Te Puni Kōkiri

Te Puni Kōkiri

Context

Te Puni Kōkiri (TPK) is the Government's principal adviser on Māori issues. TPK aims to improve outcomes for Māori and ensure the quality of government services delivered to Māori. The agency's key functions are:

• promoting higher achievement by Māori
• providing high quality advice
• accelerating Māori development.

Te Puni Kōkiri E-government Initiatives

• Internet based corporate services information
• Decentralised intranet

Summary

Ready Access: TPK provides a reasonable degree of ready access to information and services through its website. More metadata records for services and documents would increase information on the government portal.

Alignment: TPK uses the Internet extensively to manage and improve internal staff access to information and services. Because of digital divide and cultural issues, the Internet is used as a complement to other delivery channels that the agency provides.

Internet and Communications Technology

TPK has a single website providing information about the agency, contact and location details of regional offices and links to other government agencies that provide related services. The website is bilingual and categorises information and services based on different audiences. This includes communities, businesses, and people who wish to participate in government.

The website provides a few online transactional services, but mostly directs people to contact a regional development office in person or by telephone. Contact information is not immediately obvious as website design encourages users to read some background information before contacting an office directly.

The Internet effectively complements TPK's other information and service delivery channels. Face-to-face meetings especially are an essential aspect of the agency's service provision.

The Māori Business Facilitation Service has an online application form, while an online email service enables registration of nominations to elect someone to a decision-making body. The take up of these two services has been affected by digital divide issues, cultural barriers to using the Internet, a lack of common standards, and a lack of inter-agency support for some services.

TPK is in the final stages of implementing an Internet-based knowledge management system called Livelink. Livelink includes document and records management, library cataloguing, and collaborative tools aimed at improving the quality of information sharing throughout the agency. Livelink will be used in all of TPK's offices, and can be accessed by staff working remotely.

A new intranet was released in June 2004. The intranet decentralises content management to business units. Although intranet content will be more decentralised, the intranet will continue to be centrally monitored to ensure information is accurate, consistent and up to date.

Ready Access to Information and Services

Metadata

TPK has 18 metadata records describing information and services available on its website.

Various topics are included, such as how to become a board member, Māori business, Māori land and housing for Māori. TPK metadata is generally well written from an audience perspective.

Further metadata could be developed to include additional information and services available on the TPK website.

Website Assessment

Website assessed during May 2004: www.tpk.govt.nz

Overall, TPK's website is of a good standard.

TPK's website was launched before the Web Guidelines were introduced and has since been modified to conform with these. A redesign and rebuild of the website is currently in progress.

Strengths of the site are in required government content and e-services delivery. In future, the site could be designed for better usability and information delivery.

Most of the information and services TPK is required to provide can be readily accessed on its website.

Key quality issues noted during the assessment included:

• Good range, depth and presentation of information content.
• Usability and site navigation could be improved for easier use.
• Site searching is limited and hard to get to, making information difficult to find.
• The addition of consultation documents would make it easier for people to offer feedback on proposed changes to policy or procedures.
• Required email addresses were not available or were not answered during the assessment.
• Missing accessibility features, such as navigation skipping, access keys and style sheet problems may impede some physically impaired people's access.
• Some documents are in PDF only, excluding people who are unable or unwilling to read these formats.
• Contact details could be more specific, to enable responsive handling of enquiries.
• More links to other related content would be useful.

Alignment With E-government Goals

Convenience and Satisfaction

TPK's focus is on improving access to information for staff - especially staff that work remotely - to help ensure that information and services the agency provides are consistent and reliable throughout New Zealand. TPK is developing internal information systems instead of more advanced web-based services. TPK's approach highlights the importance of identifying appropriate information and service delivery channels for clients, and using technology in the best way to support this.

In addition to TPK's use of the Internet to support a range of information channels, the agency is actively involved in improving Māori access to the Internet, and reducing the digital divide among Māori communities. This has involved recycling computers through the 2020 Communications Trust to Māori who have limited Internet access.

Integration and Efficiency

TPK provides several services in conjunction with other government agencies. These include Housing Assistance programmes with the Ministry of Social Development through Work and Income, and Housing New Zealand Corporation. Services are not integrated to the extent where information is shared electronically, but information about them is available on the website.

The website also provides some information about other agencies' initiatives, such as the Department of Labour. TPK's approach to integrating information and services with other agencies, beyond the most common agency associations, is to direct people to the government portal.

Participation

TPK's website encourages participation in government. Information on how people should make a submission to government is clearly outlined, and includes what should be in a submission and where to send it.