Request for Information on Performance Targets, Operational Time Standards, Decline Rates & Staff Pressure Frameworks (2019–2025)
SPENCER JONES made this Official Information request to Accident Compensation Corporation
The request was partially successful.
From: SPENCER JONES
Under the Official Information Act 1982, I request the following information relating to ACC’s performance targets, operational timeframes, productivity expectations, and decision-making pressures for the period 1 January 2019 – 31 December 2025 (or the closest period for which data exists).
This request is limited to high-level, aggregated information, policies, and internal frameworks.
No personal staff information is sought.
1. Internal Performance Targets & KPIs
1.1 Copies or summaries of any internal Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) applied to staff involved in:
claims management
cover decisions
weekly compensation decisions
clinical advice
operational call centres
data assessment or QA functions
including any KPIs relating to:
timeliness
throughput
processing speed
clearance rates
backlog reduction
decision output volumes per staff member
(If formal KPI documents exist, an index will satisfy this request.)
1.2 A list of all formal performance measures in place from 2019–2025, including any changes in KPIs introduced during this period.
2. Time Standards, Expectations & Productivity Metrics
2.1 Internal documents describing expected timeframes for:
making cover decisions
assessing weekly compensation
requesting and reviewing clinical information
completing internal assessments
progressing complex or sensitive claims
2.2 Any internal performance dashboards or summary reports (even in high-level form) relating to:
average processing times
overdue tasks
timeliness standards
backlog management programmes
productivity expectations for staff
If complete dashboards cannot be released, a list or extract of relevant indicators is sufficient.
3. Decline Rates, Approvals & Operational Decision Drivers
3.1 Annual aggregate data (2019–2025) showing:
number of cover decisions made
number approved
number declined
percentage decline rates per year
any internal monitoring or analysis of fluctuations in decline rates
(National-level data is sufficient; no regional or staff-level data requested.)
3.2 Any internal documents discussing the relationship between performance targets and claim outcomes, including:
pressure to meet timeframes
backlog-reduction initiatives
impacts of staffing shortages
operational directives or performance programmes
internal commentary on fairness or accuracy risks
A summary or thematic analysis is sufficient if full documents cannot be provided.
4. Operational Pressure, Staffing Capacity & Risk Assessments
4.1 Copies or summaries of internal risk assessments relating to:
staff workload
claim volumes
resourcing constraints
impacts on decision accuracy
pressure or burnout affecting service-quality outcomes
4.2 Any internal documents assessing whether staffing capacity is adequate to meet statutory timeframes and internal KPIs, including:
workforce planning summaries
capacity-gap analyses
risk ratings for under-resourcing
If these exist only in annual planning documents, providing the relevant extracts is sufficient.
5. Feedback Loops & Corrective Action
5.1 Internal documents or summaries describing how ACC monitors whether performance pressures have contributed to:
inconsistent decision-making
premature declines
errors requiring correction
quality concerns identified by review bodies (ICRA, FairWay)
elevated complaint or reconsideration rates
5.2 Any internal improvements or mitigation steps implemented between 2019 and 2025 addressing the above issues.
A list or summary will satisfy this request.
Format
Electronic format (PDF, Word, Excel, or existing internal reporting formats) is preferred.
If any part of this request requires refinement, please advise and I will amend it.
Thank you for your assistance.
Kind regards,
Spencer Jones
From: Government Services
Accident Compensation Corporation
Kia ora,
Thank you for contacting ACC’s Government Services inbox.
If your request falls within scope of the Official Information Act, we
will endeavour to respond as soon as possible, and no later than 20
working days after receipt of your request. If we are unable to respond
within the statutory timeframe, we will notify you of an extension.
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where days are not counted as working days. This is from 25 December 2025
to 15 January 2026, inclusive. You can read more about this on the
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For more information about Official Information Act requests, please
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Ngâ mihi,
Government Services
PO Box 242 / Wellington 6011 / New Zealand / [6]www.acc.co.nz
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From: Government Services
Accident Compensation Corporation
Kia ora Spencer
Please find attached our response to 12 of your official information
requests dated between 5 and 14 December (our references: GOV-044915,
GOV-044929, GOV 044959, GOV-044985, GOV-044948, GOV-044950, GOV-044952,
GOV-044951, GOV-044947, GOV 044978, GOV-045041, and GOV-045119).
If you have any questions about the response you can contact us at this
[1]address, for all other matters please use our contact form
at: [2]https://www.acc.co.nz/contact/ alternatively give us a call
on 0800 101 996.
