Digital strategy without the vendor agenda
Independent, vendor-neutral guidance on technology decisions for NZ government organisations — from platform selection to digital transformation roadmaps.
Book a Discovery CallDigital strategy without the vendor agenda
Independent, vendor-neutral guidance on technology decisions for NZ government organisations — from platform selection to digital transformation roadmaps.
Every vendor says their product is the answer
Government technology procurement is high-stakes. The wrong platform choice locks you in for years, costs millions, and leaves staff fighting with tools that don't fit their workflows. But the organisations selling these platforms aren't going to recommend a competitor or tell you their product is wrong for your use case.
Councils face particularly difficult decisions. TechnologyOne or Datascape? Build custom or buy off-the-shelf? Migrate to cloud or keep on-premises? Each decision has long-term implications for budgets, staff, and service delivery — and the vendor presentations all look equally compelling.
For central government and CRIs, the challenges are different but the dynamic is the same. Digital transformation programmes stall because the strategy was written by the vendor who stood to benefit most from implementation. NZISM compliance adds complexity. All-of-government contracts provide options but don't tell you which option is right for your specific situation.
Our Advisory service gives you independent analysis from people who understand NZ public sector technology — without any product to sell.
What Advisory includes
Digital maturity assessment
Evaluation of your organisation's current digital capability — systems, skills, processes, and governance. Benchmarked against comparable NZ public sector organisations.
Platform & vendor evaluation
Independent comparison of platforms and vendors for your specific requirements. Honest assessment of features, limitations, total cost of ownership, and NZ support availability.
Digital transformation roadmap
Multi-year strategy aligned with your Long Term Plan or Statement of Intent. Prioritised, costed, and realistic — not a consultant's wishlist of expensive projects.
Procurement support
RFP development, evaluation criteria, vendor scoring, and due diligence. We help you ask the right questions and evaluate answers objectively through GETS or panel processes.
NZISM & compliance guidance
Security architecture advice aligned with NZISM, Privacy Act 2020, and Public Records Act requirements. Practical guidance, not just policy documents.
Governance reporting
Monthly advisory sessions with written reporting suitable for council, board, or ministerial briefings. We translate technology decisions into language governance understands.
How Advisory works
Stakeholder engagement
Interviews with leadership, IT team, frontline staff, and where appropriate, elected members or board. Understanding needs, constraints, and political realities.
Assessment & analysis
Current systems audit, vendor landscape research, and gap analysis. Risk assessment of current state and options. Thorough and evidence-based.
Strategy & recommendations
Written report with prioritised recommendations, honest cost estimates, and a realistic implementation timeline. Presented to governance with plain-language executive summary.
Ongoing advisory
Monthly sessions through implementation. Vendor management support, progress review, risk monitoring, and course correction when needed.
What you walk away with
Confident procurement
Choose platforms and vendors based on independent analysis — not the most persuasive sales presentation. Reduce the risk of expensive wrong decisions.
Governance alignment
Digital strategy that elected members, boards, and leadership understand and support. Technology investment justified in terms of service outcomes, not technical features.
Realistic planning
A roadmap that fits your budget cycles, staff capacity, and organisational appetite for change. Achievable milestones rather than ambitious fantasy.
Risk reduction
Independent oversight reduces failed implementations, budget blowouts, and vendor lock-in. Problems identified early when they're cheap to fix.
Frequently asked questions
Yes. We don't resell any software platform and don't receive commissions or referral fees from vendors. Our recommendation is based solely on what's right for your organisation. We'll tell you if the best option is something we can't build ourselves.
Absolutely. We regularly present to councils, boards, and governance groups. We communicate technology strategy in plain language — no jargon, honest about costs and risks, focused on outcomes for residents and ratepayers.
Yes. We're familiar with Government Procurement Rules, GETS processes, panel arrangements, and All-of-Government contracts. We help you navigate procurement in a way that's compliant and gets good outcomes.
Yes. Independent review of in-flight programmes is common. We assess progress honestly, identify risks, and recommend course corrections. Sometimes the most valuable advisory is confirming you're on the right track.
We help you understand which AoG contracts and Common Capabilities are relevant to your needs and whether they're actually the best option. AoG doesn't always mean best fit — we help you make that assessment.
With care. We understand that technology decisions in government have political dimensions. Our recommendations are evidence-based and presented in a way that supports good decision-making across the political spectrum.
Ready to talk about government & public sector?
Book a free discovery call. No sales pitch — just an honest conversation about what your business needs.