19 February 2026
Dan
[FYI request #33099 email]
Dear Dan
Thank you for your request of 2 December 2026 to Kāinga Ora – Homes and Communities for the
information about the recruitment and appointment process for the current Chief Executive under
the Of icial Information Act 1982 (the Act). I have answered your questions below.
Please provide the following information:
1. Recruitment Timeline
A full timeline showing:
• when the CEO position was first advertised
• where it was advertised
• when applications opened and closed
• when longlisting and shortlisting occurred
• interview dates
• final decision dates
• the date the Board approved the appointment
The timeline below sets out the recruitment timeline. The position was advertised on Seek Jobs,
the Kainga Ora Careers website, and the LinkedIN page of HardyGroup, the recruitment
consultancy engaged for the position.
The following is a full timeline of the process:
Date
Activity
1/8/2025
CEO position first advertised and applications
opened.
3/9/2025
Applications closed
4/9/2025
Longlist report sent
8/9/2025
Shortlisting completed
17/9/2025
First interviews with five shortlisted candidates
30/9/2025
Second interviews with two preferred candidates
Week of 6/10/2025
Due diligence checks of preferred candidates
Week of 13/10/2025 Final decision and offer stage
13/10/2025
Board approval of appointment
2. Recruitment Documentation
Copies of the following documents:
• the job advertisement as it was published
• the position description used in the recruitment process
• candidate evaluation criteria
• scoring/evaluation matrices
• interview questions or interview guides
• advice provided to the Board regarding the selection process
• minutes or excerpts from Board meetings where the CEO recruitment or appointment was
discussed
• any reports, recommendations, or briefing notes supplied by recruitment consultants
involved in the process
I have attached copies of the job advertisement (candidate information pack), position description,
interview questions, candidate evaluation criteria, and scoring/evaluation matrix.
Minutes, advice, reports, recommendations or briefing notes supplied by the recruitment
consultants by their nature contain personal information related to individuals, which is withheld
under 9(2)(a) of the Act, to
“protect the privacy of natural persons”.
3. Candidate Information (Non-identifiable)
To avoid withholding under section 9(2)(a), I am NOT requesting names.
Please provide:
• the total number of applicants
• the number of candidates longlisted
• the number of candidates shortlisted
• whether any external candidates were interviewed
• the number of internal candidates interviewed
In response to the candidate information requested, I can advise the following:
• 53 applicants applied for the position and were longlisted
• 5 candidates were shortlisted
• 4 external and 1 internal candidate were interviewed.
4. Conflict of Interest Documentation
Copies of:
• any conflict-of-interest declarations made by Board members or staff involved in the
recruitment
• any conflict-management plans or mitigation steps
• any correspondence or internal notes referring to potential conflicts of interest
No conflicts of interest (COI) were declared by Board members or staff involved in the recruitment
process, and there is no correspondence or internal notes referring to any potential COI.
Therefore, this part of your request is declined under section 18(e) of the Act, as
“the document
alleged to contain the information requested does not exist.”
5. External Search Process
Please provide:
• the name(s) of external recruitment firms used
• the scope of work they were engaged for
• any reports or summaries they produced relating to candidate search or assessment
• whether an international search was undertaken and how it was conducted
HardyGroup NZ Ltd were engaged for the recruitment of the CEO position. The scope of the work
was:
• Confirming the recruitment campaign
• Advertising, sourcing and management of candidates
• Long-listing and short-listing
• Interview preparation and scheduling
• Referee checks, including those required as per the Workforce Assurance Standards policy
requirements prescribed by the Public Service Commission
• Credential check and verification (e.g. clearance to work in NZ, Ministry of Justice criminal
record check)
• Psychometric profiling
• Online probity.
Several reports were produced relating to candidate search and assessment. I am releasing the
Candidate information pack to you in full.
These following reports are being withheld under section 9(2)(a) of the Act:
• Proposal and confirmation of scope
• Applicant list (Long list of candidates)
• Executive Summary
• 12x Tier 1 Candidate Profiles
• Candidate applications (cover letters, CV, response to selection criteria)
The search was conducted across New Zealand and Australia through targeted sourcing from the
agency and through advertising channels.
6. Due Diligence Regarding Statutory Obligations
Any documentation, advice, or assessment that considered:
• the candidate’s experience in public-sector leadership
• experience in managing large or complex organisations
• experience with statutory functions such as OIA compliance
• the potential impact of leadership changes on transparency or OIA-related teams
(This request concerns the decision-making process, not the individual’s personal
information.)
In relation to the due-diligence process undertaken for the CEO recruitment, the Board considered
information relevant to all areas outlined in the Position Description, which captures the above.
Documentation considered included CV, application materials, referee checks, recruitment reports,
and interview notes. These documents are withheld under section 9(2)(a) of the Act.
I am satisfied that the recruitment process undertaken by the Board, including probity and security
checks, was robust and confirmed the appointee’s suitability and experience. In line with section
117 of the Crown Entities Act 2004, the Board also consulted with the Public Service Commission
regarding the terms and conditions of employment as part of this process.
In terms of section 9(1) of the Act, I am satisfied that, in the circumstances, the withholding of
information under section 9 is not outweighed by other considerations that render it desirable to
make the information available in the public interest.
You have the right to seek an investigation and review by the Ombudsman of this decision. There
is Information about how to make a complaint at
https:/ www.ombudsman.parliament.nz or by
freephone
on 0800 802 602.
Please note that Kāinga Ora proactively releases our responses to official information requests
where possible. Our response to your request may be published at
https:/ kaingaora.govt.nz/publications/official-information-requests/ with your personal information
removed.
Yours sincerely
Simon Moutter
Board Chair