If you are having trouble viewing the PDF, please ensure you have the
latest version of Adobe Acrobat Reader. To download this freeware please
click [3]here.
Ngâ mihi
Christopher Johnston (he/him)
Manager | OIA Services
* PO Box 242, Wellington 6011
ACC cares about the environment – please don’t print this email unless it
is really necessary. Thank you.
Disclaimer:
"This message and any attachments may contain confidential and privileged
information. If you believe you have received this email in error, please
advise us immediately by return email or telephone and then delete this
email together with all attachments. If you are not the intended
recipient, you are not authorised to use or copy this message or any
attachments or disclose the contents to any other person."
References
Visible links
1. mailto:[email address]
2. https://www.acc.co.nz/contact/
3. https://get.adobe.com/nz/reader/
From: Government Services
Accident Compensation Corporation
Kia ora Spencer
Please find attached our response to 12 of your official information
requests dated between 5 and 14 December (our references: GOV-044915,
GOV-044929, GOV 044959, GOV-044985, GOV-044948, GOV-044950, GOV-044952,
GOV-044951, GOV-044947, GOV 044978, GOV-045041, and GOV-045119).
If you have any questions about the response you can contact us at this
[1]address, for all other matters please use our contact form
at: [2]https://www.acc.co.nz/contact/ alternatively give us a call
on 0800 101 996.
If you are having trouble viewing the PDF, please ensure you have the
latest version of Adobe Acrobat Reader. To download this freeware please
click [3]here.
Ngâ mihi
Christopher Johnston (he/him)
Manager | OIA Services
* PO Box 242, Wellington 6011
ACC cares about the environment – please don’t print this email unless it
is really necessary. Thank you.
Disclaimer:
"This message and any attachments may contain confidential and privileged
information. If you believe you have received this email in error, please
advise us immediately by return email or telephone and then delete this
email together with all attachments. If you are not the intended
recipient, you are not authorised to use or copy this message or any
attachments or disclose the contents to any other person."
References
Visible links
1. mailto:[email address]
2. https://www.acc.co.nz/contact/
3. https://get.adobe.com/nz/reader/
From: Government Services
Accident Compensation Corporation
Kia ora Spencer
Please find attached our response to 12 of your official information
requests dated between 5 and 14 December (our references: GOV-044915,
GOV-044929, GOV 044959, GOV-044985, GOV-044948, GOV-044950, GOV-044952,
GOV-044951, GOV-044947, GOV 044978, GOV-045041, and GOV-045119).
If you have any questions about the response you can contact us at this
[1]address, for all other matters please use our contact form
at: [2]https://www.acc.co.nz/contact/ alternatively give us a call
on 0800 101 996.
If you are having trouble viewing the PDF, please ensure you have the
latest version of Adobe Acrobat Reader. To download this freeware please
click [3]here.
Ngâ mihi
Christopher Johnston (he/him)
Manager | OIA Services
* PO Box 242, Wellington 6011
ACC cares about the environment – please don’t print this email unless it
is really necessary. Thank you.
Disclaimer:
"This message and any attachments may contain confidential and privileged
information. If you believe you have received this email in error, please
advise us immediately by return email or telephone and then delete this
email together with all attachments. If you are not the intended
recipient, you are not authorised to use or copy this message or any
attachments or disclose the contents to any other person."
References
Visible links
1. mailto:[email address]
2. https://www.acc.co.nz/contact/
3. https://get.adobe.com/nz/reader/
From: Government Services
Accident Compensation Corporation
Kia ora Spencer
Please find attached our response to 12 of your official information
requests dated between 5 and 14 December (our references: GOV-044915,
GOV-044929, GOV 044959, GOV-044985, GOV-044948, GOV-044950, GOV-044952,
GOV-044951, GOV-044947, GOV 044978, GOV-045041, and GOV-045119).
If you have any questions about the response you can contact us at this
[1]address, for all other matters please use our contact form
at: [2]https://www.acc.co.nz/contact/ alternatively give us a call
on 0800 101 996.
If you are having trouble viewing the PDF, please ensure you have the
latest version of Adobe Acrobat Reader. To download this freeware please
click [3]here.
Ngâ mihi
Christopher Johnston (he/him)
Manager | OIA Services
* PO Box 242, Wellington 6011
ACC cares about the environment – please don’t print this email unless it
is really necessary. Thank you.
