Published on 21 Aug 2025

Strengthening Sector Voices: Secretariat support for the NGO Council

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The NGO Health and Disability Council (NGO Council) first convened in 2002, as part of a move to ensure that the sector engages at a high level with the Ministry of Health (later Health New Zealand). The NGO Council worked with Health New Zealand to provide independent NGO voices to advise on the development of policy, programme design and implementation that affects the health and disability NGO sector. The Council also arranged an annual forum which provided an opportunity for sector engagement.

We supported the NGO Council to give effect to their work programme in an efficient and timely manner, through maintaining the NGO Council’s administrative requirements, manging all meeting requirements and logistics, and assisting with the reporting of the NGO Council’s activities. 

The benefit to the NGO Council was professional, efficient and timely support to enable them to focus on their core objectives, ensuring that NGO voices were heard.

Supporting sector partnerships

The NGO Health and Disability Council was established in 2002, as part of a move to ensure engagement between the sector and the Ministry of Health. Health and disability NGOs encompass a broad variety of organisations that deliver flexible, responsive, and innovative frontline services (primary care, mental health, personal health, disability support and kaupapa services). The Council comprised of 13 elected representatives who worked to strengthen relationships between NGOs and the Ministry. 

Our services to the Council included:

  • Maintaining the administrative requirements needed to effectively support the NGO Council. This included updating the service handbook, revising the Terms of Reference, undertaking appointments process for vacant positions, supporting the development of a work programme and urgently updating the website. 

  • Delivering meeting management services to the NGO Council. This involved agenda preparation, paper drafting, collation and circulation, travel and catering arrangements, minute preparation, management of registers, post-meeting correspondence and payment of honoraria to qualifying members. 

  • Managing and seeking new members for the NGO Health and Disability stakeholder database. 

  • Drafting the Chair's quarterly reports describing the NGO Council's activities for the previous quarter. 

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Creating value through specialised expertise and collaborative methods

We brought our specialised expertise in secretariat services, stakeholder engagement, events planning and budget administration to assist the NGO Health and Disability Council. Our knowledge of health and disability sector stakeholders proved essential, as was our experience managing complex projects with diverse stakeholder groups. 

As a result, the project delivered significant value to the health and disability sector:

  • We established a foundation for more effective cooperation between government agencies and NGOs. 

  • Our inclusive approach ensured voices from across the sector could contribute to policy development. 

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