Department of Internal Affairs
New Zealand Disability Strategy Implementation Work Plan. 1 July 2005 – 30 June 2006
DIA Statement of Intent and the Disability Strategy
The Department of Internal Affairs
The Department of Internal Affairs (DIA) - Te Tari Taiwhenua, is New Zealand’s oldest Public Service Department, tracing its origins back to the first Colonial Secretary’s Office established in 1840. The Department is a large multi purpose organisation, with both policy and operational functions.
Our purpose (from the DIA Statement of Intent)
The Department of Internal Affairs serves and connects citizens, communities and government to build a strong safe nation.
DIA activities
DIA activities include: the issue of passports; administering civil unions; registering births, deaths and marriages; administering citizenship applications; regulating gambling; enforcing censorship law; interfacing between local government and central government, contributing to community development by administering Lottery Grants, Community Grants Schemes and Trusts; and providing support services and policy advice for Ministers of the Crown. We are home to the Office of Ethnic Affairs, Ministry of Civil Defence & Emergency Management, and the Local Government Commission.
Link to Disability Strategy
The DIA Statement of Intent provides the high level description of the Department’s directions for 2005 to 2008. Flowing out of this is the business planning and reporting framework that includes specific strategies and action plans. The Disability Strategy, along with our EEO strategy forms part of this framework.
Disability Action Plan for 2005/6
Intent
In the last year the Department implemented a number of standards and tools to ensure that the Department takes a systematic approach to ensuring effective policy, service delivery, and the internal working environment for disabled people. In 2005/06 the Department will build on this work as part of a process of continuous improvement.
The main focus for 2005/06 will be to develop an updated Disability Plan that has ownership from internal business groups and focuses on a few key initiatives that will make a significant difference to improving the lives of disabled people.
Overview
The plan this year focuses on the following areas:
Development Work- Updated Disability Plan:
Develop an updated Disability Plan for the Department that has ownership from internal business groups and focuses on a few key initiatives that will make a significant difference to improving the lives of disabled people.
- Access to buildings:
- Continue to ensure that all offices and services are accessible to disabled people with existing and new premises.
- Access to information
- Continue to ensure appropriate DIA electronic communications and documents are available in accessible formats for disabled people. This includes the standards contained in the SSC government web site guidelines on accessibility, and DIA Disability Guidelines for Communication.
- Employment of disabled people
- Continue to seek places for people from the mainstream program
- Continue to provide support for a Disabilities EEO network
- Work with the SSC and other agencies to collect better data on disabled staff.
- Policy and service delivery
- Ensure all new policy work and service delivery programs include consideration of a disability perspective in development, design and implementation.
Work items
The following details the key objectives and actions for the Department of Internal Affairs
1. Updated Disability Plan
Desired Outcome
The Department has an updated disability plan that has ownership from internal business groups and focuses on a few key initiatives that will make a significant difference to improving the lives of disabled people.
Description
Business groups are involved more actively in identifying key initiatives that will make a significant difference to improving the lives of disabled people to develop an agreed Disability Plan for the Department implementing through planning and reporting processes for 2006/07 and beyond.
Measures and timeframes
- Assign responsibility and agree the process for developing the plan – by end of October 2005.
- Consultation with Business Groups and other stakeholders, ie. Disability Advisory Group (EEO Network) and the Office of Disabilities, to identify priority areas over the medium-term and potential key initiatives for 2006/07 – by end of December 2005.
- Executive Management Team review and confirm medium-term strategy and key initiatives for 2006/07 – by end of March 2006.
- Milestones for key initiatives developed for inclusion in business plans for 30 June 2006.
Links to NZ Disability Strategy Objectives
Links potentially to all the NZ Disability Strategy objectives.
2. Access to buildings
Desired Outcome
Current DIA services are accessible and able to be used by disabled people.
Description
Comply with consent requirements of local authorities for all fit-out and refurbishment projects.
Measures and timeframes
Disabled access provisions included in all fit-out and refurbishment project specifications. (Ongoing)
Links to NZ Disability Strategy Objectives
Links to the following NZ Disability Strategy objectives:
- Objective 2 – Ensure rights for disabled people.
3. Access to information
Desired Outcome
Internal and external people with disabilities are able to access and understand the full range of relevant DIA information and communications, understand the services we provide and how they can be accessed.
Description
Using the DIA Disability audit tool and the Communication Guidelines, the Department’s business groups and branches will continue to ensure and improve access to DIA communications and information for disabled people.
Measures
- Complaints.
- Compliance with SSC web standards.
Links to NZ Disability Strategy Objectives
This item links to the following NZ Disability Strategy objectives:
- Objective 2, ensure rights for disabled people
- Objective 4, provide opportunities in employment and economic development
- Objective 5, foster leadership by disabled people
- Objective 6, foster an aware and responsive public service.
4. Employment of disabled people
Desired Outcome
Disabled people with have equal access to employment and development opportunities within DIA.
Description
- Continue to seek places for people from the mainstream programme and support people with impairments to consider employment opportunities available to them.
- Support disabled staff by ensuring their physical work environment and development plans reasonably take account of any unique needs.
- Continue to provide support for a Disabilities EEO network.
- As part of the Department’s EEO Plan, work with the SSC and other agencies to collect better data on disabled people to help identify issues and potential interventions.
Measures
- Number of mainstream placements made.
- Number of staff provided with a work environment to meet a unique need.
- DIA meets any SSC deadlines for collecting better data.
Links to NZ Disability Strategy Objectives
Links to the following NZ Disability Strategy objectives:
- Objective 2, ensure rights for disabled people
- Objective 4, provide opportunities in employment and economic development
- Objective 5, foster leadership for disabled people.
5: Policy and Service delivery
Desired Outcome
Current DIA services are accessible and able to be used by disabled people.
The needs of disabled people are considered and if appropriate addressed as part of the development, design and implementation of new policies and services.
Description
All new policy work and service delivery programmes within the Department, will include consideration of a disability perspective in design, development, and implementation. The Policy and Service Development Disability Perspective guidelines, the Department’s policy quality assurance process, and the disability audit tool will be used. Consultation with people representative of the disabilities community will take place where appropriate
Measures
- Customer service surveys include disability responsiveness questions.
- Policy quality assurance papers will verify that disability issues, to the extent that they are relevant, have been addressed as part of all policy development.
Links to NZ Disability Strategy Objectives
This item links to the following NZ Disability Strategy objectives:
- Objective 2, ensure rights for disabled people
- Objective 4, provide opportunities in employment and economic development
- Objective 6, foster an aware and responsive public service
- Objective 10, collect and use relevant information about disabled people and disability issues.