Inspector-General of Defence – Investigation Activity, Intake Decisions, and Work Programme Inputs
SPENCER JONES made this Official Information request to Ministry of Defence
The request was refused by Ministry of Defence.
From: SPENCER JONES
Dear Ministry of Defence, Inspector-General of Defence.
I am writing to request information under the Official Information Act 1982.
This request relates to the operationalisation of the Inspector-General of Defence’s statutory functions since establishment in January 2025.
To ensure clarity and avoid unnecessary collation, each request below is narrowly framed.
-------------------------------------
1. Investigation and Assessment Activity
-------------------------------------
Please confirm whether any investigations or assessments have been:
(a) initiated,
(b) undertaken, or
(c) completed
by the Inspector-General of Defence from 26 January 2025 to the date of this request.
If so, please provide, for each:
- the date of initiation,
- the general subject matter (in summary form),
- the current status (e.g. in progress, completed),
- whether a report has been produced.
If none have been initiated or completed, please confirm this.
-------------------------------------
2. Matters Received and Decision Outcomes
-------------------------------------
Please provide a summary of matters received by the Inspector-General of Defence since 26 January 2025, including:
- the total number of matters received,
- the number progressed to investigation or assessment,
- the number not progressed,
- the number determined to be outside jurisdiction.
For matters not progressed, please provide:
- the criteria or factors used to determine that a matter was not “necessary or appropriate” to progress (as referenced in the IGD Annual Report 2024/2025),
- any internal guidance, framework, or decision-making standard used to make this determination.
-------------------------------------
3. Work Programme Development and External Inputs
-------------------------------------
Please provide documentation describing:
- how the Inspector-General of Defence develops its annual work programme,
- whether and how external submissions, complaints, or protected disclosures are considered in determining work programme priorities,
- whether any matters received from external parties since 26 January 2025 have been incorporated into the 2025–2026 work programme (in anonymised or general terms).
-------------------------------------
4. Records of Decision-Making Frameworks
-------------------------------------
Please provide any internal policies, guidance documents, or frameworks that:
- govern the assessment of incoming matters,
- determine whether a matter proceeds to investigation or assessment,
- define thresholds such as “necessary” or “appropriate” for progression.
-------------------------------------
If any part of this request is likely to be refused under section 18(f), I am willing to refine the scope to specific documents or summaries in accordance with section 13 (duty to assist).
If any information is withheld, please specify the statutory grounds relied upon and provide any reasonably available partial release.
I am happy to receive the information in electronic form.
Kind regards,
Spencer Jones
From: Information
Ministry of Defence
UNCLASSIFIED
Kia ora,
Thank you for your request for official information. This will be managed in accordance with the provisions of the Official Information Act 1982, which may include transfer to a more relevant agency or Minister.
The Ministry may publish the content of our response to your request on the Ministry of Defence website (www.defence.govt.nz ). Your personal information will not be published. More information on making an official information request with the Ministry of Defence is available here: https://www.defence.govt.nz/contact-us/o... .
Ngā mihi,
Ministry of Defence
UNCLASSIFIED
-----Original Message-----
From: SPENCER JONES <[FOI #34184 email]>
Sent: Friday, 20 March 2026 7:05 pm
To: Information <[email address]>
Subject: Official Information request - Inspector-General of Defence – Investigation Activity, Intake Decisions, and Work Programme Inputs
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization.
Do not follow guidance, click links, or open attachments unless you recognize the sender and know the content is safe. If in any doubt, please forward the email to [email address] and then delete the email from your Inbox. Thank you
Dear Ministry of Defence, Inspector-General of Defence.
I am writing to request information under the Official Information Act 1982.
This request relates to the operationalisation of the Inspector-General of Defence’s statutory functions since establishment in January 2025.
To ensure clarity and avoid unnecessary collation, each request below is narrowly framed.
-------------------------------------
1. Investigation and Assessment Activity
-------------------------------------
Please confirm whether any investigations or assessments have been:
(a) initiated,
(b) undertaken, or
(c) completed
by the Inspector-General of Defence from 26 January 2025 to the date of this request.
If so, please provide, for each:
- the date of initiation,
- the general subject matter (in summary form),
- the current status (e.g. in progress, completed),
- whether a report has been produced.
If none have been initiated or completed, please confirm this.
-------------------------------------
2. Matters Received and Decision Outcomes
-------------------------------------
Please provide a summary of matters received by the Inspector-General of Defence since 26 January 2025, including:
- the total number of matters received,
- the number progressed to investigation or assessment,
- the number not progressed,
- the number determined to be outside jurisdiction.
For matters not progressed, please provide:
- the criteria or factors used to determine that a matter was not “necessary or appropriate” to progress (as referenced in the IGD Annual Report 2024/2025),
- any internal guidance, framework, or decision-making standard used to make this determination.
-------------------------------------
3. Work Programme Development and External Inputs
-------------------------------------
Please provide documentation describing:
- how the Inspector-General of Defence develops its annual work programme,
- whether and how external submissions, complaints, or protected disclosures are considered in determining work programme priorities,
- whether any matters received from external parties since 26 January 2025 have been incorporated into the 2025–2026 work programme (in anonymised or general terms).
-------------------------------------
4. Records of Decision-Making Frameworks
-------------------------------------
Please provide any internal policies, guidance documents, or frameworks that:
- govern the assessment of incoming matters,
- determine whether a matter proceeds to investigation or assessment,
- define thresholds such as “necessary” or “appropriate” for progression.
-------------------------------------
If any part of this request is likely to be refused under section 18(f), I am willing to refine the scope to specific documents or summaries in accordance with section 13 (duty to assist).
