Platform for New Digital Future Launched
Hon David Cunliffe
Minister for
Communications and Information Technology
29th May 2008 Media Statement
Platform for New Digital Future Launched
Communications and Information Technology Minister David Cunliffe today launched the structure that will become an important contributor to New Zealand’s digital future.
The Minister hosted the signing of the establishment rules for the Digital Development Council, which will in turn set up the Digital Development Forum.
“Together the Forum and the Council are expected to help achieve the government’s vision that New Zealand will become a world leader in using information and technology to realise its economic, social, environmental and cultural goals, to the benefit of all New Zealanders.
“These Digital Strategy goals cannot be realised by government alone,” Mr Cunliffe said. “They need to be delivered by a wide range of groups working together.
“The Council needs to be established first. As the operational arm it needs to get funding released and start attracting members to the Forum.
“The Forum will be the main agent in this Digital Development Group. It will be an ‘association of associations’ that brings together a range of organisations with a common interest in digital development. Its members are expected to include ICT users, professionals, suppliers, local government, and community and voluntary, Maori and cultural groups,” Mr Cunliffe said.
The Forum will set priorities, engage with Ministers and nominate future members to the Council. It will provide strategic advice and direction to the Council and government on digital matters.
“This all-inclusive group is designed to produce the best advice and work programmes possible,” Mr Cunliffe said. “It will receive some operational funding from government but will not be tied to the apron strings of any government agency.
“I am heartened by the overall response and the commitment of the ICT sector and wider interest groups to achieving our digital potential,” Mr Cunliffe concluded. “The way we are doing this is unique to New Zealand and is showing international leadership in the way digital issues are handled.”
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Questions and Answers
1.
Why do you consider this initiative unique to New
Zealand?
The Digital Strategy has been used
internationally as an example of a whole of government
approach to achieving a nation’s digital potential. The
collaborative approach of this model, particularly having a
cross-sector group (the Forum) developing a coordinated set
of priorities for digital development and a practical work
programme for a delivery arm (the Council) to produce is a
unique concept.
2. How does all of this relate back to
the Digital Strategy?
The Digital Strategy makes it
clear that reaching our full potential as a nation requires
a holistic approach across all sectors. The key to success
for this initiative is wide representation and
collaboration. The Council and the Forum are expected to
create partnerships between industry, community and
voluntary groups and users.
What are the functions of
the Council? (Ref. Rule 3.0)
• Engaging with the
Digital Development Forum on strategic priorities;
•
Seeking funding from the Crown and other sources to develop,
adopt, implement and manage a work programme that addresses
issues and priorities determined by the Forum;
•
Monitoring the delivery of work programme outputs,
agreements with funding bodies, and reporting to the
Forum;
• Providing administrative services to the
Forum.
What is the Council expected to achieve in its
first year? (Ref. Rule 6.0)
• Appoint an
independent Chair and establish a secretariat (including a
GM).
• Develop a work programme and have a signed
funding agreement in place with MED by July 1 2008.
•
Support the establishment of the Forum by:
- Developing
membership rules for the Forum;
- Approving applications
for membership to the Forum; and
- Developing procedures
for the operation of the Forum with the objective that those
rules and procedures can be adopted by the Forum.
-
Develop the principles and procedures to govern the
Forum’s relationship with the Council.
•
Develop membership rules for the Council to ensure members
(after the initial 12 months) are appropriately
representative of the Forum organisations and other
interests that support, or contribute to, digital
development.
3. Who is the independent
Chair?
The Council members will decide on the
appointment of an independent Chair.
4. Who is on
the Council?
The Council is made up of the
independent Chair and 10 members. The members were
appointed (one each) by the Telecommunications Users
Association of New Zealand (Inc), InternetNZ (Inc), New
Zealand Computer Society (Inc), WIT Group (Inc), the 2020
Communications Trust, LGNZ, Business New Zealand, Te Huarahi
Tika Trust, the ICT industry and the community and voluntary
sector. Note that members representing the ICT industry and
community and voluntary sector have not been formally
appointed at this time - they are placeholders.
5. Why
is the Council Incorporated?
It is preferable that
the Council is a legal entity so it can enter into binding
contracts with third parties. An incorporated society model
was selected as the best fit for the membership and aims of
the organisation.
