Role for Government

The OECD suggests that governments must invest adequate time and resource in building robust legal, policy and institutional frameworks, and in developing appropriate tools and evaluating their performance in engaging the public. Commitment and leadership by politicians and senior public managers are also key ingredients.

This scoping project has not extended to research of legislation. However, a key part of New Zealand's legal framework for public participation in government is the Official Information Act 1982, the purposes of which are:

"... consistently with the principle of the Executive Government's responsibility to Parliament,—

a) To increase progressively the availability of official information to the people of New Zealand in order—

(i) To enable their more effective participation in the making and administration of laws and policies

(ii) To promote the accountability of Ministers of the Crown and officials,—

and thereby to enhance respect for the law and to promote the good government of New Zealand

b) To provide for proper access by each person to official information relating to that person

c) To protect official information to the extent consistent with the public interest and the preservation of personal privacy."

The institutional framework for participation is provided substantially by the New Zealand State sector. New Zealand government agencies are expected to:

• help people meet their information needs
• make decision-making more transparent and inclusive by using technology to find innovative ways to engage the public in the political process
• set a standard of openness and transparency for the state of its own knowledge
• provide information and facilitate new ideas that
• protect against information overload, and
• ensure the presence of reliable, accurate and authoritative sources of information and knowledge
• act as a steward of public information
• transform the role of the public as passive consumers of government services to agents of public deliberation and choice - "a community of purpose". ["Crossing Boundaries, Finding Our Digital Voice: Governing in the Information Age, Changing Government", Volume 11, April 2003, Centre for Collaborative Government, Canada]

The State Services Commission, as a central agency, has a leadership role to develop and implement shared ethics and high standards of integrity and conduct across the State Services. This role extends to facilitating the transfer of knowledge and collaboration across government.

There are opportunities, through the Senior Leadership Management Development Programme, to foster a culture of openness, transparency and involvement within the State Services that in turn supports public and business participation in government.

The E-government Strategy refers to transforming government by 2010. It is recognised that government agencies have different business needs and deliver services according to their particular customer segments. These agencies will, however, need to collaborate in creating a culture that supports participation by the public and businesses in government.