Digital Executive Board Operating Procedures

Purpose of the Board

1. The Board is responsible for leading and driving implementation of the Digital Strategy for Aotearoa and reporting on progress implementing it — Cabinet has agreed that the Board will be accountable for:

1.1. leading and driving implementation of the Digital Strategy for Aotearoa, including progress reporting

1.2 taking a systems-level view by aligning and coordinating strategic, policy, planning and budgeting activities for the departments that support the Digital Economy and Communications portfolio

1.3 supporting and assigning these departments to undertake priority work and cross-agency initiatives in the digital area (Cabinet minute LEG-22-MIN-0128).

Authority to act

2. The Digital Executive Board (the Board) will grant authority to act to other parties as needed to enable the pragmatic, effective and efficient operation of the Board — these functions, responsibilities and authorities are summarised below. 

Functions

Chair of the Digital Executive Board

• Intent: Enable the Board to focus on governance activity and enable timely management of day-to-day activity
• Responsibilities:
  • Lead the Board
  • Day-to-day administration and management of the Board
• Authority to act: Stats NZ

Servicing department

• Intent: Remove the administrative burden from the Board and small Secretariat team 
• Responsibilities: 
  • Administrative tasks
  • Corporate support
• Authority to act: Department of Internal Affairs

Appropriation administrator

• Intent: Enable pragmatic administration of the appropriation and relieve administrative burden from the Board and small Secretariat team
• Responsibility: Administration of the Board appropriation within Vote Internal Affairs
• Authority to act: Department of Internal Affairs

Employment of Secretariat staff

• Intent: Efficient and pragmatic day-to-day people management with oversight retained by the Board 
• Responsibilities:
  • Appoints Secretariat staff on behalf of the Board
  • Manages staff on behalf of the Chair of the Board
• Authority to act: Director of the Digital Executive Board Secretariat

Board responsibilities

3. The Board members are jointly responsible to the Board Minister and will work together to manage trade-offs between agency and portfolio priorities to provide collective advice to the Minister.

4. The Board will ensure its work programme is endorsed by the Minister and coordinated across agencies within its remit, including agencies with digital responsibilities that are not formally members of the Board.

5. The Board Chairperson and the Director will coordinate the day-to-day relationship with the Minister on the operation and performance of the Board’s functions.

Board meetings

Membership 

6. Under Section 29 of the Public Sector Act 2020, the Public Service Commissioner selects the members of an interdepartmental executive board from the chief executives of the departments that are included in the Board’s remit — the Commissioner may also appoint 1 or more independent advisers to the Board.

7. The Commissioner has selected the following chief executives as members of the Board:

• Stats NZ
• Department of Internal Affairs
• Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment
• Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet.

8. The Department of Internal Affairs will be the servicing department for the Board, and will host the Board Director and staff.

Approach to meetings

9. Meetings will be held monthly in person or by audio-visual means.

10. A majority of the 4 members of the Board need to be in attendance for the meeting to be in quorate — Board members may send delegates, with the agreement of the Chair.

11. Any conflicts of interest should be declared prior to any meeting and a management plan approved by the Chair.

Role of the Director

12. The Board will appoint a director to:

• lead the work of the Secretariat
• keep minutes of Board meetings, communicate Board decisions and report on performance
• manage the relationship with the Minister’s Office
• make decisions under delegated authority.

Quorum

13. A meeting of the Board may be held by a quorum of its members assembled at the appointed time and place of the meeting.

14. A quorum for a meeting of the Board is 3 of the 4 chief executive members — this may include a person acting with formal chief executive delegations. 

15. No decisions or direction can be made if there is no quorum, but the Board may meet for information sharing purposes.

16. The Chair of the Board, or a substitute Chair, must be in attendance for a meeting to be held — a substitute member may Chair the meeting, with the agreement of the other members, if the substantive Chair is absent.

Delegates

17. Members are expected to attend all meetings of the Board, however, they may send a delegate in their place if they cannot attend a meeting — this delegate is expected to fully participate and contribute to decision making on behalf of their respective agency; and the delegate will only form part of the Board’s quorum if they are acting with formal chief executive delegations.

Meeting agenda and minutes

18. The Chair, supported by the Secretariat, establishes the agenda for each Board meeting and forward work programme.

19. Minutes and supporting material will be prepared by the Board Secretariat.

20. The minutes will be approved by the Board at the next meeting.

21. The Chair, in consultation with the Board will determine the pro-active release of meeting minutes.

Board decisions

22. The Board may make decisions from its governance and / or assurance perspective, including — but not limited to — initiatives relating to the wider digital system, the design and integrity of digital initiatives, infrastructure investment that involves more than 1 agency, and the health and safety of staff.

23. Decisions on the day-to-day matters relating to digital initiatives will continue to be managed by each digital agency.

24. Consensus will have to be achieved for a decision of the Board to be carried.

25. In the event of a conflict because of a breakdown of relationships within the Board, the Public Service Commissioner will assist in the resolution of the conflict.

Senior officials group(s) 

26. Senior officials may be convened as needed to support the Board.

27. The group(s) may support and facilitate the progression of the Board’s work programme — this activity may include:

• developing a work programme
• providing progress updates of the work programme and addressing any emerging barriers on the work programme
• supporting the implementation of the Board and Secretariat functions.

Relationships with Māori

28. The Board will work with Te Arawhiti and Te Puni Kōkiri to formalise its working relationship and seek opportunities to engage with Māori.

Funding

29. The costs associated with the Board will be funded through fiscally neutral baseline adjustments from member agencies into an appropriation administered by the Department of Internal Affairs.

30. The Board will agree the annual budget and the share of funding to be provided by each agency.

Remuneration

31. Any public servants serving on the Board will not receive additional remuneration.

32. Independent advisers from the private sector will be remunerated in accordance with the Cabinet Office CO (19) 1: Fees Framework for members appointed to bodies in which the Crown has an interest — Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet.

Review

33. The Operating Procedures can be amended at any time, with the agreement of the Board.