Plain Language Awards

Celebrate the stories of our clearest business communicators

Finalist: Best Plain Language Annual Report 2022

Mercer (N.Z.) Limited

Document name

New Zealand Defence Force KiwiSaver Scheme Annual Report 2022


Judges’ comments

You’ve done a great job of speaking to the reader, which is excellent. You will help readers by covering additional, non-regulatory information that explain complex terms and processes.

Your contents page indicates a wonderfully simple and logical structure to the report. We commend the language in the report, especially in the sections that don’t fall under the heading of regulatory information.

The tone is a major strength of your report. From the start, it sounds like you’re talking directly to your readers as equals, in a friendly, professional, and respectful way. Well done!


Media statement

In partnership with Mercer, the Manager of the NZDF KiwiSaver Scheme, New Zealand Defence Force has embarked on a journey, encouraging all NZDF personnel to take an interest in their savings and broader money management issues.

We believe effective and simple communications can improve the financial capability of our members and the NZDF Community, improving their financial understanding will help improve their retirement savings, ability to get into housing and therefore improving the quality of life in retirement. Having documentation, such as the NZDF KiwiSaver Scheme Annual Report that is clear and informative and encourages members to get engaged contributes to the achievement of this goal.

NZDF working in partnership with Mercer and financial advisers from Become Wealth, has made good progress in achieving its goals. It is pleasing to see that 95% of the approximately 15,500 NZDF personnel now contribute to KiwiSaver or a grandparented superannuation scheme. Since its launch in 2015, the NZDF KiwiSaver Scheme has grown to 5,543 as of 1 October 2022.

 

Tatiana Mes
Principal Marketing and Communications Manager
Consumer Wealth
Mercer (N.Z.) Limited