2005 Digital Strategy

Transforming Government

Goal

The delivery of government information, services, and processes will be integrated, accessible, and customised.

Targets

By June 2007, network and Internet technologies will be integral to the delivery of government information, services and processes.
By June 2010, government operations will have been transformed through its use of the Internet.

Challenge

To transform the government through enabling technology, so:

individuals and businesses have a better and more consistent experience in their dealings with government
agencies work more closely with their customers and with each other
the cost of delivering services, both online and through other channels, is reduced.

The government is already taking a ‘citizen’s view’ in the way it presents online information. It is building portals where people can find all the information they require on a particular topic, irrespective of whether the services are delivered by different agencies. Some examples are:

the New Zealand government portal for government information and services
WorkSite for employment information
BIZ for information for small and medium-sized businesses
the edCentre portal for the education sector. ³⁹

Government websites are designed to operate simply and consistently. They must conform to common standards and be aligned with international best practice.

The government is delivering better services to businesses, to help them be more productive. Thanks to the Companies Office, it is easier to form a company in New Zealand than in any other country in the world. The Inland Revnue’s e-Enablement Strategy is another successful example, allowing taxpayers to file returns electronically, calculate and pay the tax they owe, and communicate with the Inland Revenue – safe in the knowledge that the transactions are secure.

The government will use ICT to transform the way it engages with people and businesses.

The E-government Strategy is a whole-of-government approach to transforming the way agencies deliver services and provide information, using infrastructure that enables better integration and collaboration. The Strategy recognises the need to preserve individuals' right to privacy.

In the future, the government will:

develop standards to ensure interoperability and infrastructure (such as authentication and name and address verification) that allow for further technological development, and can support long-term and complex interactions with businesses and the public
deliver complete online services to clients for complex transactions handled by several agencies (such as student loans, business services, and compliance functions).

The greatest potential of ICT to transform the provision of government services is in health and education. Both are information-intensive and their delivery is widely dispersed. Broadband offers huge potential for improving the health and education services provided in the farthest corners of New Zealand. The resulting productivity gains will flow into the wider economy. These examples show how the pieces all fit together. Broadband connections are a key enabler, rich content is needed as a driver. Together with interoperable business applications, they are all key components in transforming government.

Education Goal

To improve learner achievement in an innovative education sector, fully connected and supported by the smart use of ICT.

The education sector is committed to raising learner achievement through a networked, flexible education system offering accessible, relevant, high- quality learning opportunities to all New Zealanders to support the ongoing development of a highly-skilled national workforce.

We are developing a national standards-driven ICT infrastructure for education. Every learner, teacher, lecturer, or administrator will have access to the digital resources and services they need, wherever they are located within the education system. Repositories of relevant, high-quality digital content resources will support rich teaching, learning, and research outcomes.

Health Goal

To provide access to high-quality, timely health information, to support achieving health outcomes.

In health, ICT offers the possibility of improving services while making significant cost savings. The challenge is to provide care providers with the information they require at the time they need it. The Health Information Strategy will provide a context to support New Zealand health and disability strategies to make innovative use of information to improve the health and participation of New Zealanders. ⁴⁰

Consumers will receive care that is targeted to their health needs and provided in a co-ordinated way. Care providers will be able to make more informed decisions at the point of care because relevant patient information will be accessible and they will have immediate access to evidence-based knowledge on which to base their interventions. Provider organisations will be able to configure services to achieve the best outcomes for the people they serve because they will be better informed about their health needs. Funders will be able to target services more selectively, while policy-makers and researchers will be able to identify what actions will have the biggest impact on improving the health outcomes of all New Zealanders.

Link to Northland District Health Board Nurses Case Study

Actions

Action	Lead	Time	$
Delivering the E-government Strategy Develop e-government infrastructure in support of agency and sector initiatives to deliver the E-government Strategy, including the Authentication Programme, the E-government Interoperability Framework (e-GIF), and Government Networks. Delivery: all of government (including local government).	State Services Commission	Key milestones June 2007, June 2010	> $10 M across govt
Transforming Government Agencies Education (see Capability Section for full scope) Education Sector Portal www.edcentre.govt.nz Provides easy direct access to education agency information resources. Education Sector Architecture Framework, a collaborative education sector programme to ensure interoperability across the sector. These initiatives involve six education-sector agencies (Career Services, ERO, MoE, NZQA, Teachers Council, TEC) and National Library of New Zealand. Health Information Strategy for New Zealand Supports health and disability strategies to make innovative use of information to improve the health and participation of New Zealanders. Other key examples of transforming government include: The Justice Sector Information Strategy 2003-2006, which provides the framework for justice agencies in creating and delivering world-class justice information. The vision is to enhance safer communities and build a fairer and more effective justice system by creating and sharing high-quality justice information. Continuum – Create and Maintain, a whole-of-government approach to record-keeping, designed to help government agencies meet best practice record-keeping standards, so that the most significant records of government are preserved now and for future generations. Inland Revenue has developed and launched a comprehensive e-Enablement Strategy, setting out a series of 52 linked initiatives that will be implemented over five years. Work is under way to allow customers to file their individual income tax returns electronically and to send and receive emails securely. The Ministry of Social Development has implemented a consolidated voice and data network (VoIP) that provides a toll bypass facility for approximately 240 sites throughout New Zealand. The VoIP network is used for phone calls and natural speech recognition technology being used by Work & Income clients to electronically declare their income and update their records.	Ministry of Education Ministry of Education Ministry of Health Ministry of Justice Archives New Zealand Inland Revenue Department Ministry of Social Development	Launched 2005 2005 Ongoing Ongoing Ongoing	$0.720 M
Supporting actions	Lead	Time	$
E-local Government Strategic Plan This promotes and facilitates a collaborative approach by all local authorities, working with central government. The Plan covers the provision of information and services, and the promotion of citizen participation, and promotes local leadership of community and business e-enablement. Key actions include improving community and local business accessibility to ICT by providing learning centres, training programmes, tools, and affordable high-speed Internet services	Local Government New Zealand	Ongoing	Ongoing commitment from individual councils
Geospatial Strategy Location-related information underpins many activities, e.g. emergency services' response, defence planning, Treaty of Waitangi processes, the provision of health services, business decisions, and everyday activities of New Zealanders. The strategy covers Data, Access, Interoperability, and Governance.⁴³ (With central and local government, Crown Research Institutes, and industry)	Land Information New Zealand	2005	Baseline
Geospatial Information Online Access Scoping Study To identify how best to give access to New Zealand’s stock of geospatial information, including a Geospatial Portal. (With central and local government, Crown Research Institutes)	Land Information New Zealand	2005	$0.526 M

⁴⁰ www.govt.nz, www.worksite.govt.nz, www.biz.org.nz, www.edcentre.govt.nz

⁴¹ HIS-NZ was under development when the Digital Strategy went to press.

⁴³ Host agency: Archives, www.archives.govt.nz/continuum/index.html

⁴⁴ November 2004. Geospatial Information – The Future Role of Government. www.linz.govt.nz/geospatial/ .

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