A summary of the e-government strategy

E-government improves public management

Today, the Government wants agencies to deliver 'outcomes' as well as outputs, and achieve better results for people. This will involve agencies working more effectively across their traditional boundaries and collaborating with other agencies, stakeholders and their customers.

What business wants from e-government

E-government is not good just for citizens – business benefits too. Above all, business would welcome lower compliance costs.

What people want from e-government

In October 2002, New Zealand was part of an international survey of public use of e-government. The survey tells us that there is a challenge ahead in making sure that people feel safe about using the Internet, and e-government.

E-government and the community and voluntary sector

E-government is seen by many parts of the community and voluntary sector as a desirable addition to the existing channels for accessing and delivering government information and services. There are, however, valid concerns that, if developed unwisely, e-government could create inequities in public access and service delivery; compromise privacy and security of personal information; and load additional costs on to the sector.

Vision

New Zealand is a world leader in e-government.

Mission

• By June 2004 the Internet will be the dominant means of enabling ready access to government information, services and processes.
• By June 2007, networks and Internet technologies will be integral to the delivery of government information, services and processes.
• By June 2010, the operation of government will have been transformed through its use of the Internet.

Goals

• Better services - more convenient and reliable, with lower compliance costs, higher quality and value;
• Cost effectiveness and efficiency - cheaper, better information and services for customers, and better value for taxpayers;
• Improved reputation - building an image of New Zealand as a modern nation, an attractive location for people and business;
• Greater participation by people in government - making it easier for those who wish to contribute; and
• Leadership - supporting the knowledge society through public sector innovation.

Outcomes

• Convenience and Satisfaction

  Services provided anytime, anyhow, anywhere
  People will have a choice of channels to government information and services that are convenient, easy to use and deliver what is wanted.

• Integration and Efficiency

  Services that are integrated, customer-centric and efficient
  Information and services will be integrated, packaged, and presented to minimise cost and improve results for people, businesses, and providers.

• Participation

  Participation in government
  People will be better informed and better able to participate in government.

Key messages

• E-government changes how government works
• E-government focuses on people
• E-government means better service
• E-government means better value
• E-government affects all government organisations
• Collaboration is key
• E-government is about delivering results, not technology.
• Public officials need to understand technology
• The E-government Unit has a role
• Government agencies have a role: plan, prepare, participate

E-government leads to transformation

The Internet, and its associated technologies and business models, is profoundly affecting the way government, business and people interact. Government is adapting to this new environment in a way that will eventually transform how it operates. The design and delivery of services is already changing to meet the changing needs of New Zealanders.

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To be successful in this new environment agencies will need to work together more effectively, sharing resources and integrating their services. People and businesses will have a better, more consistent experience of government if agencies work together. This approach will also help reduce the costs of delivering services online and through other channels.

A 'service delivery architecture' underpins the transformation

For agencies to work together in the new e-government environment and successfully bring about this transformation they need a common design framework or architecture for service delivery using information technology.

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Implementing the architecture-modular technology components

The labour market WorkSite portal (www.work.govt.nz) launched in late 2002 successfully piloted the approach by reusing several components developed for the government portal (www.govt.nz). This saved $400,000 in development and data gathering, $18,000 in annual operating costs through shared infrastructure, and unquantified savings in on-going data maintenance.

The bigger picture: e-government and other "e" initiatives

Government has been working on a broader set of “e” issues: e-commerce, bandwidth, the digital divide, and e-localgovernment.

E-government Unit - foundation building

• Metadata and the government portal
• Interoperability
• Authentication
• Procurement

Agency service delivery

During the last 12 months agencies have continued to increase the range of online services, building on the foundations of e-government they helped create.