How Microsoft is helping the public sector respond more quickly to official information requests, and freeing up time for agencies to focus on strategic work
Microsoft New Zealand is proud to announce the successful implementation of AI and low code solutions transforming the way local and central government agencies manage Official Information Act (OIA) and Local Government Official Information Act (LGOIMA) requests.
These solutions address core challenges faced by public sector agencies including approval process, time management, document management and collaboration. Meanwhile AI solutions are exponentially improving the efficiency and accuracy of responses with self-service, routing and public servant assistance tooling.
Why official information matters
Access to official information (information held by Government agencies) is an important right for New Zealanders, promoting transparency, openness and understanding of what the Government is doing. Any New Zealander can request, with limited exceptions, any information held by the Government, including information held about themselves.
The volume and complexity of requests is increasing. The public service, for example, manages close to 38,000 requests every six months, up from 26,000 two years ago. This means resources that could be deployed elsewhere are increasingly tied up dealing with official information issues. In addition, the processes for reporting on official information requests and responses are themselves time-consuming and labour intensive.
Addressing pain points
In managing official information requests, the public sector has long grappled with resource constraints, complex rules, information that is spread across systems, and manual data processing (especially with paper records and multimedia data formats). These challenges result in inefficiencies, errors, and delays in responding to official information requests.
“Empowering public sector agencies with AI isn’t just about efficiency – it’s about enabling better outcomes for all New Zealanders,” says Emma Bessey, Public Sector Director at Microsoft. “By streamlining official information management, we’re helping agencies focus more on delivering services that matter, while ensuring transparency, trust, and security remain at the heart of every interaction.”
Microsoft’s solutions, configured and delivered by our partners, provide a comprehensive approach to helping to reduce these obstacles:
- Expedited Triage and Routing: Incoming requests are reviewed and routed to the appropriate business unit using AI capabilities, ensuring timely and accurate handling.
- Automated Response Drafting: Specialised AI tools like Retrieval Augmented Generation (RAG) enable the solutions to quickly compare incoming requests against previous responses and draft initial replies that maintain consistency and accuracy.
- Human in the loop: Draft responses undergo thorough review by the lead business unit, ensuring compliance with regulatory standards.
- Enhanced Data Protection: Layered access protections safeguard sensitive information throughout the process – something that is notoriously difficult to achieve through manual handling.
- Improved Reporting and Insights: Robust data and reporting capabilities enable agencies to gain insights, identify trends, and make informed decisions to improve efficiency.
Proven results
The impact of Microsoft’s solutions is immediate and measurable. Agencies have seen a significant reduction in the time and effort required to respond to official information requests. One agency has reported a 71% reduction in hours spent reporting on ministerial products and a 70% reduction in allocation time.
Another insight has been around user experience. The simplification of processes and systems have been positively received by staff who are spending less time on administration and more time on their core roles. These solutions are relieving public servants of administrative tasks so they can focus on their broader responsibilities and strategic goals.
“We know the public service is focused on driving value for money and delivering the services New Zealanders want,” said Vanessa Sorenson, Managing Director of Microsoft New Zealand. “Responding to official information requests in a timely way is an important part of that, while also improving efficiency – including on agency reporting requirements – and freeing up public servants for other work. At its core democracy is about communication between citizens and government and we’re proud to support that.”