Even though he hasn’t practised law for a long time, new Chief Ombudsman John Allen says in many ways he still feels like a lawyer.

Reading case law again has helped but so has the new role which he believes provides an opportunity for him to have a positive impact on New Zealand. 

“With the team, I hope this office will continue to hold strongly to the democratic foundations that have been built by those before us,” he says. 

“We can enhance the mana of the organisation by giving more New Zealanders access to information to enable them to them to have an understanding of the way in which law and policy is developed.” 

He says the office not only provides the public a voice in the process but also a vehicle for redress if needed.  

Mr Allen's appointment follows a 30-year-long career working in state enterprises, the public sector, local government and Wellington New Zealand along with governance roles in the university and not-for-profit sectors.  

Working with agencies 

The office’s approach provides an objective and balanced approach to dealing with complaints against agencies of the state, says Mr Allen. 

“Our aim is to work with agencies to remind them of their responsibilities and to comply with the various requirements,” he says.  

Mr Allen says a lot of agencies are managing these issues well and there is an opportunity to tell their stories of success. 

“I’m keen to look at how best practice might be shared while at the same time holding people to account,” he says. 

Mr Allen says his background means he has insight into the challenges faced by chief executives of the agencies the office monitors. 

“There’s an opportunity for us to have strategic conversations with agencies about priorities in the realities of the context they work in,” he says. 

Sometimes they are not funded for the changes that are needed. 

“We can engage with the Chief Executive, talk about priorities and their vision to get more progress at a systemic level to improve how the state operates,” he says. 

The OIA 

Mr Allen’s ambition for the Official Information Act is to see more information being released to enable the public to be involved in government processes more effectively. 

“This is more important than it has been for a long time given the lowering levels of trust and participation across the system,” he says. 

Acknowledging that there’s a balance between privacy and public interest, he hopes that the Act will continue to evolve so that more information is proactively released.  

He says that processes for dealing with requests can be challenging and they need to become more efficient and effective. 

Increasing demands 

Demands on the office with OIA complaints and Protected Disclosures Act matters both up 15 percent in the last year. 

Since starting the role at the end of March, Mr Allen has been focused on reducing the time to deal with complaints including asking investigators to pivot to complaints work to reduce the number of unresolved complaints. 

“Getting issues dealt with in a timely way contributes to credibility,” he says. 

The office is also looking into the use of technology including artificial intelligence. AI is being used in other jurisdictions including in New South Wales where AI is used on their website to help manage complaints. 

Other technology improvements such as moving information into the cloud are all contributing to make the office significantly more efficient, he says. 

Prison monitoring 

Mr Allen says the office’s role in monitoring prisons is “centrally important”. 

“It’s intrinsically important that those who are detained are held in appropriate facilities, have time outside their cells and have access to activities,” he says.  

The Ombudsman’s office reviews prisons on a regular basis and provides reports about areas that need focus and improvement. 

“Corrections value our review and are open to strategic conversations about how to resolve any issues that are identified,” he says.