Address to the 2015 Government Information Systems (GOVIS) Forum, Wellington

I congratulate the organisers of the conference on the choice of topic: building trust. There is nothing more important than trust for the effective functioning of a democracy. There is nothing harder to restore once trust is lost. There is no greater risk to the improvement of public services through the use of improved ICT than lack of trust.

As Minister, I need to be able to trust the accuracy of the information put before me by Internal Affairs. And the government and people of New Zealand need to trust me as Minister to act in accordance with the law. An individual considering an interaction with government may ask ‘can I trust that this service really is provided by the New Zealand government?’

We know citizens want services tailored to them – accessible when, where and how they want. ICT is key to enabling better citizen-centric services, and the GCIO is working closely with your agencies to change the way we plan, provide and use our ICT services in government. We are working hard to join up systems within and across agencies, so agencies can work together far more effectively, provide speedier and more useful services, and access the information held to enable faster and more robust decision-making.

But without trust – between Ministers, agencies, businesses, citizens and their organisations - we will not achieve better public services, nor can we achieve a transformation of ICT services in government. Citizens have to trust government, agencies have to trust each other to play their part in the digital ecosystem, and Ministers have to trust agencies that the right services are being delivered at the right time, in the right way, in a secure manner, to citizens.

In employment law, the concept of ‘breakdown of trust’ is often used to describe the situation in which employer and employee can no longer work together to achieve common goals. When government and business or individuals or families and whanau can work well together we have stronger citizens, families, communities and a stronger nation. When trust breaks down between people and their government, society is weaker at all levels.

ICT brings new opportunities to build trust, and new risks that threaten trust. In the past, some of those risks have been realised. They have become an on-going issue of higher levels than we should have of dis-trust in government ICT, and lower levels of trust.

Every realised risk to security and privacy undermines trust. Every delay in addressing the issues arising from realised risks, undermines trust. So we are very active as a government in facing up to two issues of governance and management, which help determine the level of trust in our systems and services.

One is to lessen the risks we face, and the second is how to recover quickly when risks are realised. An appropriate focus on risks, on their mitigation, and on recovery when a risk becomes an issue is a positive, forward-focussed approach. And it is very encouraging to see the sheer amount of activity across government in finding ways to do this without creating delay and confusion.

The approach being taken to lessening risk is straightforward:

• identifying and implementing best practice, and
• making a cross-government approach business as usual

But of course it is in the nature of risks that they are sometimes realised. We need strong institutions and systems that are trusted in themselves. The GCIO role is an excellent example of this. When there is an issue in government information and technology, there is a clear leader to provide all of government messages about the situation, supporting those with direct responsibility, and allowing them to concentrate on the urgent task in hand.

We need open and honest acknowledgement of the problem. The GCIO, the Chief Executives who have experienced problems and Ministers in this government have all been willing to share information, explanations, and to acknowledge the cause of issues. Clear, honest, and immediate communications will make it far more likely that people will trust us in future. We need a rapid response when risks are realised. And I believe this is what we see, across government.

We need investment in finding a solution. Where problems are large, or systemic, or complex, a fix will cost. So agencies and Ministers may face some tough decisions and choices. But the restoration of trust must always be taken into account in these calculations. And, we need wrongs to be righted as soon as possible.

As the famous L.V. Martin slogan goes, “it is the putting right that counts.”

But first, of course, we should do no harm.  Where we do harm, for example to the privacy of individuals, we must act to contain and redress the damage as soon as we can. And finally, and possibly most importantly, we need lessons to be learned and shared as part of the business-as-usual cross-government approach. We owe it to citizens to make sure we do not have to learn a lesson twice.

This government has embarked on a new approach to public services. We have sought solutions outside the old approach of changing the law and hoping.

We seek to change the behaviour of agencies by concentrating on the results we seek from the combination of agencies working together. This requires strong working relationships between agencies and those charged with functional leadership on behalf of the government. In the case of ICT, this means agency trust of the GCIO to effect transformation through a genuine collaborative delivery.

