Resource material › Corporate Publications › Statement of Intent 2014-18Tauāki Whakamaunga Atu
Overview from the Chief Executive
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At the Department of Internal Affairs we directly touch the lives of many people every day – we support the communities they live in, and we work with other government agencies to transform the way that services are delivered to New Zealanders.
Our broad role spans New Zealand society and is reflected in our purpose statement: to serve and connect people, communities and government to build a safe, prosperous and respected nation.
The way people interact with government is changing rapidly, as are the expectations New Zealanders and the Government have of public services in a fiscally constrained environment. This Statement of Intent sets out how we are responding to these challenges and what we will achieve over the coming years. It describes the areas where we will use our strengths, resources and leadership roles to collectively achieve outcomes that make a difference to New Zealanders and how we will deliver on government expectations.
The Department intends to accelerate what is an already ambitious programme of business transformation and investment in digital channels, which will increase efficiencies over time. In order to successfully deliver on its goals the Department is transforming its system of service delivery. This requires investment in lower cost service delivery channels and the reduction of service levels in more expensive channels. For example, moving information to a digital platform means that the Department can optimise delivery of outreach and reading room services, to more accurately reflect the way people access information in the digital age.
We have a vital role in transforming the way government agencies deliver their services. As the lead agency for the Better Public Services Result 10, we are leading a ‘user-centred’ approach to public services, and the development of strategic partnerships to make it easier for citizens to transact with government. We recognise that, between Result 9 (led by MBIE) and Result 10, we have a unique opportunity to create a vision for the future of service delivery by government that will meet the changing needs of both citizens and businesses.
Through my role as Government Chief Information Officer and functional leader for all-of-government ICT, the Department is at the centre of changes in the way State sector agencies provide services to citizens and businesses. The functional lead role also seeks to simplify and streamline the technologies agencies use to provide these services. We have made a lot of progress in this area but there is still much to do.
The newly established Government Chief Privacy Officer role will allow the Department to help the entire public sector improve its appreciation of privacy issues and information management. Managing civic information remains one of our core functions, and we are working to progressively build New Zealanders’ trust in how government manages this information.
The ongoing rollout of the RealMe identity data service allows New Zealanders to use their identity information more conveniently and securely across a range of services (both government and private), and also makes it easier for businesses to verify customers’ identity.
The Department’s diversity is a real strength when providing such a wide breadth of services – every part of the Department contributes to our outcomes and objectives, and the capability of the whole Department is crucial to our success. We are continuing to improve our own ICT systems and invest in our people through training and development.
We will continue to be responsive to the changing operating environment while at the same time maintaining our focus on ensuring we help connect the people and communities of New Zealand with their government, whether that is central, regional or local government.
Our role in managing the nation’s collective memory and knowledge through the National Library and Archives New Zealand will continue to evolve in this changing world where people are looking for more and improved digitised content.
We have a lot to do in the coming years. There are high expectations of the Department, but I have confidence in our people to continue to meet, and often exceed, these expectations.
Colin MacDonald
Chief Executive