Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet

Introduction

The various roles and functions of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (DPMC) involve only limited responsibility for disability issues or the disability sector. Consequently DPMC in most respects has little contact with disabled people.

The roles and functions with some responsibility, and/or where contact does occur, are:

• The Cabinet Office, which (among other things) ensures that appropriate consultation has taken place and is reflected in papers going to Cabinet or Cabinet Committees, including papers with implications for disability issues or disabled people.
• The Policy Advisory Group, which (among other things) co-ordinates and provides the Prime Minister with appropriate high-level advice that may include policies with implications for disability issues or disabled people.
• Government Houses in Wellington and Auckland, which host many functions for community groups and the public.
• The Honours Secretariat, which deals with community groups and the public in administering the New Zealand honours system.
• The DPMC and Government House web sites, which contain information of wide interest to community groups and the public.

DPMC, in common with all government agencies, also has responsibilities to disabled people as employees and visitors, and is responsible for fostering a public service that is aware of and responsive to disability issues.

The Office for Disability Issues has requested that Implementation Plans this year focus on specific, large or new items rather than business as usual. As described above, DPMC’s roles and functions give it little scope to develop such items. Business as usual activities that DPMC continues to carry out, but which are not prescribed as actions in this Plan, include taking steps to ensure that:

• disabled people can access buildings occupied by DPMC (as far as practicable, where DPMC is not the owner) and utilise the facilities inside;
• DPMC’s web sites and intranet comply with the State Services Commission’s standards for access by disabled people;
• DPMC’s recruitment and selection processes are free of unfair barriers for disabled people;
• the induction processes for new staff include DPMC’s EEO Policy and Plan and the NZ Disability Strategy Implementation Plan; and
• staff are provided with appropriate ergonomic equipment and OOS prevention and management software.

1. Staff Awareness

Desired Outcome

Disabled people will benefit from DPMC staff being able to carry out their roles more effectively through having a greater awareness and understanding of disability issues and how those issues relate to their roles.

Description

All staff of DPMC will develop a greater awareness and understanding of disability issues, the disability sector, the New Zealand Disability Strategy, and the barriers and discrimination encountered by disabled people.

Particular groups of staff will understand how these matters relate to their roles and responsibilities within DPMC.

Measures and Timeframes

Disability awareness training will be developed in the 2005-06 year for all DPMC staff. As well as general awareness, this training will cover the relationship of disability issues to the roles of particular groups of DPMC staff, including:

• Managers,
• Cabinet Office Advisors,
• Policy Advisory Group Advisors.

Link to NZ Disability Strategy Objectives and Action

Foster an aware and responsive public service.