The Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (DPMC; ) is the central public service department of New Zealand, charged with providing support and advice to the Governor-General, the prime minister and members of the Cabinet of New Zealand. DPMC is also charged with centrally leading New Zealand's "national security planning, which includes civil defence." The department's overall area of responsibility is in helping to provide, at an administrative level, the "constitutional and institutional glue" within New Zealand's parliamentary democracy. The department along with the Public Service Commission, and the Treasury constitute the central agencies or public service departments leading the state sector of New Zealand.
Role DPMC serves the Executive branch of government (the Governor-General, the Prime Minister and the Cabinet) through the provision of impartial advice and support services. Additionally, a major role is to help coordinate the work of the core public service departments and ministries.
Supporting the Prime Minister and Cabinet DPMC supports the Prime Minister's twin roles as leader of the government and chair of Cabinet, and provides three kinds of direct support to the Prime Minister: Support for constitutional issues, including those associated with the formation of governments; and issues associated with the operation of the Cabinet system. Overview of government activity and access to information on any issues that arise. Administrative support to the prime minister (and also to the Governor-General). This includes services to the Prime Minister – such as preparing replies to Parliamentary questions, and dealing with Official Information Act 1982 requests and other correspondence.
Supporting the Governor-General
The Governor-General of New Zealand is the representative of the monarch of New Zealand, currently . The Governor-General performs various ceremonial, constitutional, and diplomatic duties on behalf of the monarch, and is considered the highest-ranking public official in the country. The Governor-General is appointed by the monarch on the advice of the Prime Minister of New Zealand and serves a term of five years. The position is largely ceremonial, with the Governor-General performing various duties such as opening and closing parliamentary sessions, signing bills into law, and granting royal assent. The Governor-General also has a number of other ceremonial and diplomatic functions, such as hosting visiting dignitaries and representing New Zealand at international events.
The DPMC supports the Governor-General of New Zealand in carrying out his or her functions to represent the Sovereign. In this support framework, DPMC is expected to provide advice, administrative and support services so the Governor-General can perform their roles and duties effectively, ensuring consistent, lawful, and reliable professionalism.
The current Governor-General of New Zealand is Dame Cindy Kiro, who was appointed on 26 March 2021.
Background DPMC was established 1 January 1990, born out of a structural adjustment programme. Before this, New Zealand had a simple Westminster-style parliament with a two-party monopoly, which made the structural changes easier to implement.
The State Services Commission (renamed the Public Services Commission in 2020) in conjunction with the Treasury held a vast amount of power. Before the current-day department, the prime minister's department existed which was replaced in 1987 by the Prime Minister's office. The Prime Minister’s office included “the Prime Minister's advisory group, press office and personal staff, and a separate Cabinet office.”
At this time there were many moving parts to the Prime Minister's department and related agencies. With multiple government departments involved along with the division of government departments, declining interdepartmental collaboration, the Treasury taking a leading role in place of their coordinating one, and the necessity of challenging advice, this was reimagined to form the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. This simplified government decision-making both strategically and operationally.
According to the DPMC website, the department was officially established on 1 January 1990 after the recommendation of providing two separate sources of advice to the Prime Minister. This is the basis of DPMC. Along with this DPMC utilises business units and agencies in their work. The 2013 Review of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (DPMC) reports that the direct accountability of agencies involved has been acknowledged as a respected part of New Zealand Public Services.
They list the following additions in the history of the DPMC:
Government House (August 1990 - Present) National Assessments Bureau (previously the External Assessments Bureau) (1 July 1991) Ministry of Civil Defence & Emergency Management (April 2014 – 1 December 2019) National Emergency Management Agency (1 December 2019 - 25 September 2025) Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority (February 2015 - 18 April 2016) Greater Christchurch Group (1 March 2016 - 29 January 2021) The Child Wellbeing and Poverty Reduction Group February 2018 - ongoing The COVID-19 Group replaced the National Crisis Management Centre. 1 July 2020 - ongoing The Health and Disability Review Transition Unit. September 2020 - ongoing Implementation Unit. June 2021 - ongoing National Security Group. December 2023 - ongoing Risk & Systems Governance Group. December 2023 – ongoing
The DPMC website describes its primary objective as "helping to provide, at an administrative level, the 'constitutional and institutional glue' that underlies our system of parliamentary democracy." New Zealand has an ‘unwritten’ constitution which is characterised by its reliance on disparate pieces of legislation, norms, and structures that underpin the distribution of governmental power. DPMC plays a central role in the application of these foundational aspects of government in New Zealand, and therefore, as an institution serves as a part of these constitutional arrangements itself.
