27 February 2026
DOIA26-011 and DOIA26-014
John Luke
[email address]
[FYI request #33669 email] Tēnā koe John
I refer to your requests received on 29 January 2026 and 10 February 2026 regarding
information about the Ministry for Culture and Heritage’s nominations register and
appointments processes. As your requests relate to the same subject matter, we are
responding to them together in this letter.
As noted in our correspondence to you on 30 July 2025, we would be happy to arrange
a discussion with our officials about the appointments process. We remain transparent
about our practices and are keen to support public understanding of how these
processes are conducted. Please let us know if a discussion about our processes
would help with any questions you may have.
The nominations register/candidate pool
For clarity, the terms “candidate pool” and “nominations register” refer to the same
group of individuals.
The nominations register consists of Expressions of Interest (EOI) submitted by
members of the public (the database) as well as nominations received from external
parties, including government nominating agencies.
How many individuals are in the register?
There are close to 2000 entries in the register. However, individuals may be nominated
more than once, for example, through both an EOI and an external nomination,
meaning some entries are duplicates.
How are candidates selected for appointment rounds?
Candidates are identified based on their suitability for the role and the skills and
experience required. Staff responsible for governance and appointments review
individuals’ attributes against the specific criteria for each appointment.
Is there a priority list or ranking system in place?
The Ministry does not use any priority or ranking system. Instead, individuals are
tagged with skill attributes, which enables sorting and selection based on the relevant
competencies.
This process is manual and is based on reviewing CVs and information supplied
through EOIs or external nominations.
What information is collected? (demographics)
Demographic information is collected through the EOI form. This includes gender,
ethnicity, and age.
Because the register contains duplicate entries and nominations from external sources
(which do not always include demographic data) accurate percentage breakdowns
cannot be produced.
How can individuals join the register?
Individuals can join the register by submitting an EOI through the Ministry’s website at
www.mch.govt.nz/our-work/governance-and-monitoring/board-appointments-and-
nominations. This information feeds directly into the database.
Candidates may also choose to register with Government nominating agencies:
• Ministry for Women
• Ministry of Disabled People
• Te Puni Kōkiri
• Ministry for Pacific Peoples
• Ministry for Ethnic Communities
What does “individuals considered suitable from previous nominations” mean?
This refers to individuals who were nominated for governance roles in previous
appointment rounds and were assessed as suitable at that time. Where appropriate,
the Ministry may revisit these nominations to identify candidates whose skills and
experience align with the requirements of a current role.
The timeframe for considering previous nominations varies depending on the role and
the currency of the information held.
If you wish to discuss this decision with us, please feel free to contact
[Ministry for Culture and Heritage request email]. 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 via
www.ombudsman.parliament.nz or freephone 0800 802 602.
Nāku noa, nā
Brendan Gage
Pou Mataaho o Te Aka - Deputy Secretary, Policy, Performance & Insights
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