DDC Resolves To Continue Collaborations

Media Statement

5 February 2009

DDC Resolves To Continue Collaborations

Digital Development Council members have expressed regret at the Government’s decision to cut its funding but have vowed that the high degree of collaboration which the DDC has engendered amongst constituent organisations will continue.

DDC Chair Fran Wilde said that members were “understandably disappointed” and had hoped the Government would continue to support the fledgling group to enable its projects to get firmly grounded. “However, our priority is now to help the new Government deliver a comprehensive broadband plan, as all our constituent organisations are passionate about the opportunities that ICT and broadband provide for New Zealand.”

“We are keen not to lose momentum. For our country to succeed in the digital age, we need a comprehensive set of actions to lift the digital skills of individuals, small businesses and communities and we want to work with the government on that plan.”

Wilde said that although the DDC was still in its infancy, all members believed that bringing together these diverse groups had accelerated collaboration between them, so members were keen to continue this on whatever scale possible. This might involve some sort of formal group as a platform for communication and working together, albeit without being able to directly deliver in the same way as the DDC.

“Our members have signalled commitment to continue the work programme in key areas including digital inclusion, digital literacy and digital uptake in regions and amongst SMEs’” she said.

DDC members would be discussing next steps, including the fate of a report on the digital readiness of regions, which it planned to provide as a useful input to the Government and other stakeholders later this month. Wilde said that LGNZ and EDANZ had signalled that they wanted work in this area to be continued to ensure that local government assists in delivering the national broadband plan.

“Another upcoming opportunity would be boosting ICT skills as a major action point in the forthcoming Employment Summit. We hope the new NZICT industry group, which is a member of DDC, can continue the work on this area with our other members, especially the Computer Society and the 2020 Trust.”

“And, finally, Business NZ, TUANZ, and NZ ICT have agreed to champion programmes to boost productivity amongst small businesses – practical steps looking to improve the take-up of simple productivity enhancing tools – online accounts programmes, making smarter use of online marketing to make budgets go further in hard times,” Wilde said.

Ends

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