Diversity On Boards Key To Ensuring Health Services Work For All New Zealanders

“To get the best results for all New Zealanders, it’s important we have people from all walks of life on our statutory boards,” says Adrian Portis, Manager Crown Entity Monitoring and Appointments within the Ministry of Health.

“Diverse boards make better quality decisions because they’re better able to understand the people they serve.”

“New Zealand has come a long way in recent years. In 2020 we achieved 50 percent participation by women on state sector boards and across senior leadership in the public service. However, we still have some way to go before the make-up of our boards reflects our population in terms of ethnicity, age, disability status and the diversity of our rainbow community, for example.”

“The Ministry of Health is currently advertising governance vacancies at 25 different statutory health entities and independent tribunals. This includes vacancies on Crown entity boards and responsible authorities.”

“Board member roles have a focus on adding value and driving performance. You’ll be involved in setting strategic direction, managing risks and monitoring performance.”
“There are also roles on committees and tribunals with very specific functions, such as ethics committees and oversight bodies.”

“Some of these roles are specifically for qualified health practitioners and lawyers, but many others are for people without a background in health. The Ministry is keen to see applications from people from all walks of life so the Government can continue to increase the diversity of our health sector boards.”

“We have a strong tradition in New Zealand of public service and giving back to the community. Serving on a statutory board or authority provides a unique opportunity to make a real and lasting difference for all New Zealanders”, says Adrian Portis.

People interested in applying for one or more of the vacancies can visit the Ministry of Health website for more information. Registrations of interest close on 9 April 2021.

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