64% | 21 |
| Male | 48% | 42% | 36% | 12 |
Analysis and priorities #
NEMA is the Government lead for emergency management and was established as a departmental agency on 1 December 2019. Since then, we have grown exponentially from 56 staff to a headcount of 158 as of June 2024 - comprising of 147 permanent staff and 8 fixed-term employees.
Despite NEMA's small size, we're seeing positive progress in reducing our Gender Pay Gap (GPG) year on year. However, as a small agency, we can experience some GPG volatility. Beyond remuneration and recruitment, our focus in this plan is on actions for retention and development of our current staff.
Improving ethnic representation in our workforce and in leadership has been a focus in recent years and will continue to be so. Attraction of ethnically diverse applicants has been becoming slightly more successful, although our data shows that this does not always flow through to hire. There are continuing questions as to whether we are attracting appropriate applicants or whether there are biases in the recruitment processes. Understanding and addressing this is an area of focus in 2024.
Non-dominant ethnic groups have a low representation in NEMA. Due to the small numbers, we are unable to create robust measures of ethnic pay gaps for each group. We have instead calculated a pay gap between all Māori, Pacific, Asian and MELAA2 employees and European employees, which sits at 0.15%, which is notably low.
Employee engagement #
Our annual Kōrero Mai employee results conducted in March 2024 showed of the 133 respondents:
- Overall experiences of people who identify as being disabled (17 people) are similar to those who don't identify as being disabled. However, they are less likely to agree that there are effective opportunities that enhances performance, growth and encourage career development but they report having more regular and effective feedback conversations about their performance.
- Overall experiences of females and males appear similar. However, men report less agreement with honestly and directiveness being valued at NEMA and feel like the contributions of individuals are less likely to be recognised compared to women.
- In total, 15 people identified as LGBTTQIA+ and their experiences appear similar to those who don't identify with this community. However, those in the LGBTTQIA+ community report less agreement that honestly and directiveness being valued and have less belief in people leaders to implement purpose, strategic objectives, and values successfully.
We were unable to analyse ethnicity data for groups other than those in the NZ European category, as the numbers were too small to draw meaningful conclusions about the experience of staff from other ethnic backgrounds.
We continue to address the actions created, based on the Kōrero Mai feedback, through our action planning.
Progress to date and future plans - Pae tata, pae tawhiti #
| Action area | Progress to date | Planned priority actions 2024/25 | Success indicators |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leadership and representation |
Ethnicity data tracking across our entire workforce and leadership group. Consultation with the Diversity & Inclusion Group about recruitment and retention. Promotion of career development and promotion processes with the whole workforce and with all leaders. Implementing, monitoring and reporting on our action plans; diversity and inclusion, Whāinga Amorangi, te reo Māori. Improving diversity in our workforce. The Tākaihere function was created to enhance responses. Its activities involve: strengthening NEMA's capability and confidence, developing processes for engaging and maintaining relationships with iwi Māori, aligning with the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi for NEMA and the emergency sector, and enhancing Māori capability within NEMA. |
Implement the Māori recruitment process being developed by Public Service Commission. Updating success measures and targets in our workforce strategy and action plan to keep focus on the issues of leadership and representation. Improving diversity in our workforce, by making changes to recruitment processes, in particular ensuring adverts are accessible, using Plain Language guidelines and appeal to all genders. Further Review of our recruitment practices and implementing specific changes to ensure we are attracting and enabling diversity and demonstrating inclusive behaviours, for example: interview practices, targeted attraction techniques. Implementing new induction process for People Leaders, enabling them to be quickly equipped for leading a team effectively, while fostering a diverse, equitable and inclusive work environment from the outset. |
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| Effective career and leadership development |
All promotion processes use the same transparent approach based on the Public Service Commission guidance. Rounds are communicated on the intranet including explicit messaging on key issues e.g. promotion is available for fulltime and part-time staff, permanent and fixed-term staff. All new people leaders are enrolled in an appropriate Leadership Development Courses to continue to develop individuals and support the talent pipeline. Support people leaders with resources and advice to have quality conversations with their people and ensure everyone has a good development and career plan in place, including running “Difficult Conversations” workshops for leaders. Delivered a new management essentials programme and other leadership development tailored to leaders' needs. Supported staff to access external courses and development through central development funding with clear and transparent criteria guiding staff applications and approvals. Tuakana Teina - Mentoring Programme in place. Created a new Induction process including meeting internal stakeholders, learning essential systems for leading people, and fostering a sense of belonging through diversity, equity and inclusion. |
