Resource material › Corporate Publications › Statement of Intent 2011-14Tauāki Whakamaunga AtuStrategic direction
On this page
- Introduction
- New opportunities arising from integration
- Contributing to government goals
- Outcomes and objectives
- Key relationships
Introduction
The Department spans a wide range of responsibilities and functions required to support a safe, prosperous and respected nation. All New Zealanders are touched in some way by the Department’s activities, which span communities, the whole country and government, and international relationships.
As signalled in last year’s Statement of Intent, the Department has reviewed the services it provides and the ways in which it provides them to leverage the collective potential of its functions. As part of the integration of three agencies and two functions into the Department, staff from the ‘old’ Department, the National Library and Archives New Zealand worked for several months to develop a high-level strategic direction and new performance framework, which the Department will start using on 1 July 2011.
This document reflects the results of that service review, including the new performance framework, which was driven by the Government’s desire to lift the performance of State agencies.
The Government expects the Department to adapt to the changing and increasing user expectations about the nature of government services and how they are delivered. The combination of high public expectations and prolonged fiscal constraint has focused the Government on its highest priorities and how to deliver services in different, more innovative and cost-effective ways.
The Government’s expectations are driven by a desire to transform the way government services are provided to New Zealanders, in line with the Government’s vision of New Zealanders seamlessly linked to the most appropriate service provider that meets their needs. The role of technology in providing services is increasing.
A key priority for this year is to fully develop the Department’s new strategic direction.
New opportunities arising from integration
The Department has built up a unique collection of strengths throughout its history that allows it to successfully manage the diverse functions within it. The integration of the former Department of Internal Affairs, the National Library, Archives New Zealand, the Office for the Voluntary and Community Sector and the Office of the Government Chief Information Officer created a new combination of capabilities, networks and resources.
This integration has created a number of new opportunities for the Department. At the core of these opportunities is a strong mandate for the Department to become the lead government agency responsible for the use of digital technology across government, to implement a digital strategy to build and protect New Zealand’s documentary heritage, and make it more convenient for people to access and use government services. Some natural synergies exist within the Department, and the critical mass of capability and resources makes possible the following opportunities.
Provide smarter, customer-focused services
As the home of government information and communications technology (ICT), the Department can exploit its expertise in web services design, digitisation and digital content management to improve its services, or to create new ones. There are opportunities to join up related existing services.
These improved customer services will allow the Department to reach more customers using its expanded channels, and customers will have access to a wider range of integrated services from a single point of contact with the Department.
The Department can have a more co-ordinated approach to engaging with stakeholders, such as Maāori and education and public sectors. It can reach broader groups in a more efficient way and build stronger community relationships.
Strengthen contribution to the public sector
Internal Affairs is able to use its expanded resources and capacity to be a strong contributor to all of the public sector in community-government relationships, information services and management, ICT, and customer-focused service delivery.
The Department has strengthened its policy and strategy expertise. It will leverage this diverse expertise in areas such as community engagement and regulatory compliance to support the public sector. In particular, the Department uses its digital content information management expertise to provide leadership and improve its operational advice and leadership for digital content management practices, online service delivery and consultation management using a wider combination of networks and tools. This combined expertise has also enhanced the services the New Zealand Digital Archive can provide to the public sector.
Improve efficiency and effectiveness
The economies of scale created by the integration allow the Department to lower the long-term cost of providing services and carrying out its functions, while maintaining or increasing the productivity and quality. Internally, the Department will operate more efficiently as a result of the integration by providing its shared services across a broader range of services. The ‘Systems Thinking’2 interventions, which have already generated significant efficiencies, are progressing through the Department and will eventually become a standard way of operating for all branches.
A large part of Internal Affairs’ work is the management of digital information, and there is potential to bring together different approaches to this, including the New Zealand Digital Archive. Archives New Zealand and the National Library are undertaking significant digitising programmes and could share their expertise and specialist equipment with each other and with other agencies, and develop standards and digital access policies for all of government.
The shortage of document preservation and conservation skills in New Zealand means that a consolidated service from the National Library and Archives New Zealand would offer benefits to the Department and its customers.