I believe there is good reason for the public to have an increasing sense of trust in government. We are seeing real results that mean we can be trusted.

So, how are we doing?

The Government ICT Strategy and Action Plan to 2017 is at the half-way point. Cabinet approved it on June 17 2013 – so what has been achieved in the four strategic focus areas?

The first focus area is Services are digital by default: Better Public Services Results 9 and 10 are well underway. Business and individuals are finding it easier to do business with government on line. But the point is: uptake is entirely dependent on trust – not only in security, but in a smooth, effective, time-saving process. In my own department, the issuing of passport renewals online has surged ahead as word-of-mouth promotes an assurance of quality, and high expectations of quick delivery. A key tenet of the Result 10 work is that services should be based around life events, and we have started with the cradle.

Work is under way on making it much easier for people to complete the government transactions needed for the birth of a child. This will provide new parents with a joined-up suite of government services in one place for easy access before and after the birth of a child.  MSD, Inland Revenue, Ministry of Health and the Department of Internal Affairs have begun work on this. 

Integrated, customer-centred service is becoming real.

One day we will be able to say: “customer-centred from the cradle to the grave” – and I note that death registrations can already be completed online, so we are active at each end of the life events continuum. The second focus area is: Investment and Capability are Shared: investment plans are now reviewed centrally before they go for approval to Ministers, and there is active involvement of the GCIO in the refreshed Four Year Planning process. ICT is an integral part of Four-Year Plans.

Common Capabilities, that is, standardised, reliable and effective products and services, have been developed by agencies working with the GCIO to streamline ICT procurement and use. Panels have been set up by GCIO through which agencies can access approved services.

These services are the foundations, the building blocks for ICT transformation across government so that we can talk together more easily to achieve the wider goal of joined-up service delivery to enable better citizen services – when, where and how people want them.

The outcome is that people spend less time dealing with government and more time living their lives. More than 100 agencies are using at least one Common Capability – because they trust the value of the offering and the outcome. So far, we have savings identified of more than $240 million across three of the major Common Capabilities – Microsoft G-2012, one.govt and Infrastructure as a Service.

Similar arrangements are being actively worked on for other large software suppliers. RealMe, the service that allows someone to securely share information about themselves to access services from government agencies and business, has spread to 61 login services. More than 45,000 people have verified RealMe accounts allowing people to prove their identity online to six organisations – ranging from Student Loans to banking services from BNZ and TSB. I believe Maria Robertson will have more to say about this later.

And we now have govt.nz as a platform to make people’s access to government information easier, by ensuring they are no longer dependent on prior knowledge about who does what in government. I look forward to seeing increased interest in this approach right across the sector.

The third focus area is: Information managed as an asset. The government set up an ongoing information and privacy work programme after the GCIO Review into Publicly Accessible Systems. The Government Chief Privacy Officer function has been established to ensure an enduring focus on privacy and a lift in capability across the state services, and GCPO Russell Burnard will address the conference later.

Clear privacy expectations of agencies and other guidance has been provided. Again, agencies need to trust one another in safely managing and sharing information for better services and in ensuring their systems are secure from inappropriate access. The new Protective Security Requirements, released late last year, cover people, property and information and enable ongoing focus on protecting these assets.

Unlocking the value of the information we hold is critical and significant work expected in this area over next couple of years.  This will be a key focus area for the GCIO work programme. When we safely share what we have, for people to use as they wish, trust grows. That principle has been present in government for many years, especially through the Public Records Act – but while we have preserved information in the past, and permitted access, the future lies in enabling and encouraging access.

I agree with the Privacy Commissioner’s comments to the Data Futures Forum: “for the public sector, the potential to design better policies and target resources more efficiently means that the re-use of data is in some sense a responsibility as much as an opportunity – taxpayers have paid for the collection of their own information, and the government should be seeking to maximising the return of value to New Zealanders from it”.

And of course there are very strong links to the Open Government Partnership (OGP) activities led by SSC. This is a commitment to promote transparent and open government by empowering citizens, fighting corruption and harnessing new technologies.

