Using e-government effectively can help deliver positive results by adjusting government policies to use the information age (ie the internet), thereby achieving performance gains across wide sectors of a country. E-government can provide a better way for people to access government information and services in a cost effective way.
Analysis
Among with the strategies that have been released (see below), several surveys have monitored the progress of e-government services in New Zealand. By late 2002 the NZ government web portal had over 3,500 government services and resources available. In a survey from Taylor Nelson Sofres, in 2002, they found that 40% of New Zealanders had used e-government services in the previous year which was higher than the 30% of people globally who did so.
By 2009 the Kiwis Count survey showed that only 40% of those surveyed had used the internet to conduct transactions with a public service which was well below that of face-to-face or telephone contact. But over 56% preferred to use the internet to look for information while only 45% preferred to use the internet to conduct transactions.
So there is still some work to do in making the internet the number one choice – as the survey discovered that over 80% preferred the internet to conduct transactions with just under 80% preferring in-person dealings. Not surprisingly the ease of use with privacy and security concerns being the main deterrents to internet usage.
Brief history timeline of e-government strategies in New Zealand
In 2000, the State Services Commission (SSC) published ‘E-government – a vision for New Zealanders’, the first of a range of e-government policies. Back then in 2000, there were few online government transactions available. Those that were available included country statistics and company registrations. The ‘Vision’ provided the government and departments the opportunity to put public services online.
Then in 2001 an e-government ‘Strategy’ was released. At the time it was estimated that more than 30% of GDP was attributed to government activity. The potential savings in providing cheaper and faster services was the driving force to manage e-technology by providing:
- an environment where the private sector, communities and individuals were able to use e-technology effectively; and
- improvements in the way government serves its people using e-technology.
Several strategy reviews followed in 2003 and again in 2006.
Then in late 2006 came another release of an e-government strategy – ‘Enabling Transformation: A Strategy for E-government 2006’.
Digital Strategy 2.0 came in 2008 to match the innovation Web 2.0 was bringing to the online world. It came with a vision for fibre and fast broadband to educational institutions. Planning through to 2020 included secure, personalised interactions between the government and the people.
In October 2010 the government released a ‘Directions and Priorities for Government ICT’ that replaces the 2006 e-government Strategy. A change in ownership accompanies the latest strategy in that responsibility moves from the SSC to the Department of Internal Affairs. The main driver for the change is from a 2008 survey that found that ICT expenditure was fragmented, resulted in duplication and was not providing an efficient online delivery channel. In 2010 the government now requires a better return on the $2 billion annual investment in ICT – and Ministers, agency CEOs and officials are to ‘work together to manage the investment’ and provide reuse of information, data and infrastructure.
While working together may reduce costs and gain efficiencies, BuddeComm believes the strategy falls short of a planned trans-sector approach across all of government that could supercharge investment efficiencies across the economy.
The New Zealand Telecoms market moving into 2011 – Roundtables 6-7 December
These issues and more will be discussed by Paul Budde at his annual roundtable workshop focussing on the New Zealand Telecoms market. Paul will cover key statistical and financial aspects in the market as well as industry analyses including: Global Trends and Strategies, the New Zealand Market, The Digital Economy and its impact on Telecoms. Roundtables will be held in both Wellington and Auckland on the 6thand 7th December 2010. See the BuddeComm Events page for more details.
For more information on the Digital Economy in New Zealand, see separate report: New Zealand – Digital Economy & Digital Media.
For more information on:
- New Zealand telecom market, see separate reports: New Zealand;
- Telecom markets in the South Pacific region, see separate reports: South Pacific Islands.
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Quelle/Source: Gerson Lehrman Group, 13.10.2010
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