The Digital Public Service (DPS) branch hosted the ‘Showcasing Homegrown Solutions’ event — 5 teams presented the creative technology they’re building to help New Zealanders access government services.
Techweek theme for
Creating tech for a better tomorrow.
Showcasing homegrown solutions
Fitting the week’s theme, 5 teams presented how they’re creating technical solutions to make government services inclusive and benefit all New Zealanders.
Teams who presented
- Zero Data
- Rapid Form Builder
- Death Documents
- Aotearoa Immunisation Register
- Centralised Web Accessibility Checker
Lessons shared by all 5 teams
- Form a strong team before building anything technical.
- Have a common purpose that your team and users are passionate about — this keeps the momentum going when facing challenges along the way.
- One of the most effective ways to hold the trust of service users: deliver regularly and as promised.
Presentations
Each team showed how they researched to find what users wanted and how to work together with other government organisations.
They also explained why a spirit of service in the public sector is important, and how to encourage this with both practical and digital approaches.
Zero Data
This project allows people who do not have data on their phones to access government digital services.
Zero Data is an ongoing project and the team is open to more government organisations joining this work.
More information
- Website: Welcome to Zero Data — zero.govt.nz
- Contact: zerodata@tewhatuora.govt.nz
Rapid Form Builder
This project helps people in the public sector to quickly build and edit the online forms needed for people to access government services.
Rapid Form Builder is an ongoing project and the team is open to:
- more government organisations joining this work
- adding more services and features to their website.
More information
- Website: FormBuilder — Business Connect
- Contact: hello@businessconnect.govt.nz
Death Documents
This project is working to help people quickly handle the paperwork needed to manage and certify someone’s death. Making this process easier to go through reduces the stress on whānau and those working with communities after a death.
Death Documents is an ongoing piece of work. The team is developing web applications by working with:
- Tāhū o te Ture — Ministry of Justice
- Te Whatu Ora — Health New Zealand
- Te Tari Taiwhenua — Department of Internal Affairs.
More information
- Contact: lifeeventsservicesteam@dia.govt.nz
Aotearoa Immunisation Register
This project replaces the National Immunisation Register. It supports the management of all immunisations and vaccinations in New Zealand.
The Aotearoa Immunisation Register continues to use an approach that’s open to making changes as they receive new information and feedback. This has been important in building trust with the many people involved in immunisation events.
More information
- Website: Aotearoa Immunisation Register — Te Whatu Ora Health New Zealand
- Contact: air.engagement@health.govt.nz
Centralised Web Accessibility Checker
This project allows people working in the public sector to check their websites for accessibility issues. The tool offers ways to fix the identified issues and helps more New Zealanders access government services.
The Centralised Web Accessibility Checker is being tested with government organisations that signed up to participate. The team will use their feedback to improve the tool.
More information
- News article: Centralised Web Accessibility Checker — Digital.govt.nz
- Contact: web.standards@dia.govt.nz
Future homegrown showcases
The DPS is grateful to the speakers who made time to share their work.
Based on the positive feedback from those who attended this event, the DPS will look for more opportunities to share the great mahi between government organisations.
Register your interest
To register your interest in either presenting or attending future showcases, subscribe to the DPS’s email list.
Subscribe to get updates from DPS — Confirm Subscription
Once on the list, we’ll keep you up to date with future events.
Published