The implementation plans for 2002-03 were focused on objective 6 'to foster an aware and responsive public service'.  This was very important, as for most departments their 2002-03 plan was their first attempt to understand the New Zealand Disability Strategy and work towards achieving the vision.  (While not losing the need to continue to develop initiatives in this area, agencies have been asked to extend their focus in developing their 2003-04 implementation plans, and increase activity on implementing the objectives that relate to their core business.) 

There has been significantly more activity in the 2002-03 year to implement the New Zealand Disability Strategy.  This is due both to more departments taking action and to the extension of work by the 10 more experienced departments to cover more areas of the Strategy. 

This year, in order to report more clearly on this increased activity in implementing the New Zealand Disability Strategy, the 15 objectives have been grouped using the four categories developed by the National Advisory Committee on Health and Disability (National Health Committee) in 2002-03.  The report also lists all of the 113 actions that sit underneath the 15 objectives, and places the summaries of the relevant sections of departments'reports under the appropriate actions.

The four categories used in the model to group the 15 objectives of the New Zealand Disability Strategy are:

• rights of citizenship for disabled people
• government capacity and the development of support for disabled people
• delivery of support for disabled people
• issues faced by population groups within the wider group of disabled people

The Office for Disability Issues has used this model in working with government departments, as the pyramid structure reflects the ways government works to achieve social goals.

• Legislation and strategies set expectations about rights of citizenship, which is the first line of the model.
• Government departments develop policies. These policies determine what services need to be provided and the type of support that is required from those services.  In order to do this in a way that will promote an inclusive society, departments need to be aware of and responsive to disability needs and issues, and to have good information.  They then look at how those services will be funded, ways to contract or directly provide them, and specify the delivery and reporting requirements.  This is the second line of the model.
• Support is then delivered, either directly by departments or by providers by specific contracting arrangements, from within the funding available.  This is the third line of the model.
• There are specific population groups of disabled people whose experiences differ because of things such as ethnicity, age and gender. These can create additional barriers to inclusion.  This is the bottom line of the model.

The following model places the 15 objectives of the New Zealand Disability Strategy into these four categories.

Reporting activity under each action area shows where the significant increase in activity is occurring, and also highlights areas where no specific implementation activity was reported.  'No specific implementation activity reported'does not necessarily mean that no activity is occurring.  Many departments may be working in these areas, but regard that work as 'business as usual'and have therefore not reported it.  What it does mean is that there were no specific projects identified and reported as implementing that action of the New Zealand Disability Strategy. 

The Office for Disability Issues will be working with departments in 2003-04 to identify all of their work, including 'business as usual', which is achieving the actions, objectives and vision of the New Zealand Disability Strategy.  It will also be encouraging departments to place Budget bids or redeploy existing resources to ensure both the development of new projects and adequate resourcing for their implementation.