Hitting the targets - the three essential characteristics of

How the benefits of e-government are maximised is as important as the idea itself. Under this strategy, e-government in New Zealand will be characterised by:

Convenience and Satisfaction

Customers will be able to access government information and services using channels that are convenient, easy to use and deliver what is wanted.

"24 x 7 x 360˚ - services provided anytime, anyhow, anywhere in the world"

Strategy

• Create a multi-channel government portal.

• Build partnerships with local government to deliver services and information electronically.

Supporting Activities

• Develop communication standards to enable the same information and services to be delivered through a range of channels.

• Classify, index and describe information and services so they are readily identifiable, discoverable and accessible to people with widely different knowledge and skills.

• Identify customer needs and competence in accessing information and services - time, place, channels, cost and skills - to ensure services meet needs.

• Identify where lack of skills, resources and knowledge limit access to modern, more convenient channels, focusing on areas of major opportunity to encourage uptake.

• Provide secure systems to satisfy privacy and security concerns of customers and providers.

Integration and Efficiency

Information and services will be integrated, packaged and presented to minimise cost for both customers and departmental administration.

"integrated, customer-centric, efficient services"

Strategy

• Integrate services and their delivery to customers.

• Integrate the supporting back office systems of government agencies.

Supporting Activities

• Develop common data protocols, infrastructure and system standards which will enable information and data to be shared and integrated horizontally and vertically across agencies, reducing the multiple collection and processing of the same data.

• Identify how and when (groups of) customers deal with government. Aggregate services in the virtual environment which meet the needs of these e-communities of interest, for example life events and business activities.

• Identify duplication in data capture, updating and purchasing amongst agencies - and remove through managed sharing of data.

• Investigate impediments to information and service integration (legal, administrative, social, personal) and develop strategies to remove or overcome them.

• Identify whether, how, and where government's back office information and communications technology (ICT) infrastructure can be rationalised and integrated to support cost-effective, integrated service delivery.

• Reduce procurement costs through use of e-technologies to leverage the purchasing power of government and reduce back office costs.

Participation

New technologies will enable easier access to government information and processes. People will be better informed and better able to participate.

"people participating in government"

Strategy

• Make government information easier to find.

• Publish key government information online.

• Provide multiple channels for contact with government.

Supporting Activities

• Provide a secure environment and authentication framework enabling secure, trusted exchange of information among agencies and between agencies and customers.

• Catalogue government information.

• Drive the routine online publishing of key government information.

• Provide facilities to enable interactive consultation among agencies and between agencies and customers.

• Develop systems to enable the public to offer structured feedback on policy issues.