Election Access Fund
Te Tomokanga — Pūtea Whakatapoko Pōtitanga
Applications Panel Meeting
Date:
8 May 2023
Time:
1.00pm-2.00pm
Location:
Online via Zoom
Chair:
Dianne Glenn
Members:
Huhana Hickey
Robbie Watene
Jade Farrar
Leigh Deuchars, Electoral Commission
Other attendees:
Charmaine James (Secretariat)
Apologies:
None
Minutes Minutes of the last meeting The minutes were adopted with no corrections (Dianne/Huhana).
Action points completed:
• Charmaine investigated converting the panel assessment form to a
SharePoint/web based form, a test link was share with the panel.
• EAF team sourced hiring alternatives for acquiring equipment.
Matters arising:
• No clear policy on the hiring or purchasing of equipment for applicants.
Conflict of Interests Nil
Applicant 001 $15,011.27 Recommendation: Applicant has already been approved for Support assistant and travel
expense to the amount of $ 11,597.50. To grant funding of approximately $1,000 to cover
cost of hiring or purchasing the laptop required. EAF team to contact the applicant with the
option of either hiring the laptop at a cost of $1,050 or buying the laptop through the
Electoral Commission’s purchasing account at a cost of approximately $1,500 with an option
for the candidate to buy the laptop at the end of the candidacy for $500.
Action:
• EAF team to contact Applicant001 regarding the options that are available for
the laptop and to provide a clear indication of the reasoning behind the offer for
equipment.
Process improvements The following process improvements were identified during discussion of Applicant 001:
• Assessment form to evolve and adapt to members of the panel as the
dynamics of the members change.
• To look into a SharePoint site where all application documentation relevant
to panel meetings and applications may be reviewed online, to avoid sending
documents via email.
Actions:
• Charmaine to investigate the use of a Sharepoint site for panel members to
access and review application documents instead of the files/documents being
emailed to them.
• Policy to be discussed and refined on the purchase or hiring of hardware, and
the cost v duration of use of the acquired hardware. Leigh to contact relevant
parties to discuss at the next available meeting.
Update from Electoral Commission staff No updates noted for this meeting.
Any other business Option of using the next panel meeting or a time available for all parties to discuss with the
Audit team (KPMG) and Ben (Legal and Policy) and to include Election Access Fund Steering
Group members, Mojo Mathers and Vaughan Dodd.
To ask the Audit team to present a deep dive into the concept of auditing a fund like this.
Next meeting Monday 22nd May 2023, 1pm.