In Development

The Digital Strategy 2.0, released on 28 August 2008, charts out an alluring future for New Zealand and New Zealanders in the 21^st century.  Its vision is that:

“New Zealanders should be leaders in the digital world and use digital technologies, skills and opportunities to contribute to a prosperous, sustainable and vibrant society.” 

So it validates our smart use of digital technologies at home, in our communities, at work in New Zealand and globally.  We can have our say on matters that are important to us, create online communities, create new digital content, and get closer to our markets.  And this will advance the strategy’s goals of a healthy environment, a high-value economy and vibrant communities and culture.

The strategy acknowledges that many of us Kiwis are already digital players, and strongly asserts that it is our strategy.  Government’s role is “to provide the basics that enable this creativity, innovation and collaboration – fast, accessible broadband, a digitally skilled population, secure infrastructure and support for and access to New Zealand content.

Then it is over to us – individuals, businesses and communities - to be creative, innovative and create economic and social growth.

I am excited by the proposed Digital Content Innovation Cluster which is expected to boost New Zealand’s production of applications in areas such as e-learning, e-health, and provide new ways of expanding our key export industries such as food and beverages and farming.  The expansion of the Aotearoa Peoples’ Network and the development of a National Education Network will open up new ways of working and learning.  Ensuring universal digital literacy and strengthening the workforce for the local ICT industry are essential actions.  These are just a wee subset of a very broad menu of activities.

Looking at the broad area that I work in – e-government (making government work for you - using technology) - the strategy accurately notes that “the bureaucracy built for the industrial age needs to be transformed to meet the needs of the information age, with new models better suited to the requirements of the 21st century”.  It asserts that “information should be available in the way you want it, when you want it”.  It looks forward to “joined-up services – the right information in the right place at the right time – which will deliver convenient, personalised and privacy-enhancing solutions”.

Actions to achieve this extend the E-government strategy (November 2006).  They cover:

• improving productivity across the economy, by, for example, allowing secure personalised interaction between government and individuals, and opening up authoritative data sources for others to use, whilst protecting privacy and security of the information
• accelerating the adoption of videoconferencing by government agencies to increase productivity and reduce costs and travel
• coordinating the purchase of broadband services for the state sector
• ensuring the security of digital infrastructure and networks, and
• increasing opportunities for individuals, communities, businesses and government itself to use and reuse reliable public sector information.

These e-government actions are all being led from the Office of the Government CIO in the State Services Commission.  I am leading the use and reuse of reliable public sector information programme and wish to engage with others interested in this specific topic.  What do you see as the barriers to opening up access and enhancing re-use, and what information do you want to re-use?

Technorati Tags: Public sector information; Digital Strategy 2.0; E-gove