Improve attraction and retention of ethnic and gender diversity in our workforce by following new PSC Māori recruitment processes and researching ways to improve attraction of diverse staff. Building on improvements in our progression and promotion processes we will review current learning/career pathways and opportunities over the next two years. This includes implementing a new Leadership Framework to identify and develop our talent, encourage all staff to be leaders, embed our values in our individual development plans to foster inclusive behaviours, and ensure development opportunities are transparent and available equitably across the workforce. Use of development maps for clear and consistent conversations on career/learning pathways. Incorporate new questions into interviews for new hires based on our new leadership framework - tailored for level of leadership required based on the job band. |
|
| Equitable pay outcomes |
Review same and similar roles no less than annually and address issues if present. Continue to support the pay equity process in our roles. |
Reviewing how hiring managers assess salaries at the start of the recruitment process - ensure they are aware of pay equities and relativities. |
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| Flexible-work-by-default |
Flexible-work-by-default remains embedded through ongoing actions such as:
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Regular article on DPMC intranet. Review the impacts on polices and guidelines based on instruction from the PSC following the Government's Post-Cabinet Working from Home announcement. |
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| Eliminating all forms of bias and discrimination |
Unconscious Bias training is offered to all staff and required for people on recruitment panels. HR policies are in an ongoing review cycle and include opportunities for staff to comment. Encourage people, on an annual basis, to provide us with demographic data (e.g. gender, ethnicity, disability) by explaining how it helps us identify issues and monitor progress. Cultural competence (te ao Māori, and diversity and inclusion) is a core, ongoing part of our workforce development. Implement kia toipoto/gender pay gap action plan. New Recruitment process has been implemented to strengthen the integrity of selection process/help eliminate bias/unconscious bias. |
Reinforce that unconscious bias training is mandatory for all people leaders, by including it in induction process. Run Above the Line workshops for leaders and staff, to promote inclusive behaviours and ensure speak up channels are understood. Kōrero Mai survey run in March 2025, with data analysed and action plan created based on the survey feedback. Monitor interview panels, to ensure diversity on the panel. |
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| Transparency |
Kia Toipoto and diversity and inclusion action plans are developed every year, shared with the workforce, and published on our website. All HR policies, remuneration information and resources, including salary bands, are available in the intranet. On-call policy education and review underway. Ensuring information flows through the organisation and staff are up to date with key messages; delivery of all staff newsletter (Pānui) weekly and All Staff Hui monthly. |
Design and deliver two NEMA days to improve information flows, celebrate achievements and build NEMA's culture. | |
| Positive working environment |
Inclusive language guide being used. 90-day survey after induction in place to ensure new staff are having a positive start. Designed and delivered interventions that ensure NEMA has a positive workplace culture including NEMA Pānui newsletter weekly incorporating values-based recognition process and our Kōrero Mai and Workplace Behaviours action plan. Undertaking measurement of our organisational culture and staff engagement and taking action to make improvements; wellbeing action plan implementation, Quarterly people and Culture reporting. Created and promoted “Speak Up” SharePoint information page, that includes channels for raising concerns. |
Implement an ‘Above The Line' programme - a tool that allows team members to identify what behaviours are expected of each other and what behaviours are unacceptable. Post-inquiry work on NEMA's culture. Public Service and Spirit of Service awards. |
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| Strengthening cultural competence |
Mana Aki cultural competency programme. Chief Māori Advisor been appointed. Tākaihere function developed, which will strengthen cultural competence in a response situation and increase NEMA's Māori capability. New staff induction contains karakia and waiata information, plus resources to support te reo/tikanga competence and link to waiata group. |
Relaunch and promote Mana Aki refresh programme. Continue to get input from and reviews of upcoming work with NEMA's D&I group. |
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| Employee-led networks |
Women's Network established to support, connect and empower women across the Agency. Interfaith Network to create safe and inclusive spaces for staff from a range of diverse faith communities to bring their whole selves to work and help build understanding about faith communities and practices. Parents' Network to support parents connect, support each other, and to advocate to be the best parent-friendly workplace we can be. Rainbow Network focussed on creating a safe, inclusive and supportive space for staff who identify as part of the Rainbow community and our allies. New Professionals' Network to support and connect professionals where people can engage with people on similar journeys and develop and grow together. Tai Ora Climate Change and Sustainability Network to support our emissions-reduction and sustainability journey, in strategy and practice. Women in Emergency Management network set up and actively supported to build and deliver targeted development. Network groups supported, and D&I reference group run. D&I group were actively involved in creating Induction information for new starters. New induction provides immediate access to new starters with all Networks. |
Ensure D&I group are consulted with all related work/planned changes. Networks are connected with public service networks and costs met centrally. |
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