18   December 2024
New Zealand Council for Civil Liberties
[FYI request #28987 email]
Dear New Zealand Council for Civil Liberties
Official Information Request
Our Ref: PSCR 2024-0010
I refer to your official information request received on 30 October 2024 where you asked:
“The Commission listed two pieces of advice that it was withholding:
Item 1: Document 2023-0321 dated 20 December 2023 Item 2: Document 2024-0040 dated 15
February 2024
The New Zealand Council for Civil Liberties requests:
1. the titles of these documents; and
2. a copy of both these documents.
The Council also requests:
3.
copies of al  other advice provided by the Commission to the Minister for the Public Service
about the Open Government Partnership since 23 November 2023, including but not limited to the
Commission’s advice to the Minister about responding to the joint letter to the Minister from civil
society organisations dated 13 May 2024 and the draft response letter that it provided to the
Minister
(https://aus01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fnzccl.org.nz%2Fcsos-
call-for-dedicated-ogp-
funding%2F&data=05%7C02%7Ccommission%40publicservice.govt.nz%7C2a038bc1a87a4daee
43408dcf89cc620%7C41e14a91587d4fbf8dead6aea7148019%7C0%7C0%7C63865860064575700
3%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiL
CJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C80000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=cVWu9bb2FBQ3PYa5mt3X1z1yf2Fg2fA%2Bekk
B6RYY2%2B0%3D&reserved=0); and
4. the titles and dates of al  the documents fal ing within (3) above if the documents themselves
are withheld; and
5.
for any meeting with the Minister for the Public Service at which the Open Government
Partnership discussed, the notes taken by Commission officials at or after any meeting with the
Minister that relate to that part of the meeting; and
6.
al  internal memoranda, advice or briefings on (i) membership of the Open Government
Partnership, (i ) creation of a multi-stakeholder forum, (i i) creation of the fifth National Action
Plan.”.
Information publicly available
Please find listed in the table below, advice provided to the Minister for the Public Service relating to
the  Open Government Partnership (OGP)  which  is  publicly available on Te Kawa Mataaho Public
Service Commission’s (the Commission’s) website at the links provided in the table below.
Level 10, RBNZ Building |   2 The Terrace | PO Box 329
Wel ington 6140 | New Zealand
Phone +64 4 495 6600

Item
Date
Document Description
Website adress
1
  20 December 2023  2023-0321 – REPORT – New Zealand’s future approach  https://www.public
to the Open Government Partnership
service.govt.nz/ass
ets/DirectoryFile/Re
port-New-
Zealands-future-
approach-to-the-
Open-Government-
Partnership.pdf
2
  15 February 2024
2024-0040  –  REPORT  –  Further advice on New  https://www.public
Zealand’s future approach to the Open Government  service.govt.nz/ass
Partnership
ets/DirectoryFile/Re
port-Further-
advice-on-New-
Zealands-future-
approach-to-the-
Open-Government-
Partnership.pdf
3
  19 March 2024
2024-0089  –  REPORT  –  Progressing the option to  https://www.public
withdraw from the Open Government Partnership
service.govt.nz/ass
ets/DirectoryFile/Re
port-Progressing-
the-option-to-
withdraw-from-the-
Open-Government-
Partnership.pdf
4
  8 April 2024
2024-0104  –  REPORT  -  Approval to consult on draft  https://www.public
Cabinet paper proposing New Zealand withdraw from  service.govt.nz/ass
the Open Government Partnership
ets/DirectoryFile/Re
port-Approval-to-
consult-on-draft-
Cabinet-paper-
proposing-New-
Zealand-withdraw-
from-the-Open-
Government-
Partnership.pdf
5
  1 August 2024
2024-0190  –  REPORT  -  Draft Cabinet paper for  https://www.public
consultation: “New Zealand’s withdrawal from the  service.govt.nz/ass
Open Government Partnership”
ets/DirectoryFile/Re
port-Draft-Cabinet-
paper-for-
consultation-New-
Zealands-
withdrawal-from-
the-Open-

Government-
Partnership.pdf
6
  15 October 2024
2024-0332  –  REPORT  -  Draft Cabinet paper for  https://www.public
consultation: “New Zealand’s withdrawal from the  service.govt.nz/ass
Open Government Partnership”
ets/DirectoryFile/Re
port-Draft-Cabinet-
paper-for-
consultation-New-
Zealands-
withdrawal-from-
the-Open-
Government-
Partnership-v2.pdf
I am therefore refusing this part of your request under section 18(d) of the Official Information Act
1982 (OIA)  on the grounds the information is or soon wil  be publicly available.    Some relevant
information has been removed from documents listed in the above table and should continue to be
withheld under the OIA, on the grounds described in the documents.
The  advice  listed in the table above refers  to a review of OGP undertaken by the Commission.
Information relating to that review is also available on our website:
https://www.publicservice.govt.nz/publications/open-government-partnership-review
Information being released
Please find enclosed the draft letter provided to the Minister for the Public Service in response to the
joint letter from civil society organisations.
Listed below are the dates OGP was discussed at meetings with the Minister for the Public Service:
•  23 January 2024
•  28 February 2024
•  7 March 2024
•   3 April 2024
•  10 April 2024
•  16 October 2024
Notes taken by Commission officials at meetings held on 23 January 2024, 7 March 2024, 3 April 2024
are reflected in reports 2024-0040, 2024-0089 and 2024-0104 which are publicly available at the links
provided in the table above.  No notes were taken by Commission officials for the meetings dated 28
February 2024, 10 April 2024 and 16 October 2024.
Information does not exist
The Commission has not created any  internal memoranda, advice or briefings on either the
membership of the Open Government Partnership, creation of a multi-stakeholder forum or creation
of the fifth National Action Plan.
I am therefore refusing this part of your request on section 18(g) of the OIA  on the grounds the
information does not exist.

If you wish to discuss this decision with us, please feel free to contact
[email address].
You have the right to seek an investigation and review by the Ombudsman of this decision.
Information about how to make a complaint is available at www.ombudsman.parliament.nz or
freephone 0800 802 602.
Please note that we intend to publish this letter (with your personal details removed) on the Te Kawa
Mataaho Public Service Commission’s website.
Yours sincerely
Nicky Dirks
Manager – Ministerial and Executive Services
Te Kawa Mataaho Public Service Commission

Document Outline