Development of Alert Levels in early 2020

Al made this Official Information request to Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet

The request was refused by Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet.

From: Al

Hi everyone,

I'd like to request:

- All documentation, including meeting minutes or other communications, that show how the alert levels were developed between the 20th of February to the 25th of March 2020. This includes all feedback from government and non-government sources on the development to finalise the alert levels.

- Documentation, including meeting minutes or other communications, on the creation and presentation of the below linked document on mitigation and suppression
https://www.dpmc.govt.nz/sites/default/f...

Thank you all,

Al Johnson

Link to this

From: Information [DPMC]
Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet

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10. file:///tmp/Signature_files/colorschememapping.xml

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From: Information [DPMC]
Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet


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[IN-CONFIDENCE]

 

Kia ora,

 

Thank you for your request under the Official Information Act 1982 (OIA)
received on 30 July 2023, copied below. We will respond to your request
within the statutory timeframes set out in the Act. If we are unable to
meet these timeframes we will notify you.

 

Your request will be managed by the Ministerial Services team within DPMC.
If you have any queries, please feel free to contact us at
[1][DPMC request email].

 

DPMC may publish the response to your OIA request. If we publish the
response your personal information, including your name and contact
details, will be removed.

 

Ngā mihi,

 

Ministerial Coordinator
Ministerial Services
Strategy, Governance and Engagement
Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet
E    [2][DPMC request email]
 
 
The information contained in this email message is for the attention of
the intended recipient only and is not necessarily the official view or
communication of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. If you
are not the intended recipient you must not disclose, copy or distribute
this message or the information in it. If you have received this message
in error, please destroy the email and notify the sender immediately.

 

-----Original Message-----
From: Al <[FOI #23635 email]>
Sent: Sunday, 30 July 2023 3:13 pm
To: Information [DPMC] <[DPMC request email]>
Subject: Official Information request - Development of Alert Levels in
early 2020

 

Hi everyone,

 

I'd like to request:

 

- All documentation, including meeting minutes or other communications,
that show how the alert levels were developed between the 20th of February
to the 25th of March 2020. This includes all feedback from government and
non-government sources on the development to finalise the alert levels.

 

- Documentation, including meeting minutes or other communications, on the
creation and presentation of the below linked document on mitigation and
suppression
[3]https://www.dpmc.govt.nz/sites/default/f...

 

Thank you all,

 

Al Johnson

 

-------------------------------------------------------------------

 

This is an Official Information request made via the FYI website.

 

Please use this email address for all replies to this request:

[4][FOI #23635 email]

 

Is [5][DPMC request email] the wrong address for Official Information
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contact us using this form:

[6]https://fyi.org.nz/change_request/new?bo...

 

Disclaimer: This message and any reply that you make will be published on
the internet. Our privacy and copyright policies:

[7]https://fyi.org.nz/help/officers

 

If you find this service useful as an Official Information officer, please
ask your web manager to link to us from your organisation's OIA or LGOIMA
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The information contained in this email message is for the attention of
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communication of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. If you
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in error, please destroy the email and notify the sender immediately.

 

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in error, please destroy the email and notify the sender immediately.

 

References

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4. mailto:[FOI #23635 email]
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8. file:///tmp/Signature_files/filelist.xml
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10. file:///tmp/Signature_files/themedata.thmx
11. file:///tmp/Signature_files/colorschememapping.xml
12. file:///tmp/Signature_files/filelist.xml
13. file:///tmp/Signature_files/editdata.mso
14. file:///tmp/Signature_files/themedata.thmx
15. file:///tmp/Signature_files/colorschememapping.xml

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From: Information [DPMC]
Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet


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Attachment Johnson response.pdf
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[UNCLASSIFIED]

 

Kia ora,

 

Please see the attached letter regarding your recent OIA request.

 

Ngā mihi,

 

Ministerial Coordinator
Ministerial Services
Strategy, Governance and Engagement
Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet
E    [1][DPMC request email]
 
 
The information contained in this email message is for the attention of
the intended recipient only and is not necessarily the official view or
communication of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. If you
are not the intended recipient you must not disclose, copy or distribute
this message or the information in it. If you have received this message
in error, please destroy the email and notify the sender immediately.

 

Link: [2]File-List
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The information contained in this email message is for the attention of
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communication of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. If you
are not the intended recipient you must not disclose, copy or distribute
this message or the information in it. If you have received this message
in error, please destroy the email and notify the sender immediately.