Use technology to transform how government works
Technology is driving many of the changes in government services and will transform how the Department operates. Greater use of digital technologies requires the Department to work in new and different ways. Internal Affairs can deliver services in new and more accessible ways, and use new tools that let it respond quickly to changing customer needs.
Specialist digital services developed by the Department can be made available as shared or common services, which can be used by the whole government, such as digital preservation and large-scale secure storage of digital information. It will also continue to promote and improve e-consultation and e-participation across government.
The Department also has significant opportunities to provide strong support for the Directions and Priorities for Government ICT by bringing together existing skills and focus around content services, information management and technology, to transform the delivery of knowledge related services. The increased scale, broad information skill base, and inclusion of the strategic leadership of the Office of the Government Chief Information Officer creates a strong platform for the Department to continue its leadership role in realising the future state and benefits set out within the Directions and Priorities.
Contributing to government goals
The Government’s goals are to build a stronger economy and improve public services. The Government has identified a number of policy drivers that will support it to achieve these goals. The following table highlights how the Department will contribute to these drivers, and especially improved regulation and public services, through its priorities for the next three years.
| Portfolio | Ministerial priority | Government policy driver |
|---|---|---|
| Internal Affairs |
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| Ministerial Services |
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| Ethnic Affairs |
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| National Archives |
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| National Library |
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| Civil Defence |
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| Racing |
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| Community and Voluntary Sector |
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| Local Government |
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Outcomes and objectives
The Department’s new performance framework, shown on the cover inset, reflects its diverse services, impacts and wide-ranging and far-reaching contributions to the people and communities of New Zealand. The Department does this by:
providing services and support directly to people and communities
providing services and support to Government and public sector organisations to help them achieve their outcomes.
This dual focus enables the Department to contribute broadly to New Zealand society. It supports people to create safe places where they can prosper and contribute to the success of their communities. The Department helps to make available information that is useful so people can create and apply new knowledge in beneficial and innovative ways, contributing to New Zealand’s social and cultural development and economic well-being. The Department contributes to the development of a strong national identity based on a shared understanding of whakapapa, culture and heritage.
Outcomes describe the desired state of affairs for New Zealand’s economy, environment and wider society. A range of individuals and organisations contribute to the achievement of these long-term goals. The Department’s outcomes outline the areas in which it provides immediate services to the wider public and consequently affects their quality of life. The impacts highlight the Department’s contribution to these outcomes through its varied outputs.
In addition to providing services directly to people and communities, the Department also works with public sector organisations to support them in achieving their outcomes and working better with communities. The Department’s work with other agencies is more removed in its effect on society, the economy or the environment. However, this work is integral to maintaining and improving the delivery of public services. The objectives describe how the Department seeks to support public sector organisations to deliver better, smarter services to and with the people of New Zealand, and how it supports the efficient and effective operation of the system of government.
These outcomes and objectives outline the Department’s overall strategic direction and contribution to New Zealand’s people, communities and government. The performance framework highlights how these varied functions combine to enable the Department to serve and connect people, communities and government to build a safe, prosperous and respected nation. Internal Affairs contributes to these outcomes by delivering the range of goods and services outlined in Appendix 1.
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New Zealand’s increasing cultural and social diversity has reinforced the importance of fostering communities that are resilient and prosperous. People and communities that are resilient and prosperous have the skills, knowledge and resources to work together to achieve common goals.
The Department seeks to support people to live in safe and secure environments. Internal Affairs supports regulated sectors to behave responsibly and with integrity to minimise the harm from gambling, spam, trading of objectionable material, financial crime and other criminal activities. The Department also helps communities to prepare for and respond to emergencies. In doing so, the Department enables people and communities to understand and manage the hazards and risks they face.
Participation is a key feature of a well-functioning and civic society. The Department provides funding and other support to help people engage with and contribute to their diverse communities in ways that strengthen those communities. Internal Affairs supports people by providing services and information, including public records and identity information, that enable access to democratic rights and entitlements, such as local elections. It also provides training, advice and other services so that people participate in civic society and add value to economic activity and people use information for innovation and knowledge creation.
