1. Foreword

E-government is all about getting better results for people. Better results delivered by government as a whole.

The capability of today's network and communication technology is truly remarkable. The Internet in particular is transforming how we go about our work, how we learn, how we relate to each other. And it is beginning to transform the way government has traditionally delivered the services it provides.

Few people beyond government circles know where the business of one agency begins and another ends. Nor should they have to. Frustrated citizens reaching the head of a queue only to be told they are in the wrong department is something of a comedy classic. But is no laughing matter when it happens to you.

For many New Zealanders, the Internet has meant the end of queues altogether. It has also meant the convenience to do business when and where they choose. Many government departments now have electronic services (e-services) on a par with the best in the private sector, bringing the convenience of Internet banking and online shopping to an ever-increasing range of services across the sector.

One only has to look at the breadth and depth of what is available through the government portal to realise how far government as a whole has moved forward in a relatively short time. The portal itself is a testament to what can be achieved when government acts collaboratively.

The e-GIF is a significant tool to enable agencies to work together electronically in a spirit of collaboration. It allows agencies to focus on the business of integrating their services for people without having to decide on competing technology standards. It also means that New Zealand government as a whole will stay in line with internationally agreed standards and protocols that make the Internet work today and in the future.

The value of the e-GIF lies in its practical application, which in turn depends on the e-GIF remaining relevant to the agencies that apply it. I encourage all agencies to supplement the e-GIF by submitting standards relevant to their sector and which may have wider relevance to the public sector. By doing so the e-GIF will continue to be enhanced as a central repository of agreed e-government standards - an all-of-government asset of considerable value.

State Services Commissioner