Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet

Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet

Context

The Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (DPMC) serves the Executive (the Governor-General, the Prime Minister and the Cabinet) through the provision of high quality impartial advice and support services which facilitate government decision-making at both strategic and operational levels.

A major role of the department is to help coordinate the work of public service departments and ministries - so that decision making takes account of all relevant viewpoints and is as coherent and complete as possible.

DPMC also supports the Governor-General in carrying out her functions.

Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet E-government Initiatives

• New intranet implemented
• Continue internal system improvements

Summary

Ready Access: DPMC provides ready access to information and services on its website and through the government portal. The website of the Governor-General is of a particularly high standard.

Alignment: The main website was released in 2003, and was designed with the expected information needs of its users in mind. Some online services will be offered once back-office systems are able to support them.

Internet and Communications Technology

DPMC introduced its current websites in 2003. Since then, the number of 'visits' expected has been exceeded by 40 to 50 percent.

The websites provide general information about the Department and its six business units. DPMC is responsible for the website of the Governor-General, which includes picture tour information about Government House, and educational resources for primary and secondary schools.

DPMC provides few services directly for the public. Downloadable forms are available to nominate people for New Year and Queen's Birthday Honours Lists, administered by the Honours Secretariat. The Honours Lists databases are available online. The Honours Lists are available online. DPMC intends to introduce online searching of the Honours Lists database once necessary improvements to the back-office systems have been completed.

DPMC houses Special Units, which are task forces or reviews that provide advice on a particular issue or issues over a period of time. Some links to more specific information about the task forces or reviews are available.

Email is used extensively for communications between DPMC and other agencies. Shared Workspace is beginning to be used for some document sharing.

Internal systems within the Department have been significantly redeveloped since 2001. New infrastructure, applications, and networks, such as an intranet, have improved information and document management.

The introduction of new IT throughout the Department has involved staff training and education, the development of IT policies, and the creation of document templates. DPMC can now consider more advanced ways of using IT as much of the foundation work has been completed. For example, three document management systems assist staff to produce, archive and access documents.

Ready Access to Information and Services

Metadata

DPMC has 24 metadata records. The Department provides ready access to information and services for the general public through the portal. Metadata is of a high quality, written with a general audience in mind. DPMC metadata is at an appropriate level, often linking to the index page of a particular subject, e.g. New Zealand Honours. All DPMC links on the portal are working.

DPMC may consider providing additional metadata on Associate Ministers' delegations and on the Executive Council.

Website Assessment

Websites assessed during May 2004 included:

www.dpmc.govt.nz and www.gg.govt.nz

Overall, DPMC's websites are of a good standard. The strengths of the sites are in accessibility and required government content. The Governor-General site has a high level of accessibility, as well as good delivery of information. In future, the usability of both sites could be improved.

The information that DPMC is required to provide can be readily accessed on its website.

Key quality issues noted during the assessment included:

• Good range, depth and presentation of information content.
• Missing accessibility features, such as navigation skipping, access keys and style sheet problems may impede some physically impaired people's access.
• Many documents are in PDF only, but DPMC is progressively addressing this issue.
• Many required email addresses (mainly on the Governor General site) are not available or were not answered during the assessment.

Alignment With E-government Goals

Convenience and Satisfaction

DPMC's websites provide good general information about the Department. Only limited information is provided about the Policy Advisory Group, External Assessments Bureau, and the Domestic & External Security Secretariat. However, alternative contact details are provided for people who want additional information about these business units.

Documents, such as the Cabinet Manual, can be downloaded. Many of these documents are tailored for specific audience, such as the Step By Step Guide that aims to help departments and Ministers' offices meet Cabinet's requirements.

The main site was designed to meet the expected information needs of its audience. The site is monitored to ensure it meets people's needs.

Integration and Efficiency

As DPMC does not generally provide services for the public, the Department is focusing on increased integration of information for staff.

Participation

The Special Units section of the website encourages people to participate in government when the Government releases proposals for consultation. For example, people can use the links provided to view submissions about the seabed and foreshore debate.