Ministry for the Environment

The Role of the Ministry for the Environment

The Ministry for the Environment works with others to identify New Zealand’s environmental problems and get action on solutions. Our focus is on the effects people’s everyday activities have on the environment, so our work programmes cover both the natural world and the places where people live and work.

We advise the Government on New Zealand’s environmental laws, policies, standards and guidelines, monitor how they are working in practice, and take any action needed to improve them. We report on the state of our environment, on local government performance on environmental matters, and on the work of the Environmental Risk Management Authority and the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority.

1) Policy Formulation

Desired outcome

• Policy advisers will have an understanding of the Disability Strategy and an increased awareness of the Government’s objectives in this area.
• Where necessary, policy proposals consider any impact on people with disabilities.

Description

The Ministry for the Environment will educate policy advisers and their managers in order to:

• Increase their awareness of the need for a disability perspective during the policy development process.
• Help ensure policy development processes consider the effect of policy options on disabled people.
• Help ensure Cabinet committee papers, where appropriate, include a disability perspective.

The Disability Strategy and the Ministry’s Implementation Plan will be made available to policy advisers via the Intranet.

Outcome measures and timeframes

Introduce guidelines for policy advisers and their managers on how to include a disability perspective in policy writing. Put guidelines on intranet (under Tools for Policy Development) by March 31 2006.

The Disability Strategy and the Ministry’s Implementation Plan will be made available to policy advisers via the Intranet by end December 2005.

Links to Strategy Objective and Action

Foster an aware and responsive public service ( 6.1)

2) Access to Buildings and Facilities

Desired outcome

New Ministry accommodation in Wellington is accessible to disabled people.

Description

The Ministry is about to move into new, purpose built accommodation which we have ensured is fully accessible to people with disabilities.

The next step is to monitor access and services in the new building once staff have moved in (June 2005) to ensure they meet the needs of disabled visitors and staff.

Outcome measures and timeframes

• Staff with limited mobility report that the building is easy to access and facilities are easy to use.
• A disability audit/review to be conducted by September 2005

Links to Strategy Objective and Action

Foster an aware and responsive public service (6.2)

3) Disability Awareness

Desired outcome

New staff are aware of the needs of disabled people and consider them in their day to day work and behaviour.

Description

Continue to include disability awareness training in the Ministry’s induction training day (ongoing).This training day for all staff includes a section on disability awareness as part of the session on the Ministry’s harassment policy.

Outcome measures and timeframes

All new staff to undergo Induction Training (including training on Disability Awareness/ Strategy), ideally within the first few weeks of joining MfE.

Links to Strategy Objective and Action

Foster an aware and responsive public service (particularly 6.1 and 6.2).

Provide opportunities in employment and economic development for disabled people.

4) Employment

Desired outcome

Selection and recruitment processes do not discriminate against people with disabilities and interview panels are aware of the Ministry’s policy on discrimination.

Description

Review of processes and policies that are in place to reduce/eliminate barriers to the employment of people with disabilities (ongoing).

Review of the Ministry’s flexible work policies to ensure they are implemented as required to help accommodate the work needs of people with disabilities.

Outcome measures and timeframes

Continue to monitor proportion of disabled people recruited (ongoing).

Continue regular contact with Mainstream Programme to identify possible candidates for positions at the Ministry. Actively follow-up with managers.

HR Manager to ensure newly recruited managers are familiar with the goals and operation of the Mainstream Programme by providing an information session at the managers training sessions. (By December 2005).

The Ministry’s policies and practices continue to be monitored annually to ensure the needs of disabled people are met: flexible work arrangements, recruitment policy, employee assistance programmes, working from home policy, Human Rights Act Compliance 2000, systems in place for providing technical equipment to assist disabled people etc.

Links to Strategy Objective and Action

Foster an aware and responsive public service (6).

Provide opportunities in employment and economic development for disabled people (4).

5) Workplace Support

Desired Outcome

The workplace needs of new and existing disabled staff will be met, enabling them to contribute to their maximum potential.

Description

The Ministry will continue to provide ergonomic equipment, work place assessments and, where required, voice-activated PC software and large monitors to ensure that disabled staff can work effectively.

Outcome Measures and Timeframes

Any equipment required by a disabled person in order to do their job (as specified during the recruitment process) is available as soon as practicable after a disabled person has started work.

Workplace assessments are completed as soon as practicable after a disabled person has started work to ensure that the equipment and workspace is set up correctly.

Set up an information page on the Intranet which provides information about the services available to disabled staff and visitors (e.g. disabled car parks) and how to access them.

Links to Strategy Objective and Action

Provide opportunities in employment and economic development for disabled people – action 4.10.