The Department’s provision of services means that:
people and communities understand and manage hazards and risks
participants in regulated activities behave responsibly and with integrity
people have the capability to participate in their communities and across communities
people are able to access and use information important to their lives
New Zealand’s documentary record is protected and available for current and future generations.
The Department will use the indicators on page 63 to assess progress towards this outcome.
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New Zealand is increasingly becoming a ‘knowledge society’, in which trusted information and materials are essential for developing knowledge, fostering learning, and encouraging people to participate in civic society and add value to economic activity. An effective knowledge society is founded on individuals’, groups’ and businesses’ ability to use information for innovation and knowledge creation. This ability is enhanced by an appreciation for the value of the nation’s cultural heritage, and the ability to learn from the past and present to inform the future.
The Department provides and facilitates access to information, advice and expertise to assist research, learning and education, and enables people to create new knowledge and innovations that can generate new economic activity. It collects, stores, preserves and ensures access to important information and records both locally and globally through the National Library and Archives New Zealand. The use of these records demonstrates that people (including people in other nations) value our documentary heritage and taonga.
Through its work with schools and community-based digital literacy providers, Internal Affairs supports learning and the development of twenty first century literacy skills to strengthen the foundation upon which a knowledge society is built. The Department’s management of information enables people to participate freely in society and in ways that facilitate new ideas and innovation. The security and integrity of the Department’s systems also help support people, organisations and other nations to trust New Zealand’s identity and public information. In combination, these activities promote lifelong learning and support New Zealand in being recognised as a nation that creates, shares and uses knowledge for its collective social, cultural and economic well-being.
The Department’s provisions of services means that:
participants in regulated activities behave responsibly and with integrity
people have the capability to participate in their communities and across communities
people are able to access and use information important to their lives
New Zealand’s documentary record is protected and available for current and future generations
New Zealand’s personal identity information has integrity.
The Department will use the indicators on page 63 to assess progress towards this outcome.
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The development of national identity arises from a wide range of factors and reflects local character and global reputation. The Department has a unique role in nurturing the development of this identity and culture so that people (including people in other nations) value our documentary heritage and taonga. As New Zealand’s oldest government department, Internal Affairs also has a continuous link back to the original Colonial Secretary’s office and the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi. The Alexander Turnbull Library preserves in perpetuity a comprehensive collection of documents relating to New Zealand and the people of New Zealand. Internal Affairs helps maintain the collective memory of the nation and connects it to the present and the future.
The Department is the home for New Zealand’s documentary heritage, public record, and personal identity information. Internal Affairs is responsible for maintaining and preserving a continuous record of the nation’s history and unique collections of documents relating to New Zealand and the people of New Zealand, such as the Treaty of Waitangi. Maintaining the security and integrity of these collections testifies to the stability of our system of government and supports our international reputation as a trusted nation.
The Department also maintains personal identity records that enable individuals to exercise their rights and function as members of society. These records provide opportunities for people to access local services, as well as participate in the international community through the New Zealand passport. Confidence in identity documents also helps people, organisations and other nations trust New Zealand’s identity and public information. By maintaining a single and continuous record of the nation’s past and present, the Department contributes to fostering a strong and valued national identity, culture and heritage.
The Department’s provision of services means that:
people are able to access and use information important to their lives
New Zealand’s documentary record is protected and available for current and future generations
New Zealand’s identity information has integrity.
The Department will use the indicators on page 63 to assess progress towards this outcome.
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Trust in government is integral to a stable and functioning civic society. Public sector organisations provide infrastructure, specialist advice and support that underpin democracy and enhance the integrity of the system of government. Such advice and services contribute to open, transparent and lawful processes that support government accountability.
The Department plays an important role in supporting the public sector and government to provide better, smarter services. Internal Affairs does this by enhancing the productivity and accountability of public sector organisations. The Department contributes to public sector organisations’ collective productivity by leveraging its institutional expertise in effective regulation and supporting diverse communities, such as building civil defence and emergency management capability in public sector organisations. The Department sets the government’s standards and advises on effective recordkeeping. This institutional knowledge and expertise are shared internationally to support specialist capability-building in other nations.
