3. What are we doing about it?

• Budget

The Minister of Finance announcement in the 2000 Budget is a very important step towards the realising of the e-government vision and recognition of its importance. From the Minister's Budget Speech:

"In the public sector, our aim is that all government information and services should be available on the Internet and other technologies as they emerge. Operational funding of around $16 million over four years and capital of over $1 million has been set  aside for this purpose".

• Capability

We are building the capability to ensure the e-government is successful on delivering against the government goals of restoring trust in government and providing strong social services and helping grow an inclusive, innovative economy for the benefit of all.

E-government will be co-ordinated from the E-government Unit that has recently been established in the State Services Commission. The governance structure for the e-government programme is discussed in question 4 - 'How will e-government operate?'

• Projects

A number of discrete e-government projects have been in operation from the end of last year. Much of the work that has been undertaken on a voluntary basis through the contribution of departments' staffing resources. These same projects will form the nucleus of projects for progressing the e-government programme from 1 July. These projects fall broadly into three major project types.

- Develop basic infrastructure needed for information age government:

-    Legal environment for e-government

-    Common data policies and standards

-    Common information systems policies and standards

-    Metadata framework

-    Secure Electronic Environment (SEE) for government agencies.

- Connecting government and connecting government with citizens and businesses

-    NZGO portal

-    Closing 'digital divide'

-    Improving citizen engagement

-    Government forms online

-    Online government registries

- Improving governments' efficiency

-    Electronic billing and payments

-    Electronic procurement

-    CFIS net

-    Core spatial data / systems

-    Government IT infrastructure

-    Office management an support for small agencies