Printed from https://fyi.org.nz/request/23481-rebranding-of-the-university on April 28, 2024 00:16

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Rebranding of the university

M Sinclair made this Official Information request to University of Otago

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From: M Sinclair

Kia ora University of Otago,

This is my second attempt to post this OIA request, as the previous one didn't appear to process. If my previous attempt (posted five minutes ago) has indeed made it through, please ignore that previous attempt and answer this latest OIA request.

With regards to the recent decision to rebrand the university, please provide the following information:

1. A breakdown of the total cost of the rebranding exercise to date, from inception of the project, through to today's date, including any costs which have been invoiced and not paid. This is to include direct costs such as consultancy fees, video production, design and printing costs, research and survey costs and indirect costs including staff time and use of other university resources towards the project.
2. A detailed breakdown of the estimated remaining spend from this point forward, including further project costs and implementation of the rollout of the rebrand. Also to include direct and indirect costs please.
3. Correspondence to/from/involving senior leadership team, University Council members and/or operations/marketing/administration staff at the university which discuss the timing, appropriateness or decision of rebranding.
4. Minutes of the meeting where the rebranding decision was confirmed.
5. Briefing documents or memos provided to the decision makers at the time the rebranding decision was confirmed.

Ngā mihi nui

M Sinclair

Link to this

From: M Sinclair

Kia ora

I should have added ...

These questions are a matter of very high public interest to those of us in the University community, as well as the wider community, and we would expect high levels of openness and transparency, as well as good will. Please answer my questions promptly, and if you need further clarification, please reach out to me via this platform.

Ngā mihi nui

M Sinclair

Link to this

From: UoO - Official Information Act
University of Otago

Tēnā koe M Sinclair

I acknowledge receipt of your Official Information Act request. I note that we did not receive your initial request, but confirm receipt of your second request and subsequent email regarding the public interest.

If we have any questions or need to seek clarification on any points we will be in touch soon. Otherwise, we will seek to respond to your request as soon as practicable and no later than 20 working days after the date your request was received (by 11 August 2023). If we are unable to respond to your request by then, we will notify you of an extension of this timeframe.

Ngā mihi
Kelsey

Kelsey Kennard
Official Information and Compliance Coordinator | Kaituitui Pārongo Ōkawa me te Tautukunga

Office of the Registrar | Te Tari o Te Pouroki
University of Otago | Te Whare Wānanga o Otāgo
New Zealand | Aotearoa
Email | Īmera [University of Otago request email]

Link to this

From: UoO - Official Information Act
University of Otago

Attachment Sinclair OIA Response 11 August 2023.pdf
410K Download View as HTML

Tēnā koe M Sinclair

Please see attached the University of Otago's response to your Official Information Act request dated 13 July 2023.

Ngā mihi
Kelsey

Kelsey Kennard
Official Information and Compliance Coordinator | Kaituitui Pārongo Ōkawa me te Tautukunga

Office of the Registrar | Te Tari o Te Pouroki
University of Otago | Te Whare Wānanga o Otāgo
New Zealand | Aotearoa
Email | Īmera [University of Otago request email]

Link to this

From: UoO - Official Information Act
University of Otago

Attachment Sinclair OIA Response 2 23 August 2023.pdf
267K Download View as HTML

Attachment Emails for release redacted.pdf
18.0M Download View as HTML

Tēnā koe M Sinclair

Thank you for your patience. Please see attached the University of Otago's response to the remainder of your questions from your Official Information Act request dated 13 July 2023.

Please let us know if you run into any issues accessing the attachments - as one of them is a relatively large file.

Ngā mihi
Kelsey

Kelsey Kennard
Official Information and Compliance Coordinator | Kaituitui Pārongo Ōkawa me te Tautukunga

Office of the Registrar | Te Tari o Te Pouroki
University of Otago | Te Whare Wānanga o Otāgo
New Zealand | Aotearoa
Email | Īmera [University of Otago request email]

Link to this

From: UoO - Official Information Act
University of Otago

Attachment Tuakiritaka Consultation Findings.pdf
9.2M Download View as HTML

Tēnā koe M Sinclair

Following our response to your Official Information Act request yesterday, it has come to my attention that the Tuakiritaka Consultation Findings document referred to in our response was not attached. My apologies for this omission - please see attached a copy of this document. A copy of the Tuakiritaka Consultation Findings document is also available online through the webpage we have linked in our response.

Ngā mihi
Kelsey

Kelsey Kennard
Official Information and Compliance Coordinator | Kaituitui Pārongo Ōkawa me te Tautukunga

Office of the Registrar | Te Tari o Te Pouroki
University of Otago | Te Whare Wānanga o Otāgo
New Zealand | Aotearoa
Email | Īmera [University of Otago request email]

Link to this

From: M Sinclair

Dear Kelsey

Thank you very much indeed for your comprehensive replies, and partial release of information under the OIA. I appreciate that this has taken considerable time and effort, and also that you would have had to consult with various colleagues.

