Strategic Advisory Services for National Crisis Management During COVID-19 Pandemic

In March 2020 the World Health Organisation declared COVID-19 a pandemic. COVID-19, like the flu, can be spread from person to person. This is an unprecedented time for New Zealand � the Prime Minister has issued an epidemic notice under the Epidemic Preparedness Act and the Minister of Civil Defence declared a state of national emergency under the Civil Defence Emergency Management Act.

The government has undertaken extraordinary measures to enable New Zealand to respond to the COVID-19 epidemic emergency. The National Crisis Management Centre has been activated as part of the all-of-government response.

3rd June 2020 the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet signed a contract with the consultancy provider Brendan Boyle Limited to provide strategic advice to the Strategic Operations Controller, Quintet and Workstream Leads at the National Crisis Management Centre Operations Command Centre. This procurement was a direct sourcing.

An exemption to openly advertising this procurement (under Rule 14.9.a of the Government Procurement Rules and DPMC Procurement Policy) was granted the basis that the services are required to support the national response to the impacts of COVID-19.