Dear Ministry of Social Development,

Please treat this as a request for official information under the Official Information Act 1982.

This request is made in the public interest to support transparency around how fiscal responsibility, workforce growth, and leadership accountability are reflected in MSD’s operating model. As someone with a strong interest in the performance and efficiency of large public organisations, I believe this information is essential to understanding scale, structure, and resource prioritisation over time.

The information requested below should be readily available through internal financial and operational reporting.

1. Budget vs Actual Expenditure by Executive Portfolio – FY2021 to FY2024

For each financial year from FY2021 to FY2024, please provide the following for each Deputy Chief Executive (DCE) or equivalent ELT member’s portfolio (i.e., all cost centres and operational areas reporting to them):

- The approved annual budget and actual expenditure.
- If any dollar values are considered sensitive, percentage variance (over/under budget) is acceptable as an alternative.
- Please include the name of the relevant DCE or ELT member responsible for each portfolio in each year.

2. FTE by Executive Portfolio – FY2021 to Present

For each DCE or Executive Leadership Team portfolio, please provide:

- The budgeted FTE vs actual FTE for each financial year from FY2021 through to the current financial year to date.
- The year-on-year change in actual FTE (as a number or percentage).
- If more granular reporting (e.g. quarterly or mid-year tracking) is available internally, that level of detail is welcomed.

In addition, for front-line or service delivery roles, please provide:

- Any instances since FY2021 to the date of this request where increases in FTE were sought and approved.
- Copies of or excerpts from approval documentation, such as ELT or Ministerial/Board memos, that supported or approved additional headcount for front-line services (e.g. service centres, contact centres, work brokers, case management, etc.).

These are foundational indicators of fiscal discipline, organisational scale, and accountability for delivery. If any aspect of the request is likely to require substantial collation under section 18(f) of the Act, I’d appreciate early notice so I can consider refining the scope.

Yours faithfully,

DC