Whispers have reached us of a restructuring in the Office of the Ombudsman.
We imagine the outcome will be huge efficiencies because the Chief Ombudsman, John Allen, will have learned a great deal from his previous restructuring experiences.
The whispers have been amplified by Allen, who has signalled his plans in the Ombudsman Quarterly Review.
These plans will be made public some time soon – we imagine – because he says they will be “in place by April”.
That’s not much more than a week away.
Oh – and let’s note that he talks of “rebalancing”.
His intentions have been outlined in an item headed Ensuring tuia kia ōrite now and in the future.
Achieving “tuia kia ōrite” means fairness for all, Allen explains, which should be reassuring for any staff who might fear they will be deemed surplus to requirements.
In his article, Allen notes that this year will mark 64 years of the Ombudsman in New Zealand, and his first year as Chief Ombudsman.
Then he tells us about his work.
My focus from day one has been on how we best serve people of today’s Aotearoa New Zealand.
Our responsibilities, and our numbers, have grown since the first Ombudsman was appointed. But our core purpose—achieving tuia kia ōrite | fairness for all—remains constant.
We are delivering services in the context of declining trust in government institutions, record complaints and a society shaped by technology.
So what has been going on behind the scenes since he became Chief Ombudsman?
Over the past year, we have begun a strategic rebalance for the Office, to position ourselves so we can better meet the needs of people we serve, today and into the future.
We’ve already made some changes. Our focus on timeliness in responding to complaints has seen improvements. We are now closing more complaints than we are receiving. We are completing 70 percent of all complaints within three months, and 80 percent within six months.
After consulting our people, I have confirmed a new, more modern, structure, that will be better aligned to our strategic intentions. This will be in place by April 2026.
The structural change is paired with work to build on our already strong culture, by empowering our people and increasing opportunity for collaboration.
Ultimately, these changes are about making a difference for the people we serve—Parliament and the New Zealand public.
Allen’s CV gives pointers to the experience he will be tapping. He has previously headed NZ Post, MFAT and Racing New Zealand.
Each was restructured on his watch (or rebalanced) – and not without controversy.
Victoria University of Wellington underwent a significant and controversial restructure, too, while he was Chancellor (2022–2025).
Let’s see if he can put his experience to good use and change things in the Ombudsman’s Office without attracting critical news headlines.
Bob Edlin is a veteran journalist and editor for the Point of Order blog HERE. - where this article was sourced.
That’s not much more than a week away.
Oh – and let’s note that he talks of “rebalancing”.
His intentions have been outlined in an item headed Ensuring tuia kia ōrite now and in the future.
Achieving “tuia kia ōrite” means fairness for all, Allen explains, which should be reassuring for any staff who might fear they will be deemed surplus to requirements.
In his article, Allen notes that this year will mark 64 years of the Ombudsman in New Zealand, and his first year as Chief Ombudsman.
Then he tells us about his work.
My focus from day one has been on how we best serve people of today’s Aotearoa New Zealand.
Our responsibilities, and our numbers, have grown since the first Ombudsman was appointed. But our core purpose—achieving tuia kia ōrite | fairness for all—remains constant.
We are delivering services in the context of declining trust in government institutions, record complaints and a society shaped by technology.
So what has been going on behind the scenes since he became Chief Ombudsman?
Over the past year, we have begun a strategic rebalance for the Office, to position ourselves so we can better meet the needs of people we serve, today and into the future.
We’ve already made some changes. Our focus on timeliness in responding to complaints has seen improvements. We are now closing more complaints than we are receiving. We are completing 70 percent of all complaints within three months, and 80 percent within six months.
After consulting our people, I have confirmed a new, more modern, structure, that will be better aligned to our strategic intentions. This will be in place by April 2026.
The structural change is paired with work to build on our already strong culture, by empowering our people and increasing opportunity for collaboration.
Ultimately, these changes are about making a difference for the people we serve—Parliament and the New Zealand public.
Allen’s CV gives pointers to the experience he will be tapping. He has previously headed NZ Post, MFAT and Racing New Zealand.
Each was restructured on his watch (or rebalanced) – and not without controversy.
Victoria University of Wellington underwent a significant and controversial restructure, too, while he was Chancellor (2022–2025).
Let’s see if he can put his experience to good use and change things in the Ombudsman’s Office without attracting critical news headlines.
Bob Edlin is a veteran journalist and editor for the Point of Order blog HERE. - where this article was sourced.
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