Dear New Zealand Defence Force, Veterans Affairs

Kia ora,

I write to request information under the Official Information Act 1982 regarding the implementation and operational performance of Approved Information Sharing Agreements (AISAs) involving Veterans’ Affairs New Zealand (VANZ), following the response to OIA-2026-5773 and associated enclosures.

The disclosed operating procedures indicate that AISAs are in place with:

• Registrar-General Births, Deaths and Marriages (BDM)
• New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF)
• Ministry of Social Development (MSD)
• Department of Corrections

The disclosed material evidences operational architecture. I now seek information regarding implementation, effectiveness, governance, and measurable outcomes.

Please provide the following information for each veterans-related AISA in operation since commencement:

1. Implementation status and milestones
a. The implementation date for each AISA.
b. Any implementation milestones, project plans, rollout schedules, readiness assessments, or operational commencement documents.
c. Any records of delayed implementation, capability limitations, or unresolved technical issues.
2. Data exchange and match outcomes
For each reporting period since commencement, please provide:

a. Number of records received.
b. Number of records matched to existing Veterans’ Affairs records.
c. Number of unmatched records.
d. Number of duplicate records identified.
e. Number of amended or corrected veteran records resulting from AISA exchanges.
f. Number of newly identified veterans, dependants, spouses, widows/widowers, or other entitlement-relevant persons identified through AISA data matching.

Where exact figures cannot be disclosed, please provide aggregated reporting or ranges where available.

3. Outcome and service impacts
Please provide any reports, dashboards, analyses, or evaluations showing:

a. Service improvements resulting from AISA implementation.
b. Improved identification of veterans previously unknown to Veterans’ Affairs.
c. Improved identification of family-entitlement pathways.
d. Mortality notifications or estate-related impacts arising through BDM data-sharing.
e. Corrections-related or MSD-related veteran support outcomes.
f. Any identified gaps, risks, or limitations affecting veterans not engaged with Veterans’ Affairs.

4. Governance, assurance and monitoring
Please provide:

a. Annual, quarterly, or periodic reporting produced under each AISA.
b. Audit reports, assurance reviews, privacy reviews, effectiveness reviews, or implementation evaluations.
c. Risk registers, issue logs, corrective action records, or lessons learned.
d. Records relating to reporting referenced in the NZDF Annual Report 2025 (page 48).

5. Privacy and compliance
Please provide:

a. Any privacy breach reports, security incidents, or remedial actions relating to veterans AISA implementation.
b. Any reporting made to the Privacy Commissioner under section 154(1)(b) of the Privacy Act 2020 relating to these AISAs.
c. Any compliance assessments regarding data accuracy, false matches, unmatched persons, or linkage limitations.

6. Veteran population visibility
Please provide:

a. Any estimates of veterans not currently engaged with Veterans’ Affairs but potentially identifiable through AISA pathways.
b. Any assessments of the completeness or limitations of the veteran population identifiable through AISA arrangements.
c. Any records discussing whether AISAs constitute a partial or complete veteran-identification system.

If any part of this request is likely to be refused under section 18(f), I am happy to discuss refinement or staged disclosure under section 13 of the Official Information Act.

Please provide schedules of documents where information is withheld or redacted.

Kind regards,

Spencer Jones