Dear New Zealand Defence Force,

The CDF has released DFO(T) 06/2022 in order to require NZDF Service Members to be vaccinated against COVID-19.

DFO 081 and DFI 0.81 detail the approved Risk Management Framework required to be used by the NZDF and set out the processes and procedures to be followed when applying risk management in the Defence Force. Alternate risk assessments must be approved for use by the Chief of Defence Strategy Management to ensure their alignment with the Risk Management Framework.

As per DFI 0.81, "Within specific areas, such as New Zealand’s approach to national security, consistent methodology for risk management is critical."
"Alignment to the ISO 31000:2018 Risk Management Guidelines is a mandatory governance requirement (GOV3) of the Protective Security Requirements (PSR)."

Please provide the Risk Management Assessment or Assessments used by CDF / NZDF for assessing the risk from COVID-19 when writing the new DFO(T) 06/2022 Application of NZDF Vaccine Scheduled – Members of the Armed Forces, signed by CDF, 25 May 2022.

If a Risk Management Assessment was not used, then please provide the document(s)/or email(s) authorising not using one.
If a Risk Management Assessment was not used, then please provide the document(s)/or email(s) requesting to not use one.

If a Risk Management Assessment was not used, and an alternate risk assessment was used in its place, then please provide that Alternate Risk Assessment and the document(s) or email(s) authorising this change.
If a Risk Management Assessment was not used, and an alternate risk assessment was used in its place, then please provide the document(s)/or email(s) requesting to use an alternative risk assessment in its place.

Yours faithfully,

M. Fitzgibbon

Dear New Zealand Defence Force,

Thank you for your reply to OIA-2022-4412, however this does not satisfy as an answer to the OIA request:
"I refer you to DHD Minute 02/2022- NZDF COVID-19 Vaccination Status Health Assessment,
provided to you 18 May 2022 {OIA-2022-4377)".

The DHD Minute 02/2022 - NZDF COVID-19 Vaccination Status Health Assessment, is a Health Assessment. It is not a Risk Assessment, which is defined as per the NZDF DFO 081 and DFI 0.81. I outlined the DFO and DFI in the original OIA request.

If as you are indicating DHD Minute 02/2022 is being used by the CDF as an Alternative to a Risk Assessment then please answer the other questions in the OIA. If there is no Risk Assessment as defined by DFO 081 and DFI 0.81 being used them as per the OIA, provide all the documents requesting to not use one and Authorising not using one. I have reproduced the other questions asked in the OIA below for convenience:

(NOTE: DFO's have the status of secondary legislation, i.e. Laws).

1. If a Risk Management Assessment was not used, then please provide the document(s)/or email(s) authorising not using one. (Required by DFO081/DFI 0.81)
2. If a Risk Management Assessment was not used, then please provide the document(s)/or email(s) requesting to not use one. (Required by DFO081/DFI 0.81)

OR

3. If a Risk Management Assessment was not used, and an alternate risk assessment was used in its place, then please provide that Alternate Risk Assessment and the document(s) or email(s) authorising this change. (Required by DFO081/DFI 0.81)
4. If a Risk Management Assessment was not used, and an alternate risk assessment was used in its place, then please provide the document(s)/or email(s) requesting to use an alternative risk assessment in its place. (Required by DFO081/DFI 0.81)

I am awaiting your reply with the rest of the answers for the original OIA-2022-4412, and I note that it is now longer than 21 working days since it was submitted.

Yours sincerely,

M. Fitzgibbon