Resource material › Corporate Publications › Statement of Intent 2013-16Tauāki Whakamaunga Atu
Overview from the Chief Executive
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The Department of Internal Affairs has a very broad role within New Zealand society, which is reflected in our purpose statement: to serve and connect people, communities and government to build a safe, prosperous and respected nation.
We directly touch the lives of many New Zealanders every day, we support the communities they live in, and we work with government agencies to transform the way they deliver their services to New Zealanders.
The context for everything we do is the rapid changes in how people want to interact with government, the expectations people and the Government have of public services and ongoing pressure on funding.
This Statement of Intent sets out how we are responding to these challenges and what we are working to achieve for New Zealanders over the next three years. It also describes the areas where we have the expertise and a mandate to lead the public service. These are the areas in which we will use our strengths, resources and leadership roles to collectively achieve our outcomes and deliver on government expectations.
We are playing a critical 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 design approach to public services and the development of more strategic partnerships to make dealing with government a more seamless experience. The Department will continue to support me in my role as Government Chief Information Officer and functional leader for all-of-government ICT through activities such as implementing the ICT Strategy and Action Plan and acting on the findings of the GCIO Review into Publicly Accessible Systems.
Our work in communities and the changes we are supporting through the Better Local Government reform programme and reviewing the National Civil Defence Emergency Management Plan will help build stronger and more resilient communities. We will demonstrate and promote principles of effective community engagement as outlined in the Kia Tūtahi Relationship Accord, leading to better outcomes for government and communities. We are supporting communities as they develop their abilities to interact with government in a digital environment ensuring individuals will have the skills and resources they need to contribute to and benefit from the success of their communities.
The management of civic information remains one of our core functions, and we work continually to increase the trust New Zealanders have in how the government manages this information. The RealMe identity data service will let people use their identity information more conveniently and securely across a range of services, and make it easier for businesses to verify identity. The strategic partnership between Archives New Zealand and National Library will give better access to government data and information and strengthen the collective memory of the nation.
To achieve everything we have to do, Internal Affairs needs to be robust, sustainable and fit for purpose. The Department is continuing to consolidate and build our capacity to ensure we make the best contribution to improving the quality of services delivered to New Zealanders.
Our diversity is a real strength when providing such wide-ranging services, and it supports our ability to improve. 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 to build our capability.
During the past year we have focussed on identifying and starting to build a culture within the Department that will make us a more effective organisation and create a collective sense of our purpose and role. I am strongly committed to continuing this as it is essential for the success of such a diverse organisation. In the coming year we will place more emphasis on lifting our ambitions for areas for which we have particular responsibility and in which we can collaboratively make the greatest impact: the transformation of government services; building more resilient communities; increased trust in how government manages New Zealand’s civic information and ensuring the Department is fit for the future.
There is a lot expected of the Department and we need a strong, collective sense of who we are and what we can achieve to meet those expectations. I have a lot of faith in the people who make up the Department. I know we can work well as a collective and with our Ministers to achieve the Government’s goals for New Zealanders.
Colin MacDonald
Chief Executive
April 2013