Emergency Management System Improvement Programme

Information about the Emergency Management System Improvement Programme (EMSIP).

The Emergency Management System Improvement Programme (EMSIP) is the programme to implement change in the emergency management system after the Government Inquiry into the Response to the North Island Severe Weather Events. EMSIP is led by the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA).

The Government response to the Report of the Government Inquiry outlined the direction of travel for a five-year work programme to strengthen the emergency management system.

• View the Government’s response Strengthening Disaster Resilience and Emergency Management.

Cabinet accepted all of the high-level recommendations in the North Island Severe Weather Events Inquiry, and also considered the findings from other events, reviews and inquiries. It approved 15 actions across five focus areas to improve the system, across all 4Rs – risk reduction, readiness, response and recovery.

The five focus areas are:

• Give effect to the whole‑of‑society approach to emergency management.
• Support and enable local government to deliver a consistent minimum standard of emergency management across New Zealand.
• Professionalise and build the capability and capacity of the emergency management workforce.
• Enable the different parts of the system to work better together.
• Drive a strategic focus on implementation and investment to ensure delivery.

NEMA is currently preparing a roadmap to show Cabinet, at a very high level, how we intend to deliver on the actions set out in the Government response.

Updates about EMSIP will be provided on this page as the work progresses.

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