 

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The information contained in this email message is for the attention of
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communication of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. If you
are not the intended recipient you must not disclose, copy or distribute
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in error, please destroy the email and notify the sender immediately.

 

References

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2. file:///tmp/Signature_files/filelist.xml
3. file:///tmp/Signature_files/editdata.mso
4. file:///tmp/Signature_files/themedata.thmx
5. file:///tmp/Signature_files/colorschememapping.xml
6. file:///tmp/Signature_files/filelist.xml
7. file:///tmp/Signature_files/editdata.mso
8. file:///tmp/Signature_files/themedata.thmx
9. file:///tmp/Signature_files/colorschememapping.xml

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From: Al

Hi everyone,

The available proactive releases do not answer my request they merely provide background to my request. I suspect I need to reiterate the request and its scope for you more clearly.

I'm specifically asking for:
- any documentation or communications (including and not limited to emails, meeting notes, messages via any type of messenger service or associated recordings of meetings) that relate to the development of what was presented as the 4 alert levels on the 21st of March 2020 to New Zealand by the Prime Minister.
I'm seeking to answer the question: How did the alert system become an idea and how was it developed?

This might support you finding this information - the below NZ Herald link quotes the then Prime Minister on the 18th of March deciding on an alert system (based on those proactively released documents) and "tasked officials" to create it:
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/covid-19-c...

On the 20th of March they were developed as a 1 pager and feedback was requested on them from the Covid Technical Advisory group.

A further OIA on the DPMC website sees that the Alert Levels were then 'designed' or further 'refined' on the morning of Saturday the 21st of March that the then Prime Minister presented later that same day:
https://www.dpmc.govt.nz/sites/default/f...

Based on the above, I'm happy to reduce the initial date part of my request to just the 10th of March to the 21st of March to support searching for how this became and idea and how it was developed into what we understood the 4 alert levels to be.

I hope this information helps fulfil my request.
Thank you,
Al

Link to this

From: Information [DPMC]
Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet


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[IN-CONFIDENCE]

 

Kia ora,

 

Thank you for your request under the Official Information Act 1982 (OIA)
received on 24 August 2023, copied below. We will respond to your request
within the statutory timeframes set out in the Act. If we are unable to
meet these timeframes we will notify you.

 

Your request will be managed by the Ministerial Services team within DPMC.
If you have any queries, please feel free to contact us at
[1][DPMC request email].

 

DPMC may publish the response to your OIA request. If we publish the
response your personal information, including your name and contact
details, will be removed.

 

Ngā mihi,

 

Ministerial Coordinator
Ministerial Services
Strategy, Governance and Engagement
Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet
E    [2][DPMC request email]
 
 
The information contained in this email message is for the attention of
the intended recipient only and is not necessarily the official view or
communication of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. If you
are not the intended recipient you must not disclose, copy or distribute
this message or the information in it. If you have received this message
in error, please destroy the email and notify the sender immediately.

 

-----Original Message-----
From: Al <[FOI #23635 email]>
Sent: Thursday, 24 August 2023 6:21 pm
To: Information [DPMC] <[DPMC request email]>
Subject: Re: Your OIA request - Response

 

Hi everyone,

 

The available proactive releases do not answer my request they merely
provide background to my request. I suspect I need to reiterate the
request and its scope for you more clearly.

 

I'm specifically asking for:

- any documentation or communications (including and not limited to
emails, meeting notes, messages via any type of messenger service or
associated recordings of meetings) that relate to the development of what
was presented as the 4 alert levels on the 21st of March 2020 to New
Zealand by the Prime Minister.

I'm seeking to answer the question: How did the alert system become an
idea and how was it developed?

 

This might support you finding this information - the below NZ Herald link
quotes the then Prime Minister on the 18th of March deciding on an alert
system (based on those proactively released documents) and "tasked
officials" to create it:

[3]https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/covid-19-c...

 

On the 20th of March they were developed as a 1 pager and feedback was
requested on them from the Covid Technical Advisory group.

 

A further OIA on the DPMC website sees that the Alert Levels were then
'designed' or further 'refined' on the morning of Saturday the 21st of
March that the then Prime Minister presented later that same day:

[4]https://www.dpmc.govt.nz/sites/default/f...

 

Based on the above, I'm happy to reduce the initial date part of my
request to just the 10th of March to the 21st of March to support
searching for how this became and idea and how it was developed into what
we understood the 4 alert levels to be.

 

I hope this information helps fulfil my request.

