| Group 1: Strengthen all-of-government coordination and accountability for pandemic preparedness |
| A central agency function should be established to coordinate all-of-government preparation and response planning for pandemics and other national risks, supported by strengthened scenario planning, modelling capability, and external expertise. |
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Recommendations |
Responsible agency/agencies |
1
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Establish a central agency function to coordinate all-of-government preparedness to respond to pandemics (and other national risks). The function should:
- a. Develop, monitor and produce reports on the National Risk Register (see also Recommendation 5a).
- b. Support the Chief Executives Group (see also Recommendation 4) to oversee a cross-agency work programme to prepare for and respond to pandemics.
- c. Coordinate the development of a range of pandemic scenarios to guide preparedness and response planning (see also Recommendation 2).
- d. Develop an all-of-government response plan (see also Recommendation 7) and lead associated preparatory work.
- e. Coordinate national pandemic response exercises at least once every three years and report on those exercises to the Chief Executives Group and ministers.
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Central government
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2
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Ensure the central agency function has access to appropriate scenario planning and modelling capability to support pandemic preparedness and response. That capability should:
- a. Be drawn from public sector agencies, non-government institutions and the international community.
- b. Include health, economic and social modelling to allow for the interaction of these components.
- c. Determine the data and monitoring systems that are needed over the longer term.
- d. Be able to be surged during a pandemic response.
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Central government
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3
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Establish a pandemic expert advisory group, including expertise from both the public and non-government sectors, to support pandemic preparedness and provide strategic advice during a pandemic response.
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The central agency function, in consultation with the Ministry of Health and other relevant agencies
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Oversight and accountability for pandemic preparedness should be strengthened, and made more publicly transparent, with preparedness being sustainably funded. |
4
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To strengthen oversight and accountability for public sector agencies’ preparedness for pandemics (and other national risks):
- a. Establish a Chief Executives Group to have strategic oversight of national preparedness for pandemics (and other national risks) and associated cross-agency work, including the development and delivery of a work programme to address gaps in preparedness.
- b. Create an oversight mechanism such as a Cabinet Committee or Ministerial Group chaired by a senior minister to proactively review national preparedness for pandemics (and other national risks) and oversee a work programme to address gaps in preparedness.
- c. Require the Chief Executives Group to regularly update the Cabinet Committee or Ministerial Group on the extent of preparedness.
- d. Invite Parliament to establish a mechanism to proactively review national preparedness for pandemics and other national risks, on a regular basis.
- e. Set expectations for pandemic preparedness via public service chief executive performance agreements, and via Ministerial direction to Crown entities, including a requirement to work collectively on preparedness.
- f. Invite the Office of the Auditor-General to establish a review and a public reporting programme on the public sector’s readiness to respond to pandemics (and potentially other national risks), that includes how they would deliver business-as-usual activity during a pandemic of extended duration.
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- Central government
- Te Kawa Mataaho/Public Service Commission for part of Recommendation 4e
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5
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To ensure public transparency:
- a. Publish the National Risk Register and report on actions being taken to address risks, every three years.
- b. Require public sector agencies to include an assessment of pandemic preparedness in their annual reports.
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Central government
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6
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Provide advice on options for sustainably funding the necessary preparation activities and associated systems improvements, as outlined in the recommendations in this report.
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The Treasury
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