Statement of Intent 1 July 2003 - 30 June 2004
Part 1: Strategic framework (continued)
Structure of the Ministry
The Defence Act 1990 created two organisations from the then Ministry of Defence: the Ministry of Defence and the New Zealand Defence Force.
Under section 24 of the Defence Act 1990, the Secretary of Defence is chief executive of the Ministry of Defence, and has specific responsibilities toward the Ministry, the New Zealand Defence Force, and New Zealand's defence and security.
Section 24 states that:
- The chief executive of the Ministry of Defence shall be known as the Secretary of Defence.
- In addition to the functions imposed on the Secretary of Defence by or under this Act or the State Sector Act 1988 or any other enactment, the Secretary shall have the following functions:
- To be the principal civilian adviser to the Minister and other Ministers:
- To formulate advice, in consultation with the Chief of Defence Force, on defence policy:
- To prepare, in consultation with the Chief of Defence Force, and submit to the Minister from time to time a defence assessment, including a review of different options capable of achieving the Government's policy goals:
- To procure, replace, or repair ships, vehicles, aircraft, and equipment used or intended for use by the Defence Force, where that procurement, replacement, or repair has major significance to military capability; and to deliver or return such ships, vehicles, aircraft, and equipment to the Defence Force:
- To arrange for the assessment and audit of the New Zealand Defence Force in relation to any function, duty, or project, and of the Ministry of Defence in relation to any function described in paragraph (d) of this subsection, as and when required by the Minister, or in accordance with a programme of audit and assessment approved by the Minister, and in accordance with the following provisions:
- The findings of the audit and assessment shall be set out in a report in the name of the person in charge of the audit and assessment, and that person shall give the report to the Secretary of Defence for submission to the Minister:
- On giving the report to the Secretary of Defence, the person in charge of the audit and assessment shall give a copy of the report to the Chief of Defence Force:
- If the Secretary of Defence disagrees with any of the contents of the report, the Secretary shall advise the Minister of the particulars with which the Secretary disagrees:
- The Chief of Defence Force may report to the Minister on any of the contents of the report.
Section 3 of the Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act 1996 requires the Secretary of Defence to audit the controls on hazardous substances under the control of the Minister of Defence and report the results to the Minister for the Environment and the Minister of Defence.
Figure 2 illustrates the structure and roles of the Ministry of Defence, and its links with the New Zealand Defence Force.
Figure 2: The Organisation
View text equivalent of above image.
Next steps
We are presently focussed on implementing the decisions the Government made as a result of the review undertaken by Mr Don Hunn into accountabilities and structural arrangements between the Ministry of Defence and the New Zealand Defence Force.
The Government wants greater "jointness" within the New Zealand Defence Force and between the New Zealand Defence Force and the Ministry of Defence. It is also seeking greater cooperation and collaboration between the Ministry of Defence and the New Zealand Defence Force. This will be achieved by allocating accountabilities to the Secretary of Defence and the Chief of Defence Force on a sole, prime and shared basis, and directing how those accountabilities are expected to be exercised. The Secretary of Defence and the Chief of Defence Force will further develop the role of the Office of Chief Executives, so that the office: ensures that the chief executives share policy and operational information on a regular basis and make sure each are well informed; supports the provision of join military/civilian strategic advice; supports the development of an integrated culture; and requires the chief executives to give full effect and support to the statutory role and independence of the evaluation function of the Ministry.
The Government notes that it is critical that strategic defence advice is considered within a coordinated context, including New Zealand's broader security and foreign policy responsibilities. Close consultation is required to continue with other relevant government agencies and within agency structures for coordination.
The Ministry is committed to achieving these improvements during 2003/04.