Thank you,

Al

 

-----Original Message-----

 

[UNCLASSIFIED]

 

 

 

Kia ora,

 

 

 

Please see the attached letter regarding your recent OIA request.

 

 

 

Ngā mihi,

 

 

 

Ministerial Coordinator

Ministerial Services

Strategy, Governance and Engagement

Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet  E    [1][DPMC request email]

 

 

The information contained in this email message is for the attention of 
the intended recipient only and is not necessarily the official view or 
communication of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. If you 
are not the intended recipient you must not disclose, copy or distribute 
this message or the information in it. If you have received this message 
in error, please destroy the email and notify the sender immediately.

 

 

 

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The information contained in this email message is for the attention of 
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are not the intended recipient you must not disclose, copy or distribute 
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in error, please destroy the email and notify the sender immediately.

 

 

 

References

 

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2. [6]file:///tmp/Signature_files/filelist.xml

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4. [8]file:///tmp/Signature_files/themedata.thmx

5. [9]file:///tmp/Signature_files/colorschememapping.xml

6. [10]file:///tmp/Signature_files/filelist.xml

7. [11]file:///tmp/Signature_files/editdata.mso

8. [12]file:///tmp/Signature_files/themedata.thmx

9. [13]file:///tmp/Signature_files/colorschememapping.xml

 

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Please use this email address for all replies to this request:

[14][FOI #23635 email]

 

Disclaimer: This message and any reply that you make will be published on
the internet. Our privacy and copyright policies:

[15]https://fyi.org.nz/help/officers

 

If you find this service useful as an Official Information officer, please
ask your web manager to link to us from your organisation's OIA or LGOIMA
page.

 

-------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Link: [16]File-List
Link: [17]Edit-Time-Data
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Link: [19]colorSchemeMapping

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The information contained in this email message is for the attention of
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communication of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. If you
are not the intended recipient you must not disclose, copy or distribute
this message or the information in it. If you have received this message
in error, please destroy the email and notify the sender immediately.

 

Link: [20]File-List
Link: [21]Edit-Time-Data
Link: [22]themeData
Link: [23]colorSchemeMapping

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The information contained in this email message is for the attention of
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communication of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. If you
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5. mailto:[dpmc
6. file:///tmp/Signature_files/filelist.xml
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13. file:///tmp/Signature_files/colorschememapping.xml
14. mailto:[FOI #23635 email]
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16. file:///tmp/Signature_files/filelist.xml
17. file:///tmp/Signature_files/editdata.mso
18. file:///tmp/Signature_files/themedata.thmx
19. file:///tmp/Signature_files/colorschememapping.xml
20. file:///tmp/Signature_files/filelist.xml
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23. file:///tmp/Signature_files/colorschememapping.xml

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From: Information [DPMC]
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Attachment Johnson response.pdf
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[UNCLASSIFIED]

 

Kia ora,

 

Please see the attached letter regarding your recent OIA request.

 

Ngā mihi,

 

Ministerial Coordinator
Ministerial Services
Strategy, Governance and Engagement
Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet
E    [1][DPMC request email]
 
 
The information contained in this email message is for the attention of
the intended recipient only and is not necessarily the official view or
communication of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. If you
are not the intended recipient you must not disclose, copy or distribute
this message or the information in it. If you have received this message
in error, please destroy the email and notify the sender immediately.

 

Link: [2]File-List
Link: [3]Edit-Time-Data
Link: [4]themeData
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The information contained in this email message is for the attention of
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communication of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. If you
are not the intended recipient you must not disclose, copy or distribute
this message or the information in it. If you have received this message
in error, please destroy the email and notify the sender immediately.

 

Link: [6]File-List
Link: [7]Edit-Time-Data
Link: [8]themeData
Link: [9]colorSchemeMapping

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

The information contained in this email message is for the attention of
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communication of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. If you
are not the intended recipient you must not disclose, copy or distribute
this message or the information in it. If you have received this message
in error, please destroy the email and notify the sender immediately.

 

References

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2. file:///tmp/Signature_files/filelist.xml
3. file:///tmp/Signature_files/editdata.mso
4. file:///tmp/Signature_files/themedata.thmx
5. file:///tmp/Signature_files/colorschememapping.xml
6. file:///tmp/Signature_files/filelist.xml
7. file:///tmp/Signature_files/editdata.mso
8. file:///tmp/Signature_files/themedata.thmx
9. file:///tmp/Signature_files/colorschememapping.xml

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Al left an annotation ()

DPMC have responded saying it was too long ago and so too hard to fulfill this request basically.

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Things to do with this request

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