Justice Centre | 19 Aitken Street
DX SX10088 | Wel ington
T 04 918 8800 |
F 04 918 8820
[email address] | www.justice.govt.nz
1 May 2026
Miss M Quicken
[FYI request #34318 email]
Our ref: OIA 131506
Tēnā koe Miss Quicken
Official Information Act request: Official Information Act research – Contractor
engagement
Thank you for your email of 31 March 2026 to the Ministry of Justice (the Ministry),
requesting information under the Of icial Information Act 1982 (the Act), regarding
announced research on the Act. Specifically, you requested:
Please provide the contract and documented procurement criteria on how TBL was
chosen as external supplier to review the Official Information Act ("OIA") research.
Was there a tender or was this ministerial decision ?
Also please provide the requirements that have been given to TBL to provide [sic]
> to carry out research “on the cost drivers associated with responding to OIA
requests”.
Please also provide documentation about public engagement on how the ministry is
planning to run a survey from OIA users & democracy perspective ?
In response to your request for documents relating to the relevant engagement for work by
an external supplier, I refer you to the document pack attached. Table 1, appended to this
letter, contains the list of documents and my decision on their release.
Some information has been withheld under the following provisions of the Act:
• section 9(2)(a) to protect the privacy of natural persons.
In withholding information under section 9 of the Act, I have considered the public interest
and do not consider that it outweighs withholding the information at this time.
In response to your request for information related to the requirements provided to Tregaskis
Brown Ltd (TBL) for research on the cost drivers of responding to requests under the Act,
please refer to the relevant contract (Document 2).
Regarding how the Ministry engaged TBL as the provider for this work, because they are a
supplier to the ‘All of Government (AOG) Consultancy Services Panel’, the Ministry was able
to directly select them to provide the services required. This is an appropriate reason for
such procurement and is compliant with government procurement rules.
I am refusing the last part of your request under section 18(d) of the Act as the relevant
document (Document 3) is soon to be publicly available. I note the Ministry is not currently
undertaking public engagement, but TBL is completing a targeted survey of some public
service agencies as part of its research. When published, Document 3 wil be available here
Of icial Information Act responses | New Zealand Ministry of Justice and
Transparency and
scrutiny of executive action | New Zealand Ministry of Justice.
Please note this response with your personal details removed, may be published on the
Ministry website at:
Of icial Information Act responses | New Zealand Ministry of Justice.
If you are not satisfied with this response, you have the right to make a complaint to the
Ombudsman under section 28 of the Act. The Office of the Ombudsman may be contacted
by phone on: 0800 802 602, by email at: [email address], or via the
webform:
Make a complaint (for members of the public) | Ombudsman New Zealand.
Nāku noa, nā
Kathy Brightwell
General Manager, Civil and Constitutional Policy
Table 1
Doc # Date
Title
Decision on release
1
14 January 2026
Self Service Procurement Plan - Costing the
Some information withheld under sections 9(2)(a).
Of icial Information Act 1982 {Detailed Research}
2
21 January 2026
Final CSO – Costing the Of icial Information Act
Some information withheld under sections 9(2)(a).
1982 {Detailed Research}
3
13 March 2026
TBL Survey Questions
Refused under section 18(d) as the information
wil soon be publicly available.
Official Information
Act responses | New Zealand Ministry of Justice
and
Transparency and scrutiny of executive
action | New Zealand Ministry of Justice
