Step by step instructions for your agency on how to use the All-of-Government (AoG) talent acquisition services contract.
To purchase from this contract agencies and schools first need to join.
Start by understanding what your needs are, and what abilities you already have within your agency to meet them. Talk to your own talent acquisition team to see how they can support those needs.
Consider these details before reviewing the panel of providers:
Are you recruiting for a permanent or temporary employee, or are you looking for a contractor?
Discuss any internal options to fill your roles through secondments across your organisation or wider government.
Before you decide to go outside your agency to find talent, seek advice from your procurement team. They'll be able to help you put the best commercial arrangement in place.
The use of consultants is not covered under this contract. The All-of-Government consultancy services contract offers advisory services from a panel of consultants. New Zealand Government Procurement provides guidance on using contractors and consultants. The Public Service Commission has also published contractors and consultants guidance.
Using contractors and consultants in the public sector
Contractors and Consultants guidance [PDF 642KB] – Public Service Commission
Depending on the scale of your agency’s needs, and your budget and timeframes, you can select providers from the panel either by:
We’ve gone through a robust procurement process to select the panel providers, so you don’t have to test the entire panel every time you have a requirement. Use OPD to review providers.
If you need access to OPD, ask your agency's procurement team.
Some agencies are mandated to follow the Government Procurement Rules, including Rule 58, and purchase from AoG contracts.
Rule 58 All-of-Government contracts
In some cases, you can use off-panel providers if your needs can’t be met by a panel provider. For example, you’re looking for candidates outside of Auckland, Wellington or Christchurch, or you want to use local providers to recruit local talent for a specific role.
Contact us first if you have to go off-panel.
A TSO is a contractual requirement and must be agreed to by both the provider and the agency. If you do not use a TSO, you expose your agency and providers to avoidable risks. You should agree to the TSO before the work starts.
Other documentation, like job descriptions, that is generated as part of the service delivery can be referenced in, or attached to, the TSO as appendices.
Use the TSO template in the contract documents section of the Talent acquisition services page.
Before starting a TSO, brief your shortlisted providers and make sure they clearly understand your needs. It is important all providers are given the same information in the briefing.
Check that the contractors are not engaged in another project that could limit their ability to deliver the tasks set out in the service order.
Make sure the scope of services is clearly stated to avoid confusion. Include:
Note: TSOs may be exclusive or non-exclusive.
Your provider will complete the service as outlined in the TSO. The master services agreement has a checklist for mandatory deliverables, so make sure you’re familiar with this.
Confirm the provider has received the candidate’s consent before applying for a role on their behalf. Verbal approvals do not count as consent. It must be written and documented appropriately. If this is not done, it means the provider is not meeting their obligations.
Your provider is required to send you a provider performance survey. It’s important you complete this so we can continue to monitor the performance of the panel.
As part of service delivery, your provider must also arrange for candidate management and care. This could include:
There's more information in the Master Services Agreement, or you can email us.
If you have any queries on potential conflicts or disputes, indicate this in the subject line of your email.
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