My concerns centre around the timing and financial implications of this decision, the claims of "strong support" and so on, particularly against the background of the massive financial difficulties the university is in, leading to mass redundancies. I am concerned about the decision making / governance during this time. I am also concerned about the belief that a rebrand of a 150 year old institution will stimulate growth in of itself.

I am not in any way disputing the need to focus on such change at some point, and for English and te reo Māori to be reflected appropriately (along with visual elements from both worlds). Personally, I don't think the execution is right - but that's just my personal opinion, and not really the driver for my OIA request - see above.

As regards your answers under heading 5 in your letter of 23 August.
- I find it ridiculous and very concerning that there is no record at all of the briefing given to the University Council at the time the decision to approve the University's new brand was confirmed. You state that the was a council only session held on 11 July 2023, and so if no document exists, I am requesting any notes from that meeting, and if they do not exist, a record of participants' recollections of the discussion and/or briefing - which as you know is covered by the OIA Act. The University claims that this is a big decision and will have big impacts (and as you know, I and many others are concerned about the timing and cost of this decision) - and so it is unbelievable that there is no record at all of that very important council only session.
- I also dispute that some of the key information you are withholding is "commercially sensitive" or that there are other good reasons for withholding that outweigh the huge public interest. Consultants or colleagues involved in this work must be able to stand by the recommendations they make (which in part have ultimately led to this decision) and it is in the public interest to see that advice. From the list you have provided on page 3 of your letter, I am therefore specifically challenging and asking for documents, presentations, notes and correspondence which are in any of the following categories:
- discovery research insights (fundamental to decision making!)
- brand audit (that is not commercially sensitive, and it is entirely relevant)
- decision criteria (this goes to the heart of governance and decision making)
- feedback from key stakeholders (ditto)
- survey feedback analysis (note, I am questioning the analysis, not the raw data)
- market research briefings (goes to the heart of the decision)

Please release this information swiftly.

Yours sincerely,

M Sinclair

Link to this

From: UoO - Official Information Act
University of Otago

Tēnā koe M Sinclair

I acknowledge receipt of your email dated 24 August 2023.

We are currently liaising with the relevant staff in order to respond to your requests, and will endeavour to be in touch as soon as possible.

Ngā mihi
Kelsey

Kelsey Kennard
Official Information and Compliance Coordinator | Kaituitui Pārongo Ōkawa me te Tautukunga

Office of the Registrar | Te Tari o Te Pouroki
University of Otago | Te Whare Wānanga o Otāgo
New Zealand | Aotearoa
Email | Īmera [University of Otago request email]

Link to this

From: UoO - Official Information Act
University of Otago

Tēnā koe M Sinclair

I am writing in response to your email dated 24 August 2023, in which you have specifically requested that the University release documents that were withheld in our response dated 23 August 2023 in relation to your Official Information Act request dated 13 August 2023.

By way of an update, we are currently working on our response to your follow up requests, however we require some additional time to consult with all relevant parties. In accordance with the Act, a response to your follow up questions would have been due today. We are therefore notifying you, pursuant to section 15A of the Act, of an extension of the time to make our decision in respect of your follow up request, to Monday 2 October 2023. This extension is necessary to allow for consultations necessary to make a decision on your request.

Thank you for your ongoing patience. If consultations necessary to make a decision on your request are completed sooner than this date, we will provide the information to you as soon as practicably possible. If you are not satisfied with our extension of time, you have the right to make a complaint to the Ombudsman under section 28(3) of the Act. However, we would welcome the opportunity to discuss any concerns with you.

Ngā mihi
Kelsey

Kelsey Kennard
Official Information and Compliance Coordinator | Kaituitui Pārongo Ōkawa me te Tautukunga

Office of the Registrar | Te Tari o Te Pouroki
University of Otago | Te Whare Wānanga o Otāgo
New Zealand | Aotearoa
Email | Īmera [University of Otago request email]

Link to this

From: UoO - Official Information Act
University of Otago

Attachment Sinclair OIA Response 2 October 2023.pdf
200K Download View as HTML

Attachment 1.Council only minutes.pdf
61K Download View as HTML

Attachment 2.Discovery research insights.pdf
6.1M Download View as HTML

Attachment 3.Decision criteria.pdf
59K Download View as HTML

Attachment 4.Recommendation paper.pdf
229K Download View as HTML

Tēnā koe M Sinclair

Thank you for your patience. Please see attached the University of Otago's response to your follow up request for information dated 24 August 2023.

Ngā mihi
Kelsey

Kelsey Kennard
Official Information and Compliance Coordinator | Kaituitui Pārongo Ōkawa me te Tautukunga

Office of the Registrar | Te Tari o Te Pouroki
University of Otago | Te Whare Wānanga o Otāgo
New Zealand | Aotearoa
Email | Īmera [University of Otago request email]

Link to this

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