Structure DPMC’s Chief Executive heads the seven business units that comprise the DPMC. Each serves a different purpose and set of relevant Ministers or other office-holders.
The Cabinet Office is a ‘government secretariat’ which provides unbiased support to the decision-making processes of central government. The Cabinet Office advises the Governor-General, Prime Minister and other ministers on constitutional, policy and procedural matters, especially those contained in the Cabinet Manual (DPMC, 2023). The National Security Group (NSG) leads New Zealand’s national security interests. They advise the Prime Minister, the Minister Responsible for the New Zealand Security Intelligence Service, the Minister Responsible for the Government Communications Security Bureau and other relevant Ministers on matters linked to national security (DPMC, 2024). This includes the National Assessments Bureau (formerly known as the External Assessments Bureau) which became part of the department on 1 July 1991 The Risk and Systems Governance Group focuses on the government building long-term prosperity and resilience in New Zealand. This oversees New Zealand’s national resilience system to ensure systems and structures are adequately equipped (DPMC, 2024). The Policy Advisory Group (PAG) provides impartial advice to the Prime Minister, and occasionally other Ministers. This consists of the Deputy Chief Executive and 11 senior policy advisors with experience in areas of law, business, economic policy and social policy (DPMC, 2023). The Delivery Unit reports to the Prime Minister and Cabinet on the development of Government Targets and the Government Action Plan. This Unit also guides public sector agencies responsible for the delivery of key Government priorities (DPMC, 2024). The Strategy, Governance and Engagement Group (SGE) supports DPMC pertaining to strategic priorities and risk management. This group advises the Chief Executive, the Executive Leadership Team and the Senior Management Team relating to planning and oversight of the DPMC’s organisational development (DPMC, 2017). Government House was added to the department in August 1990.
Responsibility for civil defence and emergency management was consolidated in the department in 2014 through a business unit called the Ministry for Civil Defence and Emergency Management, until the MCDEM was superseded by an autonomous departmental agency hosted by DPMC in 2019, the National Emergency Management Agency, which was subsequently transferred to the Department of Internal Affairs in September 2025.
DPMC, through its Honours Unit contained within the Cabinet Office, also administers the New Zealand Royal Honours System. Made up of the following awards, the final Honours list is approved by the King of New Zealand on the advice of the Prime Minister:
The Order of New Zealand The New Zealand Order of Merit The Queen's Service Order and associated Queen's Service Medal The New Zealand Bravery and Gallantry Awards The New Zealand Distinguished Service Decoration The New Zealand Antarctic Medal.
From time to time there have been one-off or special awards such as the New Zealand 1990 Commemoration Medal, and the New Zealand Suffrage Medal 1993.
Ministers and portfolios Business unitDescription of business unitRole of business unit leaderCurrent business unit leaderServed portfolios and rolesCurrent office-holdersCabinet OfficeA government secretariat, headed by the Secretary of the Cabinet, that provides impartial support to central government decision-making processes and administers the New Zealand Royal Honours system.Secretary of the Cabinet, Clerk of the Executive Council.Rachel HaywardAll members of Cabinet, Cabinet Committees, and Executive Council.National Security Group (NSG)Provides leadership, advice, support and coordination of the Government’s national security risks and priorities.Deputy Chief Executive, National SecurityTony Lynch1. Prime Minister (National Security and Intelligence);
2. Minister of Broadcasting, Communications and Digital Media;
3. Minister Responsible for the New Zealand Security Intelligence Service;
4. Minister Responsible for the Government Communications Security Bureau;
5. other relevant Ministers.1. Christopher Luxon;
2. Paul Goldsmith;