Level 9, 44 The Terrace
PO Box 27048
Ref: OI-25-01308
Wel ington, New Zealand 6141
P +64 4 462 5200
www.tec.govt.nz
04 November 2025
John Luke
Via FYI.org
: [FYI request #32377 email]
Tēnā koe John
Thank you for your request, received on 13 October 2025 for the following information under the
Official Information Act 1982 (the Act):
I am writing in relation to information obtained through an Official Information Act request to the
Real Estate Authority (Our Ref: C64569), regarding Mr. Fale Andrew Lesâ.
According to his application, Mr. Lesâ claims that he served on the "Appointments Committee for
Workforce Development Councils" from April 2021 to May 2021, stating he was:
“Appointed by Cabinet. Formally appoint successful candidates and recommend to the Minister of
Education for Governor-General's approval.”
I would appreciate it if you could please confirm whether this statement is accurate.
Additionally, I would like to request the fol owing information:
•
The Terms of Reference for the Appointments Committee for Workforce Development Councils.
•
Details of the public call for expressions of interest for this role — how was the recruitment
process conducted?
•
A copy of Mr. Lesā’s appointment letter.
•
An outline of the recruitment process for committee members, including:
o
What documentation or qualifications applicants were required to submit.
o
The assessment or selection criteria used.
I can confirm that Mr Lesā served on the Appointments Committee for the Health, Community and
Social Services (HCSS) Workforce Development Council from April 2021 to May 2021. Mr Lesā was
one of the Nominations Committee members responsible for appointing the HCSS WDC governance
council. Members of the Appointments Committee were appointed by the Chief Executive of Tertiary
Education Commission (TEC) after a selection process involving an external recruitment company and
Senior Officials from the Reform of Vocational Education (ROVE) Programme and the TEC.
Overview of the Appointments Committee selection process
The TEC undertook an Expressions of Interest (EOI) process and an internal search to identify
individuals with the required capability and experience to serve on the Appointments and
Nominations Committees for the Workforce Development Councils. For the HCSS Workforce
Development Council an Appointments Committee was required as part of establishment
procedures. The EOI process was launched on 3 March 2021 and remained open for two weeks and
four days, closing on 21 March 2021.
The Expressions of Interest process for the Appointments Committee for the Workforce
Development Councils was managed by the TEC’s external recruitment partner, Amy Tea Consulting
(ATC). ATC hosted the EOI details on their website and promoted the opportunity through social
media and direct email outreach to relevant networks.
Fol owing the launch of the campaign, the ROVE team, in collaboration with TEC, notified the interim
Establishment Boards, their networks, and other key stakeholders. These notifications were made via
phone and email.
To further support the campaign, the EOI information hosted on ATC’s website was linked to TEC’s
website through a news item and updates to the WDC pages. TEC also shared the campaign via its
LinkedIn account, linking to ATC’s social media posts.
Following the closure of the EOI period, ATC assessed candidate documentation against the fol owing
criteria:
1. Knowledge of and experience in governance.
2. Knowledge of and experience in vocational education and training.
3. Knowledge of and experience in public administration.
4. Knowledge of and experience in Te Tiriti o Waitangi, Te Mātauranga, and Te Ao Māori as well
as Pacifica.
5. Knowledge of and experience in working with and addressing the needs of underserved
learners.
6. Industry leadership experience.
7. Experience with or representation from small or medium enterprises.
This process ensured that candidates who progressed, had the appropriate background and expertise to
contribute meaningful y to the work of the committees.
The initial screening process also considered the need to ensure balanced and diverse Appointments
Committees, including representation across gender, ethnicity, sector, and regional spread.
ATC conducted initial vetting of candidates and from this provided advice, including a long list of
recommended candidates. The ROVE team undertook a further assessment to form a recommended
shortlist. This assessment was guided by the principle that the composition of each committee
should, as far as practicable, reflect the high-level composition of the relevant Workforce
Development Council governance council.
In practice, each Appointments Committee was ideal y composed to ensure:
• A balance between Māori and non-Māori representation
• Representation from both employers and employees
REPORT NUMBER: OI-25-01308
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In addition, the composition of each committee aimed to include:
• Individuals with experience in governance, vocational education, and appointments
• Members with strong connections, mana, and credibility within business, employee, and
industry communities
• Members with knowledge of and experience in Te Tiriti o Waitangi, Te Mātauranga, and Te
Ao Māori
• Diversity of background, thought, and perspectives
• Coverage across critical sectors relevant to the Workforce Development Councils
• One or two current members of the interim Establishment Boards (IEBs) to support
continuity
Senior officials from the ROVE team within TEC evaluated candidates on the recommended shortlist
and identified individuals to sit on the Appointments Committees for the relevant Workforce
Development Council. This evaluation focused on ensuring that the composition of each committee
provided appropriate coverage across the required skills and capabilities. The Chief Executive of TEC
then appointed the agreed members for each Appointments Committee on the recommendation of
the officials group. The appointments were not required to go through Cabinet.
The role of the HCSS Appointments Committee was to choose the members of the first HCSS
Workforce Development governance Council. This process did not involve any appointments being
made by Ministers or Cabinet.
A copy of the EOI advertisement published on TEC’s website is enclosed with this response.
Appointment letter and Appointments Committee Terms of Reference
I am releasing to you a copy of these documents as referenced in the table below.
You have the right to seek an investigation and review by the Ombudsman of this decision.
Information about how to make a complaint is available at www.ombudsman.parliament.nz or
freephone 0800 802 602.
Nāku noa, nā
Tim Fowler
Chief Executive
Tertiary Education Commission
REPORT NUMBER: OI-25-01308
| 6
Information released under the Official Information Act (1982)
Item
No
Document Type
Title
Release
1
PDF Copy of TEC website wording - EOI
Ful release
2
PDF Letter of Appointment – Fale Andrew Lesā
Ful release
3
PDF HCSS Terms of Reference
Ful release
Document Outline
