Published on 28 Oct 2025

Creating system efficiencies: Private Secretary to Minister of Conservation

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Allen + Clarke provided support to the Department of Conservation (DOC) during a peak period of activity. We assisted with clearing a surge of correspondence items addressed to the Minister of Conservation, efficiently managed Official Information Act requests and improved information flow systems between the Minister and the Department of Conservation. Further, we commissioned and reviewed event invitation advice from DOC, to make informed concise recommendations to the Minister's office. We achieved a timely flow of information, which minimised risks and provided appropriate responses to correspondence when necessary. 

The systems we developed gave confidence to the Minister, his office, DOC and other private secretaries that all correspondence received rigorous examination and accurate triaging. 

 

We efficiently cleared a backlog of 280+ correspondence items, while managing new incoming requests. We built stronger connections between DOC and the Minister's Office by aligning expectations and improving processes.

Supporting Conservation across Aotearoa New Zealand

DOC serves as custodian for much of Aotearoa New Zealand's heritage, including cultural landmarks, historic buildings, and significant natural landscapes. With over 2,000 staff nationwide, DOC's workforce ranges from policy advisors shaping conservation strategy to frontline rangers caring for protected sites.

Private secretaries form a crucial link between DOC and the Minister. They support the Minister by managing correspondence, streamlining information, and ensuring advice is timely, clear and aligned with portfolio priorities. They coordinate various elements to support effective decision-making and alignment with the Minister's vision for the portfolio.

DOC needed surge support to improve information flow between the Minister's office and DOC. Familiar with our ability to quickly understand political processes and assess risks, DOC approached Allen + Clarke for a junior-level policy professional to assist the Minister's office team.

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Applying political understanding to sensitive information

With experience in tailoring information to audience needs, attention to detail, and secretariat work, Allen + Clarke provided succinct summaries that highlighted key points of interest for the Minister's office. This enabled efficient OIA processing while addressing concerns from both the Minister's office and DOC. Our approach reduced pressure on the Minister's office and other conservation private secretaries, creating a smooth OIA sign-off process with accurate risk assessment.

We applied our systems knowledge throughout the project, identifying bottlenecks in correspondence flow and testing different solutions. This iterative approach ensured the final system met the Minister's needs while complementing existing processes in both the Minister's office and DOC. The resulting system was easy to adopt and addressed critical issues and blind spots from previous approaches.

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Creating lasting improvements to information flow

We not only cleared the backlog but also implemented new systems and maintained capacity to review OIAs. Our work created consistent understanding and clear expectations for handling different types of correspondence. 

Our final deliverable included: 

  • An up-to-date handover document

  • Clear guidance (including visual flow charts) for efficient systems 

  • A situation-based triaging document agreed upon by both the Minister's office and DOC. 

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