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[IN-CONFIDENCE - RELEASE EXTERNAL]
21/01/2026 
Aaron Turner 
[FYI request #33137 email]  
Tēnā koe Aaron 
OIA: GEMS-46178 - Information relating to contractor 
Thank you for your email of 4 December 2025 to the Ministry of Education (the Ministry) requesting 
the following information:  
1. A copy of all formal declaration of interest forms or records submitted by Derek Lyons
regarding the company THE PRACTITIONERS LIMITED;
2. A copy of the Conflict of Interest Management Plan (or equivalent documentation) that
was created and approved by the Ministry of Education to manager any type of conflict
arising from Derek Lyons' role in procurement/consultant hiring as well as his interest in
the consulting form, THE PRACTITIONERS LIMITED;
3. Any internal records (including but not limited to emails, texts, minutes,
correspondence, and Teams messages) confirming that Derek Lyons has been formally
recused or other stood aside from the decision-making process for any specific
consulting contract tender awarded to THE PRACTITIONERS LIMITED since his
appointment;
4. The total number of staff directly engaged by the Ministry of Education through the
company THE PRACTITIONERS LIMITED (and who have subsequently provided
services to the Ministry):
a. for each of the last three financial years, ending 30 June 2025;
b. and were still engaged and providing services as at Thursday 4 December;
5. Any records (including but not limited to emails, texts, minutes, correspondence and
Teams messages) between the Minister of Education's Office to the Ministry of
Education mentioning or relating to THE PRACTITIONERS LIMITED.
Wellington National Office, 1 The Terrace, Levels 5 to 14, Wellington 6011 
PO Box 1666, Wellington 6140, DX SR51201 Phone: +64 4 463 8000  
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Your request has been considered under the Official Information Act 1982 (the Act).  
In response to parts one to three of your request, there have been three conflict of interest 
declarations submitted by Derek Lyons regarding The Practitioners Limited, which also cover the 
mitigations put in place. These are provided in the Appendix below as an extract from the People 
Services workflow system, as allowed for under section 16(1)(e) of the Act, with some information 
withheld under section 9(2)(a) of the Act, to protect the privacy of natural persons. 
In addition, the overarching Consultancy Services Order for The Practitioners contains the 
following declaration: 
Regarding part four of your request, I can confirm that one additional staff member has been 
engaged through The Practitioners Ltd over the period requested. The original Consultancy 
Services Order allowed for four staff members which are no longer filled, and the number was 
consequently reduced to two prior to the period requested. 
Three communications have been identified in scope of part five of your request, summarised as 
follows, as also envisaged under section 16(1)(e) of the Act:  
Email 6/12/22 – Ministry staff to Minister’s Office attaching a corrected (final) version of Q68 
of Annual Review 2021/22, which contains one line item for The Practitioners. Annual 
Review 2021/22 is publicly available here: www.parliament.nz/resource/en-
NZ/53SCEW_EVI_127552_EW9691/2b37c4111a9647d320d08bb2f9f298c75… 
Email 10/5/23 – Ministry staff to Minister’s Office attaching a copy of Annual Review 
2021/22, which contains one line item for The Practitioners. Annual Review 2021/22 is 
publicly available at the link provided above. 
Email 7/11/25 – Ministry staff to Minister’s Office attaching a spreadsheet of Budget 2026 
Vote Education Funded Contracts, which contains one line item for The Practitioners. I am 
withholding this information under section 9(2)(f)(iv) of the Act, to maintain the constitutional 
conventions for the time being which protect the confidentiality of advice tendered by 
Ministers of the Crown and officials. 
As required under section 9(1) of the Act, I have considered the public interest in releasing the 
information withheld. I do not consider that the public interest considerations favouring the release 
of this information are sufficient to outweigh the need to withhold it at this time. 
OIA: GEMS-46178 
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Thank you again for your email. You have the right to ask an Ombudsman to review my decision 
on your request, in accordance with section 28 of the Act. You can do this by writing to 
[email address] or to Office of the Ombudsman, PO Box 10152, Wellington 6143. 
Nāku noa, nā 
Giles Panting 
Hautū (Taupua) | Deputy Secretary (Acting) 
Te Mahau | Te Poutāhū (Curriculum Centre) 
OIA: GEMS-46178 
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Appendix – Extract of COI declarations 
HC-26328 
Do you or a related party provide directive, managerial, or consultative service to any entity that does 
business with the Ministry?*
Yes 
If "Yes" please describe*
I am a director and part owner of a company (the Practitioners) through which we contract services with 
1982
the Ministry. 
Are you or a related party an employee of any entity that does business with the Ministry?*
Yes 
Act 
If "Yes" please describe*
I am a director and part owner of a company (the Practitioners) through which we contract services with 
the Ministry. 
Do you or a related party hold, directly or indirectly, a position of financial interest in an entity from 
which the Ministry secures goods or services?*
Yes 
If "Yes" please describe*
I am a director and part owner of a company (the Practitioners) through which we contract services with 
the Ministry. 
Do you or a related party own or control any shares or debt or equity securities, or have any other 
Information 
investment interest in an educational institution?*
No 
CoI mitigation plan was approved by Ellen MacGregor-Reid as follows: 
The steps agreed upon with your manager to manage the declared conflict: 
I have contracted with The Practitioners to work with me on the reset of the NCEA Change 
Official 
Programme, as part of this reset work I have asked Derek to act in the Programme Director role. While 
this is a perceived conflict the contractual arrangement and processes are well-documented and 
there is a Board overseeing activity. 
the 
HCI-39111 
Please describe the Conflict of Interest* 
I am a Director of the company The Practitioners who [9(2)(a)] and I contract through to the Ministry on 
the CACP. 
under 
CoI mitigation plan was approved by Pauline Cleaver as follows: 
Please record the outcome of any conversations you’ve had with your manager 
This is managed through having The Practitioners’s contract being managed through the office of the 
Hautu,  
HC-33205 
Do you or a related party provide directive, managerial, or consultative service to any entity that does 
business with the Ministry?*
Released 
Yes 
If "Yes" please describe*
I am a director and part owner of a company (the Practitioners) through which we contract services with 
the Ministry. 
OIA: GEMS-46178 
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This is the second year this conflict has been declared. Last year the management approach was: 
The Practitioners have been contracted to work the Hautū on the NCEA Change Programme, recently 
expanded to include the Curriculum refresh, as part of this work Derek acts in the Programme Director 
role. While this is a perceived conflict the contractual arrangement and processes are wel -documented 
and there is a Board overseeing activity. 
Are you or a related party an employee of any entity that does business with the Ministry?*
Yes 
If "Yes" please describe*
I am a director and part owner of a company (the Practitioners) through which we contract services with 
the Ministry. 
Do you or a related party hold, directly or indirectly, a position of financial interest in an entity from 
which the Ministry secures goods or services?*
Yes 
If "Yes" please describe*
I am a director and part owner of a company (the Practitioners) through which we contract services with 
the Ministry. 
Do you or a related party own or control any shares or debt or equity securities, or have any other 
investment interest in an educational institution?*
No 
CoI mitigation plan was approved by Ellen MacGregor-Reid as follows: 
The steps agreed upon with your manager to manage the declared conflict: 
As per explanation in Derek’s disclosure.  
under the Official Information Act 1982
Released 
OIA: GEMS-46178 
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