Andrew Buchanan
22 Reakes Crescent, Wallaceville,Upper Hutt
Summary
My strengths are bringing diverse people to work together and combining people skills with technical knowledge. This includes mentoring and leadership, particularly in the governance and ministerial spaces, where I have provided support and guidance to others.
I have a reputation for seeing ways to do things better and pursuing them.
I have extensive experience in the following areas.
- Departmental/Ministerial writing (Official Information Act responses, Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act responses, Select Committee work, Parliamentary Questions for Written Answer, Annual Review, other correspondence).
- Governance support and advice/working with elected officials and senior Public Service leaders.
- Administration and staff supervision.
- Management of Crown property.
Overview
12
12
years of professional experience
Work History
Business Support Coordinator/Team Leader
Tonkin & Taylor Ltd
Te Aro, Wellington
10.2023 - 08.2025
- Managed the work and performance of a team of four, including conducting 'one-on-ones' and weekly team meetings.
- Ensured that all documentation to be released to clients was of the highest quality and in line with company standards.
- Had responsibility for onboarding and offboarding of new employees in the Wellington office, including training in the use of relevant report templates.
- Coordinated the company's sustainability program, including the uploading of recorded material to the intranet.
- Managed travel arrangements for employees within the Wellington office.
- Managed a fleet of 11 vehicles, including ensuring the timely issuing of warrants of fitness, the recording of potential faults, and the undertaking of monthly safety checks.
- Approved expense claims and reconciled staff credit card accounts.
- Assisted with running meetings, forums, and the like, including taking the lead on karakia.
- Provided input and feedback in regard to Company policies particularly around our Rainbow and neurodiverse staff and whanau.
Senior Advisor Governance
Ministry of Social Development
Wellington Central, Wellington
04.2022 - 04.2023
- Supported the work of the Ministry's internal committees, including agenda preparation, advice on meeting procedure, minute-taking, and ensuring both the accurate recording of action items and their subsequent completion.
- Provided governance advice to both senior leaders and other staff within the organisation, as well as to external stakeholders.
- Utilized my vast experience to proffer suggestions in respect to continuous improvement practices.
- Helped to build strong connections both within and outside the organisation.
- Wrote reports and proofed others' reports as part of the agenda collation process.
- Ensured that report recommendations were both logical and within the relevant Committee's terms of reference.
- Led the recruitment process - and subsequent induction - for new Committee members.
Senior Governance Advisor
Upper Hutt City Council
Upper Hutt Central, Upper Hutt
08.2020 - 04.2023
- Managed the work program and performance of the Governance Advisor.
- Both wrote and proofed reports including ensuring that recommendations for meetings of elected members were both within the appropriate terms of reference and not ultra varies.
- Provided specialist and experienced advice on meeting procedure, Standing Orders, and legislative understanding and analysis.
Senior Advisor Disposals
Ministry of Education
Wellington Central, Wellington
03.2018 - 03.2020
- Ensured the appropriate management of closed school sites, land in the disposal process, and houses under Ministry ownership and control.
- Arranged for disposal of unneeded land in line with the Public Works Act 1981 and relevant Government policies.
- Provided advice to senior leaders on future land usage.
- Represented/presented to colleagues and sector groups on technical issues/areas of interest.
- Stakeholder liaison - i.e. schools, tenants, other Government agencies, property management companies, members of the public.
- Process improvement, including streamlining the statutory procedure for having land declared to be no longer needed for educational purposes.
- Drafted notices for the New Zealand Gazette and arranged for publication.
- Provided specialist input and advice to responses to Official Information Act requests, Written Parliamentary Questions, and other forms of correspondence.
- Supported and mentored new staff..
Senior Advisor
Ministry of Education
Wellington Central, Wellington
08.2015 - 03.2018
- Led the Ministry’s implementation of ‘CabNet’, the electronic Cabinet paper system, including staff training.
- Led the coordination of all answers - Ministry-wide - to the 2015 Annual Review.
- Had oversight of the Ministry’s weekly update to the Minister of Education.
- Drafted memos, letters, and reports.
- Responded to Official Information Act requests, Ministerial correspondence, and Parliamentary Questions for Written Answer.
- Conducted peer review and quality assurance.
- Mentored young and/or new staff.
- Liaised with Ministerial Offices and other stakeholders – both internal and external.
Governance Advisor/Deputy Electoral Officer
Wellington City Council
Te Aro, Wellington
10.2013 - 08.2015
- Governance advice - knowledge of Standing Orders and relevant legislation - and administrative support to Council’s Economic Growth and Arts Committee (EGA).
- Personalised assistance to the EGA Chair (diary and mail management - both physical and electronic - notetaking, welcoming guests, IT support).
- Researched and drafted responses to Councillors’ correspondence, and prepared speech notes.
- Led development of Committee procedures (remuneration, expenses, IT usage, scheduling) for the introduction of Council’s District Licensing Committees (DLC) for regulation of alcohol.
- Led induction of all DLC members.
- Gave presentations to Councillors, Community Board members, and national Local Government Committees.
- Project management team member for implementation of the ‘InfoCouncil’ agenda management system, and leader of ongoing staff training.
- Responded to concerns and issues raised by the public.
- Report writing (governance and procedural advice), peer review, and quality assurance.
- Developed Community Board Code of Conduct.
- Meeting planning and organisation for Council Committees and Community Boards.
- Trained as Electoral Officer.
- Mentored and trained new staff.
- Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act requests.
Education
New Zealand Diploma in Business - Accounting Principles and Practices
Open Polytechnic of New Zealand
Lower Hutt11-2009
Bachelor of Arts - History And Anthropology
University of Otago
Dunedin05-1992
Skills
- Team management
- Document quality assurance
- Employee onboarding
- Governance reporting
- Meeting facilitation
- Stakeholder engagement
- Active listening
- Training and mentoring
- Effective communication
- Project coordination
- Process improvement
- Problem solving
Affiliations
Outside work, I love spending as much time as I can with my two sons (and my cat).
I’m a quiz buff, and won the tv quiz show Grand Champion Olympic Challenge, as well as competing on Mastermind with New Zealand cricket as my specialist topic.
Following on the quiz theme, I also help compile and run fundraising quiz nights for good causes.
In student days, I wrote a rugby column for the Otago Daily Times, but these days
I’m looking to compete in the Masters Games at table tennis.
I contribute to the community by collecting for organisations such as Amnesty International, the Breast
Cancer Foundation, and the Heart Foundation.
In my downtime, I’m a book and movie lover, and a nostalgic Dunedin music fan.
Accomplishments
- Former member of Our Lady of the Rosary School Board of Trustees
- Former Treasurer of the Governance Board of Lower Hutt Childcare Centre
- Tutored both the Hutt City Council’s Reading for Life and Counting for Life programmes supporting children’s literacy and numeracy respectively in Naenae Primary School
Timeline
Business Support Coordinator/Team Leader
Tonkin & Taylor Ltd
10.2023 - 08.2025
Senior Advisor Governance
Ministry of Social Development
04.2022 - 04.2023
Senior Governance Advisor
Upper Hutt City Council
08.2020 - 04.2023
Senior Advisor Disposals
Ministry of Education
03.2018 - 03.2020
Senior Advisor
Ministry of Education
08.2015 - 03.2018
Governance Advisor/Deputy Electoral Officer
Wellington City Council
10.2013 - 08.2015
New Zealand Diploma in Business - Accounting Principles and Practices
Open Polytechnic of New Zealand
Bachelor of Arts - History And Anthropology
University of Otago