Ministry directorates

The Ministry is made up of directorates and business units, each with its own functions and areas of responsibility.

On this page:


Strategy Policy and Legislation | Te Pou Rautaki

Deputy Director-General Maree Roberts

The Strategy Policy and Legislation directorate leads long-term strategy, setting direction and priority areas for investment. It also leads the Ministry’s policy advice across a range of areas including workforce, disability, family and community health and COVID-19.

Public Health Agency | Te Pou Hauora Tūmatanui

Deputy Director-General Dr Andrew Old

The Public Health Agency leads public health and population health strategy, policy, regulatory, intelligence, surveillance and monitoring functions. It will strengthen links between science, public health and policy, particularly in relation to surveillance and the role of laboratories through an effective, fit-for-purpose and sustainable Public Health Knowledge and Surveillance System.

Regulation and Monitoring | Te Pou Whakamaru

Deputy Director-General – Simon Medcalf

The Regulation and Monitoring Directorate is responsible for leading the delivery of two of Manatū Hauora’s primary roles – system monitoring and regulation. These two roles work together to ensure the delivery of high-quality and safe services that meet government and ministerial expectations.

  • As regulator, Manatū Hauora is responsible for ensuring public safety and quality through the regulation of providers, therapeutic products, and services. Regulation interprets and applies government expectations through approving, certifying, and licensing responsible authorities, services, and providers and then monitoring compliance.
  • As system monitor, Manatū Hauora monitors the performance of entities in relation to this regulation and other accountabilities such as the Pae Ora Act, the Crown Entities Act, and Te Pae Tata. Manatū Hauora also has responsibility for monitoring the functioning of the health system as a whole. The monitoring function then provides insights and advice about compliance and performance to improve entity performance and to give assurance to Ministers

Māori Health | Te Pou Hauora Māori

Deputy Director-General John Whaanga

The Māori Health directorate partners with the Māori Health Authority, Health New Zealand and other directorates within the new Ministry such as the Public Health Agency to develop high quality insights, advice and perspectives from policy development through to operational delivery.

At a Government level, it leads Māori engagement and relationships with Māori stakeholders, has responsibility for Māori Crown relationships including treaty settlement relationships, responsibility for ensuring the Ministry meets all-of-government Māori Crown relationships commitments and along with the Māori Health Agency, responsibility for leading policy and setting the strategic direction for Māori Health; monitors and reports data insights.

Evidence Research and Innovation | Te Pou Whakamārama

Deputy Director-General Dean Rutherford

Evidence, research and innovation have a powerful impact of shaping the way that a health system performs and delivers care, and on the health and wellbeing outcomes that are ultimately achieved.

The Evidence, Research and Innovation (ERI) Directorate promotes and provides high-quality analytics, research, evidence and science advice to better inform strategy and decision-making, and drive innovation within the NZ health system. It is therefore a key enabler towards the realisation of pae ora – healthy futures for New Zealanders. The role of the ERI Directorate is to provide leadership in each of these areas across the system and to ensure that the Ministry can best harness the collective knowledge of the various disciplines based on the needs of the specific situation.

Clinical, Community and Mental Health | Te Pou Whakakaha

Deputy Director-General –  Robyn Shearer

The Clinical, Community and Mental Health Directorate has responsibility for leading three system priorities – clinical leadership, mental health and community and whānau voice.

Clinical leadership – the directorate will work across the sector to bring together clinical expertise from all professions and disciplines and lead and influence across the wider health sector. The directorate will provide strategic clinical leadership across Manatū Hauora, drawing on clinical research, insights, and leading practice locally and globally, informed by its sector-wide clinical network. It will also offer a deep understanding of clinical service delivery and performance, as well as the clinical drivers behind poor or inequitable outcomes.

Mental health – the Ministry’s role is focused on system stewardship. Mental Health and Addiction remains a system and government priority, with the Ministry having Cabinet mandate to monitor and support the implementation of Kia Manawanui Aotearoa – Long-term pathway to mental wellbeing. Achieving this requires targeted action across all our core roles – strategy, policy, legislation, monitoring, and public health.

Community – ensuring community and whānau voice is embedded across the health system is a key priority for Manatū Hauora. The directorate will ensure processes are in place to enable the work of Manatū Hauora, and to ensure that this is embedded across the system.

The Manatū Hauora Chief Clinical Officers are:

  • Chief Nursing Officer – Lorraine Hetaraka
  • Chief Medical Officer – Dr Joe Bourne
  • Chief Allied Health Professions Officer – Martin Chadwick.

Government and Executive Services | Te Pou Whakatere Kāwanatanga

Deputy Director-General Sarah Turner

The Government and Executive Services directorate will support Ministers and the Ministry’s leadership team by providing quality legal, communications advice and support the wider Ministry in navigating machinery of government. It leads the relationship with and activities regarding Ministers’ offices, leads communications and engagement for the Ministry and manages board appointments across the sector

Corporate Services | Te Pou Tiaki

Deputy Director-General Celia Wellington 

The Corporate Services directorate oversees all our important enabling corporate functions. 

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