The Department’s activities also support the system of government to operate efficiently and effectively. Internal Affairs provides support across government, including providing support for Executive Government and administering the framework for local government. It is also the lead advisor and standard setter for information management and technology use in the public sector. The Department also provides a range of information and advice to support government decision-making. By working with public sector organisations and shaping the infrastructure that supports the operation of government (including local government), Internal Affairs seeks to improve the capability and capacity of government agencies, their overall performance, and their ability to achieve results for the New Zealand public.
The Department contributes to trust in New Zealand government and confidence in the performance of public sector organisations through its services to:
increase capability across public sector organisations to carry out their regulatory responsibilities
increase the capability of public sector organisations to keep secure and maintain the integrity of public records and personal information they hold
increase capability across public sector organisations to respond to the needs of communities
improve the value of investment by public sector organisations in information and communications technology
optimise the services and systems that support effective Executive Government
enhance the value of information available to support government decision-making.
The Department will use the indicators on page 66 to assess progress towards this objective.
Key relationships
The Department cannot achieve its outcomes and objectives alone. It is committed to working together with others, both nationally and internationally, in areas of mutual interest.
The following diagram identifies a range of these stakeholders and reflects some of the Department’s key relationships with public sector organisations. Many of these interactions are informal, while other undertakings have been formalised through the identification of shared outcomes or relationship agreements. The following are two areas where the Department has identified and agreed a common responsibility and interest in working together.
Border interests
Through its identity management function, the Department plays a key role in supporting the protection of New Zealand’s borders. In 2007/08, Cabinet created the Border Sector Governance Group comprising five agencies with responsibilities for managing New Zealand borders (the Department of Labour, Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Ministry of Transport, New Zealand Customs Service, and Internal Affairs).
The sector has developed a shared performance framework which has two end outcomes:
Protection: New Zealand is protected from people, goods and organisms that pose a risk to our interests
Facilitation: New Zealand’s economic and social interests are enhanced by facilitating the flow of legitimate trade and travel.
The border sector’s outcome framework supports the achievement of these outcomes through a border sector work programme. The Department also contributes to these outcomes through its work to ensure New Zealand’s identity information has integrity and is secure. Internal Affairs’ activities support people to access and use information important to their lives, and facilitate their ability to legitimately travel and trade.
Art, culture and documentary heritage
Internal Affairs has committed to working with the Museum of New Zealand, Te Papa Tongarewa, through the National Library of New Zealand and Archives New Zealand in areas of mutual interest. These institutions have a common responsibility for collecting, preserving and providing access to the nation’s art, culture and heritage collections. Over the next three years the Department will continue to work collaboratively with Te Papa to achieve a joint understanding of the needs of users, improve sharing of standards and interoperability, and support each other in developing shared capability.
In addition to working with agencies on specific sector interests, the Department also collaborates with a range of organisations to achieve better results for New Zealand. Examples of such initiatives are:
Rugby World Cup 2011
Internal Affairs works collectively with a range of agencies to ensure that the guest-of-government programme contributes to the Government’s overall goals for the tournament. Each visit has specific objectives designed to leverage foreign affairs and trade objectives and the Department’s role is to deliver the visit programme in conjunction with the Rugby World Cup Guest of Government Task Force. The Department is also providing administration and support to the NZ 2011 Festival Lottery Fund Committee, which has been established to support public events and activities associated with the Rugby World Cup 2011.
AnyQuestions.co.nz
In conjunction with the Ministry of Education, the Department runs a free online reference service for New Zealand school students, known as AnyQuestions.co.nz 
. The site enables students to find high quality online resources and chat online with a librarian in real time.
Preserving military personnel files
The Department is working with the New Zealand Defence Force to make all pre-1921 military personnel files available online before the 2014 First World War commemoration activities. The Department also works with other agencies to deliver digital copies of archives online.
Computers in Homes
The Department works with the 2020 Community Trust. The Trust delivers the successful Computers in Homes Programme through low decile schools. The purpose is to raise the computer literacy level of low income families, providing them with skills to use the computer, access the internet and use email. This has improved their daily lives and their performance at school and work.
