26 January 2024
Aaron Moss
[FYI request #25425 email]
Reference: OIA-2023/24-0422
Dear Aaron Moss
Official Information Act request relating to copilot and AI licenses within NEMA
Thank you for your Official Information Act 1982 (the Act) request received on 17 January
2024. You requested:
“1.Does NEMA have any active Copilot for Microsoft 365 licenses?
If so, how many, and what is the total cost of this licensing?
2. If not, does NEMA license any competing generative artifical intelligence (Gen
AI) or large language model (LLM) services?”
Before responding to your request, it is important to note that the National Emergency
Management Agency (NEMA) is a departmental agency within the Department of the Prime
Minister and Cabinet (DPMC). As such, NEMA’s IT services, including software licensing and
IT support, are provided through the Central Agency Shared Services (CASS) which was set
up to provide sustainable corporate services – information technology, information
management, human resources and finance – to central government agencies, including
DPMC.
Our response
In response to your questions, I can confirm NEMA holds no known active licenses for
Copilot for Microsoft 365, generative artificial intelligence (Gen AI), or large language model
(LLM) services, through CASS.
This response wil be published on the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet’s
website during our regular publication cycle. Typically, information is released monthly, or as
otherwise determined. Your personal information including name and contact details will be
removed for publication.
Yours sincerely
Anthony Richards
Chief Advisor to the Deputy Chief Executive Emergency Management
Level 7, TSB Building, 147 Lambton Quay | PO Box 5010 | Wellington 6140 | New Zealand
Tel: +64 4 830 5100 | [email address] | www.civildefence.govt.nz