Implementing E-government

The first section of E-awareness 2005 was designed to gain an understanding of how agencies are using information technology to enable people to access information and services. Specific sections, broadly linked to the current goals of the E-government Strategy, aimed to identify common barriers to providing online services, ways of enabling participation, online authentication needs, and metadata record management. Responses to these questions was provided by 38 agencies.

Challenges to online delivery

Agencies were asked to identify the main or ongoing challenges that they face when providing electronic access to their services.

Comments

Agencies have indicated that they face a range of challenges in providing online services. It is apparent however, that these are generally similar challenges, since very few were identified by only one or two agencies.

While some challenges occur within an agency and are consequently easier to control, such as resources, staff capability, legacy computer systems and project prioritisation, other challenges are external and outside an agency's control, such as internet bandwidth and geography.

The following table summarises the challenges that agencies identified by presenting them in five categories. All responses from agencies have been summarised into these categories.

Electronic channels

Agencies were asked to identify the channels that people or businesses can use to access information and services from their agency. The questions included a range of channels for agencies to select, from email and internet services, through to mobile phone texting and call-centres. A question about online forms defined online forms as 'forms that are able to be fully completed on the internet without the user having to use any other information channel to complete the task'.

Comments

All agencies have email addresses that can be used to contact agencies to ask questions or obtain information. 30 agencies (66%) have systems in place to support online enquiries, and just over half of agencies provide online forms.

Five agencies (13%) said that they accept electronic payments, and seven agencies (18%) advised that they are providing access to information and services via mobile phone text or Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) technology.

Telephone call-centres remain an important channel for people to access information and services. Agency responses identified 77 call-centres, which equates to an average of about two call-centres per agency. Several agencies, including a Local Authority have more than ten call-centres, while 17 agencies do not operate a call-centre.

The following chart shows summarised results of the electronic access questions.

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Enabling participation

Agencies were asked how they use the internet to encourage public and business participation in government. 'Participation' means more than consultation, and includes making government information available to people in ways that makes it accessible and relevant, as well as creating opportunities for people to be actively involved in the design and delivery of government policies and procedures.

Comments

Agencies use the internet in a number of ways to enable the public and businesses to provide feedback on government information, to participate and to be involved in government. The Internet is used by 18 agencies (47%) for online surveys. Five agencies (13%) have established online discussion forums that are available to the public or businesses.

No agency currently uses the Internet for online consultation purposes with the general public. However, several agencies commented that while they use the internet for online consultation, the current process is not generally open to public. For example, the Inland Revenue Department involves selected stakeholders in its online consultation.

The following chart compares the different ways agencies use the internet to enable participation.

Online authentication

Agencies were asked a series of questions regarding their need for online authentication for services where the agency needs to know who is transacting online.

Agencies were asked about their current need for online authentication by providing information on the number of online services currently provided, and how many individuals use these services at least once per year. Agencies were then asked to indicate how many new online services they expected to introduce before June 2006, and the anticipated additional number of users.

Both the current and future use questions were answered using the following options:

• Number of online services: 0, <5, 5-10, >10.
• The number of individuals using the agency's online authenticated services: <10,000, 10,000 - 50,000, 50,000 - 100,000, >100,000.

Comments

Approximately three-quarters of the agencies that responded intend to provide online services that require online authentication by June 2006. No single agency expects their online authenticated services to be used in June 2006 by more than 50,000 individuals.

The SSC has an interest in online authentication through its project to develop an all-of-government online authentication system.

The responses indicated that:

• Five agencies provide online services that require online authentication for up to 50,000 individuals per year
• Ten agencies provide online services that require online authentication for fewer than 10,000 individuals per year
• Nine agencies currently do not provide online services (that require online authentication), but expect to provide up to five online services before June 2006.

Although not recorded in the authentication responses, the Ministry of Economic Development and the NZ Customs Service provide a number of online services requiring authentication. Some information about their online services is available in Appendix 2 [Note: only available in the PDF].

E-government Interoperability Framework (e-GIF)

The E-government Interoperability Framework (e-GIF) is a collection of policies and standards endorsed for New Zealand government information technology systems. Public Service departments must use e-GIF standards when exchanging information and data with other agencies.

Agencies were asked to identify how regularly they need to refer to the e-GIF section of the EGU's website, and how their vendors are made aware of the need for agencies to comply with e-GIF standards.

Comments

The majority of agencies refer to the e-GIF website either rarely or infrequently. Six agencies responded that they refer to the e-GIF website frequently, with just two agencies regularly referring to the website. The SSC was one of these two agencies, which can be attributed to the State Services Commissioner's role as steward of the e-GIF standards.

With regard to the question on vendor awareness, 23 agencies (61%) responded that they specifically make vendors aware of the need to comply with the e-GIF. Of the agencies that do not specifically make vendors aware, several agencies commented they have existing corporate contractual polices and procedures for vendors that include e-GIF requirements.

The following chart compares frequency results relating to responses to the e-GIF and vendor awareness questions.