Disclaimer:
"This message and any attachments may contain confidential and privileged
information. If you believe you have received this email in error, please
advise us immediately by return email or telephone and then delete this
email together with all attachments. If you are not the intended
recipient, you are not authorised to use or copy this message or any
attachments or disclose the contents to any other person."
References
Visible links
1. mailto:[email address]
2. https://www.acc.co.nz/contact/
3. https://get.adobe.com/nz/reader/
From: Government Services
Accident Compensation Corporation
Kia ora Spencer
Please find attached our response to 12 of your official information
requests dated between 5 and 14 December (our references: GOV-044915,
GOV-044929, GOV 044959, GOV-044985, GOV-044948, GOV-044950, GOV-044952,
GOV-044951, GOV-044947, GOV 044978, GOV-045041, and GOV-045119).
If you have any questions about the response you can contact us at this
[1]address, for all other matters please use our contact form
at: [2]https://www.acc.co.nz/contact/ alternatively give us a call
on 0800 101 996.
If you are having trouble viewing the PDF, please ensure you have the
latest version of Adobe Acrobat Reader. To download this freeware please
click [3]here.
Ngâ mihi
Christopher Johnston (he/him)
Manager | OIA Services
* PO Box 242, Wellington 6011
ACC cares about the environment – please don’t print this email unless it
is really necessary. Thank you.
Disclaimer:
"This message and any attachments may contain confidential and privileged
information. If you believe you have received this email in error, please
advise us immediately by return email or telephone and then delete this
email together with all attachments. If you are not the intended
recipient, you are not authorised to use or copy this message or any
attachments or disclose the contents to any other person."
References
Visible links
1. mailto:[email address]
2. https://www.acc.co.nz/contact/
3. https://get.adobe.com/nz/reader/
From: Government Services
Accident Compensation Corporation
Kia ora Spencer
Please find attached our response to 12 of your official information
requests dated between 5 and 14 December (our references: GOV-044915,
GOV-044929, GOV 044959, GOV-044985, GOV-044948, GOV-044950, GOV-044952,
GOV-044951, GOV-044947, GOV 044978, GOV-045041, and GOV-045119).
If you have any questions about the response you can contact us at this
[1]address, for all other matters please use our contact form
at: [2]https://www.acc.co.nz/contact/ alternatively give us a call
on 0800 101 996.
If you are having trouble viewing the PDF, please ensure you have the
latest version of Adobe Acrobat Reader. To download this freeware please
click [3]here.
Ngâ mihi
Christopher Johnston (he/him)
Manager | OIA Services
* PO Box 242, Wellington 6011
ACC cares about the environment – please don’t print this email unless it
is really necessary. Thank you.
Disclaimer:
"This message and any attachments may contain confidential and privileged
information. If you believe you have received this email in error, please
advise us immediately by return email or telephone and then delete this
email together with all attachments. If you are not the intended
recipient, you are not authorised to use or copy this message or any
attachments or disclose the contents to any other person."
References
Visible links
1. mailto:[email address]
2. https://www.acc.co.nz/contact/
3. https://get.adobe.com/nz/reader/
From: Government Services
Accident Compensation Corporation
Kia ora Spencer
Please find attached our response to 12 of your official information
requests dated between 5 and 14 December (our references: GOV-044915,
GOV-044929, GOV 044959, GOV-044985, GOV-044948, GOV-044950, GOV-044952,
GOV-044951, GOV-044947, GOV 044978, GOV-045041, and GOV-045119).
If you have any questions about the response you can contact us at this
[1]address, for all other matters please use our contact form
at: [2]https://www.acc.co.nz/contact/ alternatively give us a call
on 0800 101 996.
If you are having trouble viewing the PDF, please ensure you have the
latest version of Adobe Acrobat Reader. To download this freeware please
click [3]here.
Ngâ mihi
Christopher Johnston (he/him)
Manager | OIA Services
* PO Box 242, Wellington 6011
ACC cares about the environment – please don’t print this email unless it
is really necessary. Thank you.
Disclaimer:
"This message and any attachments may contain confidential and privileged
information. If you believe you have received this email in error, please
advise us immediately by return email or telephone and then delete this
email together with all attachments. If you are not the intended
recipient, you are not authorised to use or copy this message or any
attachments or disclose the contents to any other person."
