Major restructure planned at MSD, affecting roles across key units

Tuesday, 8 July 2025

Nadine Kilmister, deputy chief executive for People and Capability, confirmed MSD is proposing to change four of its business groups.

The Ministry of Social Development (MSD) is proposing to restructure a chunk of its organisation - four of its business groups.

Sources within MSD told The Post changes were under way within the large ministry, which has about 9000 staff.

Nadine Kilmister, deputy chief executive for People and Capability, confirmed MSD was proposing to change four of the nine different areas overall which sit under chief executive Debbie Power.

Kilmister said she recognised it was an unsettling time for those affected by the proposals and, where possible, would look to redeploy affected people into new opportunities across the organisation.

In two areas the proposals would result in more positions, in the other two there would be fewer positions, she said.

One of the groups is the Disability Support Services (DSS) area where Kilmister said the proposed changes “are not about making savings, and are proposed to result in an increase of positions”.

While overall the team roles would increase from 225 to 254, it was proposed more than half of the current staff number - 129, including vacancies - would have their jobs disestablished, meaning they would have to reapply for a role.

The MSD’s Transformation Group, which has a “services for the future programme” and also includes the systems and technology group, the investment management office and the enterprise design team, also faces restructure.

Within systems and technology, MSD was consulting on whether it had the necessary “ways of working to deliver modern technologies and services for the future”. That had a proposed net reduction of 37 roles.

Another group, which Kilmister said was responsible for the design and implementation of the services for the future programme, had four people proposed to “be affected”, with 34 more permanent and temporary positions created.

Within MSD’s Organisational Assurance and Communication group, restructures have been proposed for the Information, Security and Identity team and the Ministerial and Executive Services team.

That would see a reduction of 19 roles.

Kilmister said the DSS group moved from the Whaikaha- Ministry of Disabled People late last year.

“The changes we are consulting on are aimed at ensuring we have the right people and skills in place to ensure we are well set up to deliver quality disability support services now and into the future. This includes responding to the findings of the 2024 Independent Review.”

That review looked into whether Whaikaha’s commercial management was in line with its policies and good practice in the health and social services sector.

Kilmister said the intent of the change within DSS was to add functions so it could deliver on its role of being an “effective commissioner, funder and steward of the disability system”.