Appendix 1
Over the past four years the government has devised and implemented a number of strategies and initiatives to address ICT-related issues. They include legislative reform, the delivery of government services, business capability building, education, initiatives and programmes addressing social inclusion, and infrastructure development.
E-Government Strategy
A strategy to implement e-government in the New Zealand public sector with the goal that by 2010, the operation of government will have been transformed by its use of the Internet.
Digital Horizons 2003
Digital Horizons is the revised strategy for schools on Learning through Information and Communication Technologies, which developed a school ICT infrastructure, capability and programmes. This strategy focuses on helping schools to extend their use of ICT to support new ways of teaching and learning.
Tertiary Education Strategy 2002-2007
The Tertiary Education Strategy 2002-2007 (TES) lays out a series of proposed changes to New Zealand's tertiary education system to better support our national development goals and to respond to the challenges of globalisation, accelerating technological change and the knowledge society. E-learning is mandated by the first strategy "to strengthen system capability and quality".
Interim Tertiary e-Learning Framework 2004
This provides high-level direction for the development of tertiary sector e-learning capabilities. An action plan is currently being developed to co-ordinate national initiatives centrally in partnership with the tertiary education sector and in collaboration with government agencies and other stakeholders including learners, iwi, community groups and businesses.
It is anticipated that this interim framework will eventually be superseded by an integrated pan-sector e-learning strategy which will encompass schools and the early childhood sector as well as the tertiary sector.
E-Commerce Strategy
The strategy aims to increase the uptake and use of e-commerce by New Zealand businesses with the vision that New Zealand will be world class in embracing e-commerce for competitive advantage.
Connecting Communities Strategy
The Strategy aims to increase the ability of communities to access, participate and efficiently use ICTs, particularly to enhance social inclusion and assist in community-building. A national conference was held last year to identify the high-level priorities for community ICT development. The conference report is available from Connecting Communities .
Flaxroots Technology
Flaxroots Technology is a resource portal for the community and voluntary sector that encourages community development through the uptake of ICT.
In 2000 and 2002, Flaxroots Technology conferences were organised for people interested in using the Internet and other new technologies to build stronger communities.
Source: Flaxroots Technology .
National Library's Digital Strategy
A strategy to manage the preservation of digital content and digitise the heritage collection to make it more accessible.
ICT Taskforce
The ICT Taskforce was established in 2003 by the government because ICT was identified for special attention because of its high growth potential as a sector and for its significant horizontal enabling effects across the economy. The Taskforce, made up of successful private sector entrepreneurs, provided a report with a number of recommendations designed to achieve a growth target of 100 ICT companies with $100 million in annual sales by 2012, thereby contributing 10% of New Zealand's GDP. The key finding of the Taskforce is that New Zealand ICT companies tend to hit a barrier and plateau at a point between $10 million and $15 million in annual sales. The Taskforce believes that this barrier could be overcome with sufficient mentoring, education and support for executives.
Project PROBE
A provincial broadband extension project, that aims to ensure that all schools and their surrounding communities have access to broadband by the end of 2004.
Legislative Reform
The following legislation has been passed:
- Electronic Transactions Act 2002: To enable statutory requirements to be met for information to be in writing, signed, retained or produced using electronic methods;
- Telecommunications Act 2001: To improve competition in the supply of telecommunications services;
- Crimes Amendment Act 2003 (No. 6): To criminalise unauthorised access to a computer and unauthorised use of or damage to information held on computer systems;
- intellectual property: A continuing programme of legislative work, notably recent work on digital technology and the Copyright Act 1994; and
- National Library of New Zealand Te Puna MÄtauranga o Aotearoa Act 2003: To extend the requirements for legal deposit in the National Library, for electronic publications. Legal deposit is mandated to preserve and provide access to the National Library's collections.
In addition, the following are directly relevant to building e-New Zealand:
- the Growth and Innovation Framework: Intended to increase New Zealand's sustainable economic growth through innovation by strengthening the foundations, enhancing our innovation framework, developing our skills and talents, increasing our global connectedness, and focusing innovation initiatives in those areas that will have maximum impact;
- the Tertiary Education Strategy: E-learning strategies are part of the Tertiary Education Strategy and have been developed from the Tertiary E-learning Advisory Group report Highways and Pathways, Exploring New Zealand's E-learning Opportunities, released in March 2002;
- e-local government strategy: The strategy aims to support the development of e-government initiatives in councils in four main areas: access to local government information and services, innovation in delivery, improved participation, and leadership particularly on education in local e-government and awards as well as setting standards and facilitating local to central government co-operation.
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