6. How do I contact the Digital
Development Council or find out more?
Until the
formal appointment of a Chair for the Council, Doug Martin
of MartinJenkins & Associates will be the
spokesperson.
Until a formal secretariat office is established the Digital Development Council number will be the toll free line 0800 336900 (0800 DDNZ00).
7. Who
chose the members of the Council and who will appoint the
independent Chair?
MartinJenkins and Associates were
retained by MED to help implement the Council and Forum.
The current members of the Council represent those
organisations that have agreed to join the Digital
Development Council at establishment phase. The Council will
appoint the independent Chair of the Council.
What is
the role of the Digital Development Forum? (Ref. Rule
12.2)
• Provide leadership and develop strategic
priorities to help achieve New Zealand’s digital
potential;
• Support the activities of the Council
by:
- Setting strategic goals and priorities for the
Digital Development Council;
- Guiding the work programme
of the Digital Development Council;
Appointing persons to
be members of the Council;
• Engage with the Minister
and other Digital Ministers on strategic priorities.
8.
Who is on the Forum?
The Forum is expected to
represent the varied interests of the wider community, with
representation from the community and voluntary sector,
business, local government, ICT users, Maori, cultural
groups and the ICT industry. A priority for the Council is
to support the establishment of the Forum by developing
membership rules for the Forum.
9. Who chooses the
members of the Forum?
The Forum membership is
self-selecting from organisations meeting the criteria set
initially by the Council and subsequently agreed to and
adopted by the Forum.
10. What is the relationship
between the Forum and the Council?
The Forum’s job
is to set the strategic priorities for the Council and
monitor the implementation of an agreed work programme by
the Council that supports these priorities.
The Forum will also elect members to the Council (after the Council’s first year of operation) ensuring the appointees are appropriately representative of the Forum organisations.
11. Why have you split the functions between the
Council and the Forum?
The structure is a natural
evolution of the consultative process around the original
idea. The advice and delivery arms of the group had to be
split as part needed to be incorporated in order to enter
into binding contracts with third parties separate from
Forum members. Further, the Forum is intended to represent
a wider membership and different levels of membership.
12. How much government money is going into the
Council and Forum and what will it be used
for?
Cabinet has approved:
• Funding of $825,000
for each of the first two years – in years 2008/2009 and
2009/2010 – for the design, establishment and initial
operation of the new structure.
• Annual funding of
$400,000 from 2010/11 and 2011/2012 and out years to cover
operational costs.
13. Is this all of the funding for
the Council and Forum or can it get money from
elsewhere?
Additional funding may come from external
sources (e.g. corporate), or pooled resources from member
organisations, or other sources of government funding (where
appropriate).
14. What is the role of the
Digital Development Team in MED?
The Digital
Development Team at MED is responsible for negotiating
operational funding agreements with the Digital Development
Council. This is expected to be on an annual basis. It is
also the lead agency responsible for coordinating and
monitoring government activity to implement New Zealand’s
Digital Strategy.
15. What is the relationship with
DSSG?
Both the Forum and Council will have a close
working relationship with the Digital Strategy Steering
Group (DSSG). The DSSG is the core group of government
agencies responsible for overseeing the implementation of
government activity in relation to the Digital Strategy.
16. What is the relationship with the Minister for
Communications and Information Technology and other Digital
Ministers?
The Digital Development Forum is expected
to engage with the Minister and other Digital Ministers on
strategic priorities.
17. What happens to the Digital
Strategy Advisory Group?
DSAG has been
disestablished. The Digital Development Council may take up
parts of the DSAG work plan.
18. What happens to the
work that HiGrowth did?
The Digital Development
Council may take up parts of the HiGrowth work plan.
19.
What about the major players in the ICT industry – are
they on board?
During the initial round of
consultation, ICT companies - both multi-national and NZ
owned - expressed an interest in exploring the concept of
forming their own industry body. A meeting of major
companies was facilitated by MartinJenkins in Auckland in
March. The outcome of this meeting was that Kevin Ackhurst,
CEO Microsoft, offered to facilitate a process of further
exploring the concept of an industry body. This process is
continuing. If such a body comes into existence, it will be
entirely funded by industry.
A place has been held on the Digital Development Council for a member appointed by the ICT industry.
ENDS