References
Visible links
1. mailto:[email address]
2. https://www.acc.co.nz/contact/
3. https://get.adobe.com/nz/reader/
From: Government Services
Accident Compensation Corporation
Kia ora Spencer
Please find attached our response to 12 of your official information
requests dated between 5 and 14 December (our references: GOV-044915,
GOV-044929, GOV 044959, GOV-044985, GOV-044948, GOV-044950, GOV-044952,
GOV-044951, GOV-044947, GOV 044978, GOV-045041, and GOV-045119).
If you have any questions about the response you can contact us at this
[1]address, for all other matters please use our contact form
at: [2]https://www.acc.co.nz/contact/ alternatively give us a call
on 0800 101 996.
If you are having trouble viewing the PDF, please ensure you have the
latest version of Adobe Acrobat Reader. To download this freeware please
click [3]here.
Ngâ mihi
Christopher Johnston (he/him)
Manager | OIA Services
* PO Box 242, Wellington 6011
ACC cares about the environment – please don’t print this email unless it
is really necessary. Thank you.
Disclaimer:
"This message and any attachments may contain confidential and privileged
information. If you believe you have received this email in error, please
advise us immediately by return email or telephone and then delete this
email together with all attachments. If you are not the intended
recipient, you are not authorised to use or copy this message or any
attachments or disclose the contents to any other person."
References
Visible links
1. mailto:[email address]
2. https://www.acc.co.nz/contact/
3. https://get.adobe.com/nz/reader/
From: Government Services
Accident Compensation Corporation
Kia ora Spencer
Please find attached our response to 12 of your official information
requests dated between 5 and 14 December (our references: GOV-044915,
GOV-044929, GOV 044959, GOV-044985, GOV-044948, GOV-044950, GOV-044952,
GOV-044951, GOV-044947, GOV 044978, GOV-045041, and GOV-045119).
If you have any questions about the response you can contact us at this
[1]address, for all other matters please use our contact form
at: [2]https://www.acc.co.nz/contact/ alternatively give us a call
on 0800 101 996.
If you are having trouble viewing the PDF, please ensure you have the
latest version of Adobe Acrobat Reader. To download this freeware please
click [3]here.
Ngâ mihi
Christopher Johnston (he/him)
Manager | OIA Services
* PO Box 242, Wellington 6011
ACC cares about the environment – please don’t print this email unless it
is really necessary. Thank you.
Disclaimer:
"This message and any attachments may contain confidential and privileged
information. If you believe you have received this email in error, please
advise us immediately by return email or telephone and then delete this
email together with all attachments. If you are not the intended
recipient, you are not authorised to use or copy this message or any
attachments or disclose the contents to any other person."
References
Visible links
1. mailto:[email address]
2. https://www.acc.co.nz/contact/
3. https://get.adobe.com/nz/reader/
From: Government Services
Accident Compensation Corporation
Kia ora Spencer
Please find attached our response to 12 of your official information
requests dated between 5 and 14 December (our references: GOV-044915,
GOV-044929, GOV 044959, GOV-044985, GOV-044948, GOV-044950, GOV-044952,
GOV-044951, GOV-044947, GOV 044978, GOV-045041, and GOV-045119).
If you have any questions about the response you can contact us at this
[1]address, for all other matters please use our contact form
at: [2]https://www.acc.co.nz/contact/ alternatively give us a call
on 0800 101 996.
If you are having trouble viewing the PDF, please ensure you have the
latest version of Adobe Acrobat Reader. To download this freeware please
click [3]here.
Ngâ mihi
Christopher Johnston (he/him)
Manager | OIA Services
* PO Box 242, Wellington 6011
ACC cares about the environment – please don’t print this email unless it
is really necessary. Thank you.
Disclaimer:
"This message and any attachments may contain confidential and privileged
information. If you believe you have received this email in error, please
advise us immediately by return email or telephone and then delete this
email together with all attachments. If you are not the intended
recipient, you are not authorised to use or copy this message or any
attachments or disclose the contents to any other person."
References
Visible links
1. mailto:[email address]
2. https://www.acc.co.nz/contact/
3. https://get.adobe.com/nz/reader/
SPENCER JONES left an annotation ()
Public FYI Annotation Template
Annotation: Consolidated ACC response (GOV-044915) and why this matters for public transparency
This request forms part of a wider set of ACC OIA requests lodged in early–mid December 2025 concerning ACC’s decision-making systems, governance controls, and (critically) the financial/metadata architecture used to report dispute-resolution expenditure (Reviews, Appeals, External Counsel, ICRA, and FairWay).