If any information is withheld, please specify the statutory grounds relied upon and provide any reasonably available partial release.
I am happy to receive the information in electronic form.
Kind regards,
Spencer Jones
-------------------------------------------------------------------
This is an Official Information request made via the FYI website.
Please use this email address for all replies to this request:
[FOI #34184 email]
Is [Ministry of Defence request email] the wrong address for Official Information requests to Ministry of Defence? If so, please contact us using this form:
https://fyi.org.nz/change_request/new?bo...
Disclaimer: This message and any reply that you make will be published on the internet. Our privacy and copyright policies:
https://fyi.org.nz/help/officers
If you find this service useful as an Official Information officer, please ask your web manager to link to us from your organisation's OIA or LGOIMA page.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Note:
The information contained in this email message is intended only for the addressee and is not necessarily
the official view or communication of the Ministry. If you are not the intended recipient you must not use,
disclose, copy or distribute this message or the information in it. If you have received this message in error,
please email or telephone the sender immediately. Thank you"
hide quoted sections
From: Information
Ministry of Defence
UNCLASSIFIED
Kia ora Spencer,
Please find attached the Ministry's response to your request for Official
Information.
Ngā mihi,
[1]cid:image001.png@01DCA4B2.EA4E5B90 Ministerial and Public Services
Manatū Kaupapa Waonga - New Zealand
Ministry of Defence
Defence House, 34 Bowen Street, PO
Box 12703, Wellington 6144, New
Zealand
UNCLASSIFIED
-----Original Message-----
From: SPENCER JONES <[FOI #34184 email]>
Sent: Friday, 20 March 2026 7:05 pm
To: Information <[email address]>
Subject: Official Information request - Inspector-General of Defence –
Investigation Activity, Intake Decisions, and Work Programme Inputs
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization.
Do not follow guidance, click links, or open attachments unless you
recognize the sender and know the content is safe. If in any doubt, please
forward the email to [email address] and then delete the email from your
Inbox. Thank you
Dear Ministry of Defence, Inspector-General of Defence.
I am writing to request information under the Official Information Act
1982.
This request relates to the operationalisation of the Inspector-General of
Defence’s statutory functions since establishment in January 2025.
To ensure clarity and avoid unnecessary collation, each request below is
narrowly framed.
-------------------------------------
1. Investigation and Assessment Activity
-------------------------------------
Please confirm whether any investigations or assessments have been:
(a) initiated,
(b) undertaken, or
(c) completed
by the Inspector-General of Defence from 26 January 2025 to the date of
this request.
If so, please provide, for each:
- the date of initiation,
- the general subject matter (in summary form),
- the current status (e.g. in progress, completed),
- whether a report has been produced.
If none have been initiated or completed, please confirm this.
-------------------------------------
2. Matters Received and Decision Outcomes
-------------------------------------
Please provide a summary of matters received by the Inspector-General of
Defence since 26 January 2025, including:
- the total number of matters received,
- the number progressed to investigation or assessment,
- the number not progressed,
- the number determined to be outside jurisdiction.
For matters not progressed, please provide:
- the criteria or factors used to determine that a matter was not
“necessary or appropriate” to progress (as referenced in the IGD Annual
Report 2024/2025),
- any internal guidance, framework, or decision-making standard used to
make this determination.
-------------------------------------
3. Work Programme Development and External Inputs
-------------------------------------
Please provide documentation describing:
- how the Inspector-General of Defence develops its annual work programme,
- whether and how external submissions, complaints, or protected
disclosures are considered in determining work programme priorities,
- whether any matters received from external parties since 26 January 2025
have been incorporated into the 2025–2026 work programme (in anonymised or
general terms).
-------------------------------------
4. Records of Decision-Making Frameworks
-------------------------------------
Please provide any internal policies, guidance documents, or frameworks
that:
- govern the assessment of incoming matters,
- determine whether a matter proceeds to investigation or assessment,
- define thresholds such as “necessary” or “appropriate” for progression.
-------------------------------------
If any part of this request is likely to be refused under section 18(f), I
am willing to refine the scope to specific documents or summaries in
accordance with section 13 (duty to assist).
If any information is withheld, please specify the statutory grounds
relied upon and provide any reasonably available partial release.
I am happy to receive the information in electronic form.
Kind regards,
Spencer Jones
-------------------------------------------------------------------
This is an Official Information request made via the FYI website.
Please use this email address for all replies to this request:
[FOI #34184 email]
Is [Ministry of Defence request email] the wrong address for Official Information
requests to Ministry of Defence? If so, please contact us using this form:
https://fyi.org.nz/change_request/new?bo...
Disclaimer: This message and any reply that you make will be published on
the internet. Our privacy and copyright policies:
https://fyi.org.nz/help/officers
If you find this service useful as an Official Information officer, please
ask your web manager to link to us from your organisation's OIA or LGOIMA
page.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Note:
The information contained in this email message is intended only for the
addressee and is not necessarily the official view or communication of the
Ministry. If you are not the intended recipient you must not use,
disclose, copy or distribute this message or the information in it. If you
have received this message in error, please email or telephone the sender
immediately. Thank you"
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SPENCER JONES left an annotation ()
This request seeks to understand how the Inspector-General of Defence has operationalised its statutory investigation and oversight functions since establishment in January 2025.
The inaugural IGD Annual Report (2024/2025) indicates that no investigations or assessments were completed during the initial period, and that several matters received were not progressed.
This request is intended to clarify:
• how decisions are made to progress or not progress matters,
• whether investigative functions are currently being exercised in practice,
• and how external submissions contribute to the IGD work programme.
This information is relevant to public confidence in oversight mechanisms and the effective functioning of independent assurance bodies within New Zealand’s defence framework.
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