22/02/2024
Joshua Andrew Sims
[FYI request #25821 email]
Tēnā koe Joshua
OIA: 1323432 – Layoffs to be made within the Ministry
Thank you for your email of 21 February 2024 to the Ministry of Education (the Ministry) requesting
the following information:
1. I request information regarding the individual roles, working groups, researchers,
research teams and other groupings of this nature, if any, that are going to be cut from
your relevant Ministry or departmental agency owing to the government’s policy of
reducing the public service.
2. Relevant information would include:
-
The roles that may be considered superfluous enough to warrant redundancy and why Any
bodies, boards, working groups or researchers/research teams considered superfluous
enough to be closed or made redundant and why
-
A brief accompanying description of the duties, roles, scope and cancelled projects of the
above mentioned where relevant to the individual or group in question.
Your request has been considered under the Of icial Information Act 1982 (the Act).
The Ministry has made no job cuts. Therefore, your request is refused under section 18(e) of the
Act, that the documents alleged to contain the information requested does not exist.
The Ministry has a number of actions underway already to respond to fiscal pressures. We have
lifted the delegations for all recruitment to Hautū level. We are continuing to fil vacancies as usual
for specified delivery roles including Learning Support Specialists, Leadership Advisors and
Curriculum Advisors; we are being very cautious about fil ing any other roles. Other high priority
appointments wil be considered on a case-by-case basis by senior leadership.
The Ministry has also commit ed to ongoing reductions in consultancy and contracting spend
including as projects come to an end.
As you know, the Ministry along with the rest of the Public Service is required to make savings.
Ministers and Cabinet wil make decisions on final savings as part of Budget 2024. No final decisions
8 Gilmer Terrace, Levels Ground floor, 1, 2, and 6-14, Wellington
PO Box 1666, Wel ington 6140 Phone: +64 4 463 8000
have been made. I cannot rule out organisation changes in the future but if this becomes necessary,
we will consult with our employees and their representatives.
Current workforce data, which includes full-time equivalent information, capital and operational
expenditure, is published by Te Kawa Mataaho | Public Services Commission (PSC) at the
following link:
https://www.publicservice.govt.nz/research-and-data/workforce-data-public-sector-
composition/workforce-data-workforce-size/
Please note, we may publish this response on our website after five working days. Your name and
contact details wil be removed.
You have the right to ask an Ombudsman to review decision on your request, in accordance with
section 28 of the Act. You can do this by writing t
o [email address] or to Office of
the Ombudsman, PO Box 10152, Wellington 6143.
Thank you again for your email. If you have further questions, please feel free to contact our media
team in the first instance at
[email address].
Nāku noa, nā
Jan Breakwell
Hautū Taupua | Acting Deputy Secretary
Te Pou Rangatōpū | Corporate
OIA: 1323432
