Dear New Zealand Defence Force, Veterans Affairs

Subject: Internal Risk Assessment, Prioritisation, and Decision Records – Veteran Navigation & Non-Statutory Sector Visibility (2014–Present)

Tēnā koutou,

I request the following information under the Official Information Act 1982.

This request is confined strictly to existing governance-level documentation and does not seek creation of new analysis.

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1️⃣ Internal Risk Assessment Records

Please provide copies of any documents since 1 July 2014 (commencement of the Veterans’ Support Act 2014) that:

a) Identify or assess risks associated with veterans seeking assistance outside statutory entitlements;
b) Refer to potential disadvantage, service fragmentation, or navigation barriers between statutory and non-statutory support;
c) Consider reputational, operational, or policy risk arising from absence of structured referral or sector visibility mechanisms.

This includes (but is not limited to):
• Risk registers;
• Enterprise risk management entries;
• Issue logs;
• Governance dashboards;
• Internal briefing notes referencing risk.

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2️⃣ Prioritisation and Resource Allocation Decisions

Please provide any internal documents (since 1 July 2014) that:

a) Record decisions not to undertake sector mapping, charity ecosystem visibility work, or navigation framework development;
b) Record prioritisation decisions regarding allocation of resources to statutory entitlements versus broader navigation/coordination functions;
c) Document rationale for treating navigation outside statutory entitlements as outside scope.

This includes:
• Senior leadership team papers;
• Governance committee minutes;
• Business planning documents;
• Work programme prioritisation papers;
• Annual planning discussions referencing scope boundaries.

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3️⃣ Advice on Mandate Interpretation

Please provide any documents that:

a) Analyse or interpret the boundaries of Veterans’ Affairs NZ’s mandate in relation to referral, coordination, or navigation;
b) Record internal legal or policy advice on whether sector mapping or structured referral guidance falls within or outside mandate;
c) Refer to interaction between mandate interpretation and implementation of recommendations arising from the Paterson Report.

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4️⃣ Search Transparency (if section 18(e) is relied upon)

If any part of this request is refused under section 18(e), please confirm:
• The record systems searched (e.g., EDMR, shared drives, email archives, risk registers);
• The governance bodies consulted (e.g., VAB secretariat, senior leadership, policy teams);
• The search terms applied;
• The date parameters used.

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Clarification of Scope

This request:
• Does not ask the agency to create new analysis;
• Does not request a general review of the Veterans’ Support Act 2014;
• Is confined to internal governance documentation concerning risk, prioritisation, and mandate interpretation.

Kind regards,
Spencer Jones