Process for seeking survey approval from the Minister of Statistics
Government departments intending to undertake a new statistical survey or substantially alter an existing survey are required under the Statistics Act 1975 to gain approval from the Minister of Statistics.
Use these Official Statistics System templates and forms when seeking ministerial approval-in-principle or approval for surveys:
Ministerial approval-in-principle/approval for a statistical survey (Word, 135KB)
Official Statistics System: Notification form (Word, 86KB)
Ministerial approval is a two-step process. Firstly, the Minister of Statistics' 'approval-in-principle' for the survey needs to be obtained. An explanation of this process and advice as to when approval-in-principle should be sought is detailed below under the heading 'Ministerial approval-in-principle'. Secondly, a later or final 'approval', which represents the official ministerial approval, must be obtained before the survey can commence. This process and the timeline for the approval process is outlined below under the heading 'Ministerial approval'.
Note: Word documents that have had track changes applied during preparation will not be accepted. Any documents that have had track changes applied at any stage during preparation will need to be re-inputted into a new template.
Please send completed forms, either posted or electronically, to:
Official Statistics System Bureau Service
Statistics New Zealand
PO Box 2922
Wellington
Email: oss@stats.govt.nz
Definition of ‘statistical survey’
For a definition of ‘statistical survey’ and the rationale for the Ministerial approval process, see:
You need to seek ministerial approval if your survey will produce ‘Tier 1 statistics’, that is, they:
- are essential to central government decision making
- are of high public interest
- need to meet public expectations of impartiality and statistical quality
- require long-term continuity of the data
- provide international comparability or meet international statistical obligations
- align with the Tier 1 statistics principles and protocols.
Click here for a current list of Tier 1 statistics.
What if my survey doesn’t produce Tier 1 statistics?
If you are undertaking a ‘non-Tier 1’ survey with 2,500 or more respondents, the chief executive of the agency undertaking the survey will consult with the Government Statistician before making the decision to proceed with the survey. You need to complete the ‘Official Statistics System: Notification form’. You do not need to complete the template for 'Ministerial approval-in-principle/approval for a statistical survey'.
If you are undertaking a ‘non-Tier 1’ survey with less than 2,500 respondents, the chief executive of the agency undertaking the survey makes the decision to proceed. You do not need to complete the template for 'Ministerial approval-in-principle/approval for a statistical survey', but you must complete the 'Official Statistics System: Notification form’.
Ministerial approval-in-principle
The first part of the process for seeking ministerial approval is to complete the Official Statistics System template 'Ministerial approval-in-principle/for a statistical survey' and send it to Statistics New Zealand. This serves as early notification and allows the Minister of Statistics to consider the funding, capability and possible other commitments and potential impacts of the survey before you invest time, expertise and money in developing the survey.
You also need to complete the 'Official Statistics System: Notification form’.
You can lodge your application for approval-in-principle at any time, but it is suggested you do so as early in the process of setting up your survey as possible.
The focus should be on key investment aspects such as the needs that the survey meets, expected outputs, the impact on respondent load, assurance that there are no alternative data sources available, and an indication of the cost to run the survey.
You may leave sections of the form blank if that information is not yet available. For instance, the sections about assurances that the survey meets the protocols and standards for the Official Statistics System (OSS) (such as quality assurance of the methodology and use of standard classifications) can be held over until final approval is sought from the Minister of Statistics.
The Government Statistician, as Chief Executive of Statistics New Zealand, will forward the request to the office of the Minister of Statistics. The Minister will respond to Statistics New Zealand within 30 working days of receipt of the application. Allow for this time, as well as time for completing the documentation and handling by Statistics New Zealand officials, in your survey planning cycle.
Ministerial approval
The second part of the process is to seek final approval. This must be preferably before the main part of the survey begins. Wherever possible, pilot or field testing should have been outlined at the approval-in-principle stage.
Send your completed 'Ministerial approval for a statistical survey' to the Official Statistics System Bureau Service at Statistics New Zealand. This request for approval is itself the confirmation statement from the government department undertaking the survey that all Official Statistics System (OSS) principles and protocols are met and that all measures undertaken to make this assessment are complete.
Statistics New Zealand must lodge a request for approval with the Minister of Statistics’ office at least 30 working days before the main data collection for the survey begins. However, some approvals will need to be sought well in advance of this date. This is to ensure that the Minister has signed off the approval before any contractual arrangements are agreed to, such as printing questionnaires or hiring staff, as these agreements will not proceed if ministerial approval is declined.
Allow for this time, as well as time for completing the documentation and handling by Statistics New Zealand officials, in your survey planning cycle.
The final decision to proceed is determined by the Minister of Statistics. Where appropriate this may be after consultation with ministers of other government departments.
Who do I contact for help?
Send an email to oss@stats.govt.nz to contact the Official Statistics System Bureau Service at Statistics New Zealand, or phone 0508 525 525 (toll-free).