18 Dec 2018

Govt may ditch Chief Technology Officer role

6:42 pm on 18 December 2018

The government is looking to ditch the role of Chief Technology Officer and share it among a group of people instead.

Minister of Government Digital Services Megan Woods announced that hundreds of pages of documents regarding Derek Handley have just been released.

Megan Woods will deliver a paper to cabinet on the future of the role in March. Photo: RNZ / Rebekah Parsons-King

The role has been at the centre of political controversy.

Earlier this year the Government Digital Services Minister Clare Curran lost her portfolio and was removed from Cabinet over revelations she had failed to record her meeting with the leading candidate for the position, Derek Handley.

Mr Handley was paid out just over $100,000 after being offered the job, then having it withdrawn. The new minister Megan Woods also apologised to him for the way he was treated.

In an email to stakeholders, Ms Woods said she had received feedback that it would be difficult to find one person with the skill set for the Chief Technology Officer position.

She wrote it would best delivered by a small group of people.

The government will develop a work programme over summer, with Megan Woods delivering a paper to Cabinet in March, to make a final decision on the future of the role.

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