The fourth focus area is: Leadership and Culture Deliver Change. Information and technology-enabled service transformation requires a type of government leader who can spot and take advantage of the huge opportunities for doing things differently, and better, that digital disruption provides. 

To this end, the SSC, Leadership Development Centre and the GCIO are working together to identify the skills and capabilities required by future leaders in a digital world.  But leadership is not enough. Culture also needs to change. And that culture needs to focus on the provision, to people, of customer-centred services. Government agencies will be able to meet growing expectations only through collaboration, and collaboration must be based on trust.

To ensure this, we need a leadership culture based on trust – and that is what functional leadership is intended to be. All this creates good outcomes for people, leading to further trust, and higher expectations still. It is from this virtuous circle that the need for strong assurance arises, and must be met.

If we want to do things that matter, and do them fast to bring benefits to New Zealanders and New Zealand, we need the system-wide improved management of risks, confidence in delivery and informed decision-making. Assurance allows Ministers and Chief Executives to make the right decisions at the right time, with the right information. It allows for confidence in investment, and reduces uncertainty and minimises risk.

Trust is produced by results, not by an assurance process. But it is the assurance process that leads to the consistent and successful results that inspire trust.  Assurance is now considered at the earliest stage when ICT investment cases are going through approval processes. 

Each investment decision must have had some form of independent assurance accompanying it and an ongoing Assurance Plan to receive GCIO support.

It is good to see the determination behind all the practical work being done: -  frameworks and other guidance; ongoing work to achieve best practice, build capability, and enable better decision-making at all levels. Decision-makers must have the right information at the right time, manage risks, and address issues to achieve high levels of confidence and trust in delivery of results.

An important and practical further step will be the establishment of an approved panel of quality assurance providers that can be accessed by government agencies. This, I am told, will be available later this year. 

The ICT Strategy component of the Government ICT Strategy and Action Plan to 2017 has to be reviewed at the halfway point, and that work is underway now. Strategies link ends and means.

Our ends – citizen-centric public services - have not changed, but we need to keep the moves constantly under review as we learn more and circumstances change. The GCIO is asking the critical questions: are we on track to achieve the government’s goals?

Do we need to accelerate in some areas? Do we need to change any emphases? What new trends, challenges, opportunities do we need to be aware of?

How has the environment we’re working in changed? To this end the GCIO is consulting widely across government and industry.

I am looking forward to putting the outcome of the review before my Ministerial colleagues in a few months’ time. As transformation gains momentum, I am pleased to see the GCIO has set up a new Partnership Framework providing a clear pathway for agency leaders to advise the GCIO and help him fulfil his role as ICT Functional Leader.

Centralised leadership is not solo leadership. Like the delivery of services, it depends for success on collaboration. We are working with governments with similar goals and challenges to ours. We are an inaugural member of a group of five digital leaders called the D5 – UK, South Korea, Estonia, Israel, NZ.  

Our involvement reflects international acknowledgement of the NZ approach, and trust in us – our standing as a leader in digital government. I signed the inaugural charter on behalf of the New Zealand government in London last December. The next meeting is in Estonia in November. The D5 is an insight into the nature of the element of trust we are building both into the relationship between people and the government, and between government agencies.

We must be able to rely on each other. The support of one another will allow each of us to stand strong. Last year I summarised my message by saying: “The GCIO is working alongside agencies to develop a new ICT operating model for government. But the GCIO cannot do it alone – success will depend on the willingness of people at every level of every agency to understand and embrace Ministerial expectations, and pursue the opportunities that transformation offers.Overall, this is an exciting time to be in the public service, a time when there will be new opportunities for many.

So I encourage you to embrace the change, and look for ways you can contribute to achieving the new vision for our public services.

This year, my message is the same.

By trusting each other, by trusting Functional Leadership, and by trusting what people tell us about the service and support they need from government in accessing services, trust across New Zealand will grow, building a stronger, safer and more prosperous New Zealand.