About us

NGO Council’s Value Statement

The NGO Council supports the work of the Ministry of Health by providing an effective and efficient mechanism to engage and promote NGO perspectives. The Council has a core role in supporting the Ministry to communicate directly with the NGO sector and to ensure that decisions are made with full knowledge of this sector’s contribution. The Council provides Network members with opportunities to promote best practice and learnings, network and empower the NGO sector to be heard.

This includes assisting NGOs to:

• advise Government on issues of importance for the delivery of community-led,
• community-based care and services
• contribute to national policies and legislation by ensuring that NGOs are well informed of key issues and mechanisms for providing input and feedback on significant changes
• share information about policies, legislation and emerging national and international trends in NGO governance and service delivery
• promote sector development, training and skill sharing
• identify opportunities for service integration and to enhance consumer outcomes.

Who we are and what we do

The NGO Council are NGO representatives, elected by non-government organisations within the Health and Disability sector. They meet regularly to work on issues that affect Health and Disability NGOs. They also plan NGO-Ministry of Health Forums and act as an ongoing communications network between Health and Disability NGOs and the Ministry of Health.

At each election, members of the NGO Health & Disability Network elect half of the 13 Council representatives to work with the Ministry of Health and other stakeholders on issues of importance to the wider NGO sector.

The members of the NGO Council are elected by and from NGOs operating within each of the following Health and Disability subsectors:

• Personal Health (2 reps)
• Public Health (2 reps)
• Mental Health (2 reps)
• Maori Health (3 reps)
• Pacific Island Health (2 reps)
• Disability Support Services (2 reps)

The Ministry of Health has up to two invited, non-voting representatives on the NGO Council.

View information on the Members.

Why members are elected

Members are elected because of their specific sector knowledge. They are expected to be leaders within their particular agency and within the sector and to act as a conduit of information for dissemination through their sub-sector networks.

Relationships

The NGO Council is not intended to replace any existing relationships that individual NGOs, or groups of NGOs, have with the Ministry of Health or District Health Boards.

Read more on What we do.