Strategic context

The Government has provided strategic leadership for New Zealand’s digital future by developing the Digital Strategy. This sets out how digital content and network technologies can contribute to a transformed economy and society. The State Services Commission is leading the promotion of six Development Goals which guide the State Services in how they can contribute to this transformation.

The E-government Strategy identifies the approach government will take in carrying out its obligations under the Digital Strategy, and how technology will be used in achieving the State Services Development Goals.

Digital Strategy

The overall goal of the Digital Strategy is:

New Zealand will be a world leader in using information and technology to realise its economic, social, environmental, and cultural goals, to the benefit of all its people.

Content, connection, and confidence are the Strategy’s three enablers; government, business, and communities are the agents of change.

Content is about providing all New Zealanders with seamless, easy access to the information that is important to their lives, businesses, and cultural identity.

Confidence is about providing all New Zealanders with the digital skills and confidence to find and use the information they need, and to ensure that telecommunications and the Internet in New Zealand are reliable and secure.

Connection is about expanding broadband uptake, as affordable and high-speed Internet access drives productivity and economic growth; it is a prerequisite for achieving all the Digital Strategy goals, including transformed government.

The Digital Strategy goal for government is that the delivery of government information, services, and processes will be integrated, accessible, and customised. This is about using information and communication technologies (ICT) to transform the way government engages with people and businesses.

State Services Development Goals

The overall goal for the State Services is:

A system of world class professional State Services serving the government of the day and meeting the needs of New Zealanders.

To meet the needs of New Zealanders, highly professional government agencies have to achieve the outcomes sought by the Government. For government agencies to be world class, they need the best possible systems and staff, operating with high levels of integrity.

The overall goal is supported by six Development Goals for the State Services, which articulate the way to achieve this ambition. These Development Goals reflect judgements about the key things that need to change at a system-wide level if we are to advance towards the overall goal.

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The Development Goal programme is intended to lift the performance of the State Services to deliver better results for government and the people who use its services. This will transform how State servants see and undertake their roles, how agencies design and deliver services, and how systems and networks are designed to support an all-of-government approach to achieving government outcomes.

The Development Goals are not intended to outline what outcomes the State Services will achieve, as that is a matter for government policy. Rather, the goals are aspirations for how the State Services will be configured and perform.

Role of the E-government Strategy

The E-government Strategy is the all-of-government approach to transforming how agencies use technology to deliver services, provide information, and interact with people, as they work to achieve the outcomes sought by government.

Government will use technology to provide complete services for both simple and complex transactions. These might be handled by agencies on their own or with others. Two important foundations are an infrastructure that allows better integration and collaboration, and standards to ensure interoperability and consistency.

eLGAR (Libraries for a Greater Auckland Region), for the Smarter Systems Project One library management system provides access to Auckland city, Manukau, North Shore, Rodney and Waitakere Libraries. - 2006 Computerworld Award for Excellence in use of IT in Government.

Network-based business models enabled by technology are driving how government, business, and people interact. As government adapts to this environment it is transforming how it operates. The design and delivery of government services is already adapting to meet the changing needs of New Zealanders. But challenges remain. If government is to transform how it works with people, these challenges must be understood and addressed.

The E-government Strategy approaches these challenges from the perspective of how technology is used, while working within the State Services Development Goals’ framework and its broader approaches to people, systems, and culture.

Weather Information Service Engine (WISE) - MetService Provides online all weather observations & forecasts, including 5 day urban, alpine, marine and coastal. - 2006 Computerworld Award for Excellence in the Use of IT for Customer Service

The E-government Strategy has always been concerned with efficiency as well as effectiveness – how to use technology to meet the promise of better, faster, and cheaper services that benefit taxpayers and ratepayers, as well as the people who use central and local government services.

Related New Zealand government information strategies

Business strategies have been developed to ensure government services and information are delivered in a coordinated way to achieve government sector outcomes. These help to achieve the government’s priorities by setting goals and activities for collaboration and engagement across sectors and agencies. This includes local government and, in some cases, non-government service providers. Developing sector standards and frameworks for interoperability and data quality and exchange are priorities.

Botany Library, Manukau City Council NZ's first retail library using RFID technology to manage the book collection. - 2005 Computerworld Award for Excellence in the Use of IT in Government.

International themes

New Zealand has been consistently recognised as a leader in using e-government. This Strategy will maintain that leadership and international perceptions of our position.

Governments around the world are using ICT to energise and change how they deliver services and information. The desire to improve service quality and tailor services to the needs of individuals, while reducing compliance costs, is a common goal across all major economies.

Te Ara, the Encyclopaedia of New Zealand - Ministry of Culture and Heritage Thought to be the world's first digital national encyclopaedia. Has information layers for different users: students, people living overseas, scholars. - 2005 BearingPoint Innovation Awards Public Service Category Winner

Countries which have advanced their e-government capability, like Canada, the United States, Singapore, and Denmark, have reached the stage where online channel options are available for most commodity transactions, like licence renewals. More sophisticated delivery frameworks, involving multi-channel integration and cross-agency or horizontal integration, are now being developed. Canada is a leading example with its emphasis on user satisfaction and multi-channel service delivery integration.

Recognising the new challenges, many countries are reviewing and revising their e-government strategies. This year Australia published Responsive Government: A New Service Agenda, which recognises the need to deliver a more coordinated and citizen-focused programme of activities, and ensure the capabilities are present to support this. Similarly, the United Kingdom has published a refreshed e-government strategy, Transforming Government: Enabled by Technology, which emphasises citizen- and business-shared services delivered professionally. Singapore has recently announced its iGov2010 strategy which incorporates four themes – increasing the reach and richness of e-services, increasing citizen engagement, enhancing capacity, and national competitiveness.

Real Service Real Time - New Plymouth District Council Single real-time online system managing & monitoring service requests; used by customers, Council & contractors. - 2005 BearingPoint Innovation Awards Supreme Winner

Factors including public service philosophy, complexity of government structures, and cultural values all influence the paths governments take to reach these goals. But there are common enabling themes that are relevant to New Zealand. One of the most important is organising around citizen-centred service delivery and joined-up government.

Sorted.org.nz, Retirement Commission Website successfully shifting focus from financial planning for retirement to finanical skills for life. - 2002 Computerworld Award for Excellence in the Use of IT in Government

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