1) ACC bundled multiple distinct OIAs into a single “umbrella” response
ACC issued a consolidated response under GOV-044915 which states it is responding to 12 official information requests dated between 5 and 14 December, including GOV-045041 and several other governance/data integrity requests.
This consolidation practice matters because it can:
make it harder for the public to track which questions were answered (or not answered) within each thread,
complicate follow-up/refinement inside the “correct” request, and
obscure whether any given request was actually dealt with substantively, or merely grouped into a volume-management response.
2) The core public-interest issue: “reported numbers” vs “classification architecture”
Across the bundled threads, the recurring public-interest question is:
How does ACC classify and report dispute-resolution expenditure (Reviews vs Appeals; ICRA vs FairWay; external legal counsel), and what definitional artefacts exist to support auditability and transparency?
This is not a request for claim-level personal information. It is about system-level accountability for a statutory insurer.
3) Key confirmed disclosure: vendor-ID separation exists
In the consolidated response material, ACC states that the reported split between ICRA and FairWay expenditure was separated using unique vendor IDs.
That point is important because it is a system architecture fact (a classification mechanism), and it directly informs how refined follow-up requests should be framed.
4) Live refinement pathway: GOV-045041 (ERP metadata and refusal logic)
To keep the record clean and avoid duplication, refinements and targeted architecture clarifications are being pursued through GOV-045041, which is publicly visible on FYI.
5) Related thread: dispute-resolution legal spend tables already released
A related request (external legal expenditure on claimant reviews & appeals) provides important context on dispute-resolution spend and is part of the same transparency chain.
6) Why this matters for veterans and disabled claimants
Veterans and medically vulnerable claimants are disproportionately affected when a disputes system is:
difficult to audit externally,
hard to understand from published classifications,
opaque in how costs flow through review/appeal pathways, and
procedurally complex to challenge.
This annotation is posted to help RSA, VANZ/VAB, MPs, and investigative journalists see the full linked record across requests, rather than each thread in isolation.
7) Cross-linked OIA threads (navigation index)
For ease of public review, relevant linked threads in this cluster are listed below (see links).
SPENCER JONES left an annotation ()
GOV-044915 consolidated response context (example thread):
https://fyi.org.nz/request/32906-treatme...
GOV-045041 (ERP metadata / refusal logic – dispute-resolution spend):
https://fyi.org.nz/request/33222-acc-cla...
Dispute-resolution spend context (external legal expenditure on claimant reviews & appeals):
https://fyi.org.nz/request/32869-acc-ext...
Original finance/ERP extracts & GL codes thread (earlier spine request):
https://fyi.org.nz/request/32534-acc-ext...
Provider billing irregularities / audit / fraud controls:
https://fyi.org.nz/request/33169-request...
Data integrity / evidence handling / QA systems:
https://fyi.org.nz/request/33172-request...
Performance targets / operational time standards / decline rates / staff pressure:
https://fyi.org.nz/request/33173-request...
Conflicts of interest / assessor governance / panel selection:
https://fyi.org.nz/request/33171-request...
External legal expenditure / investigator engagements / assessor governance:
https://fyi.org.nz/request/33170-request...
ACC annual performance outcomes / clinical QA / turnaround standards / contractor oversight:
https://fyi.org.nz/request/33150-request...
ACC organisational structure / staffing distribution / contractor use / cost structures:
https://fyi.org.nz/request/33147-request...
Things to do with this request
- Add an annotation (to help the requester or others)
- Download a zip file of all correspondence (note: this contains the same information already available above).


SPENCER JONES left an annotation ()
This request examines how ACC structures its internal performance expectations, including:
timeliness targets
productivity requirements
claim-processing time standards
decision throughput expectations
monitoring of decline rates
staff workload and capacity assessments
These performance settings influence how quickly decisions are made and how consistently ACC meets statutory obligations under the Accident Compensation Act.
The OIA seeks high-level internal information only, such as:
summaries of KPIs
time-standard frameworks
dashboard indicators
decline-rate trends
internal risk assessments
reviews of operational pressure
No personal staff information is requested.
The purpose is simply to understand how ACC balances:
timeliness,
accuracy,
quality assurance, and
fairness
in an environment with significant claim volumes and operational pressures.
This request complements transparency work already underway across ACC regarding clinical quality, decision-making consistency, and internal audit performance.
Updates will be posted when ACC responds.
Link to this