Ministry of Justice
New Zealand Disability Strategy Implementation Work Plan. 1 July 2006 – 30 June 2007
Preface
This plan sets out the Ministry of Justice’s planned activities to implement the Government’s Disability Strategy in the 2006/07 financial year. The plan aligns with the requirements of the Office for Disability Issues and conforms to the plan template provided.
The Office for Disability Issues broadly categorises implementation activities into three levels and indicates that:
- Level 1 activities are applicable to all government departments
- Level 2 activities are applicable to some government agencies
- Level 3 activities are applicable to just a few government agencies.
The diagram below illustrates how these three levels are linked.
The Ministry of Justice is contributing to Levels 1, 2 and 3 with activities noted in each of these levels.
Introduction
Role
The Ministry is responsible for three core functions:
- delivery of operational services including court-related and tribunal-related services, electoral services and negotiations for settling historical Treaty of Waitangi claims
- provision of policy advice; and
- leadership of the justice sector.
These functions are administered in three Votes: Justice; Treaty Negotiations; and Courts.
Operational services
The Ministry delivers the following operational services on behalf of government:
- administration, case management and support services to the Supreme Court, Court of Appeal, High Court and District Courts, including the Family Court and the Youth Court.
- administration, case management and support services to specialist jurisdictions including the Māori Land Court, Māori Appellate Court, Environment Court, Employment Court, Coroners, and a range of authorities and tribunals including the Disputes Tribunals and the Tenancy Tribunal.
- delivery of registry services, claims administration, research services, hearings management, judicial support, and report-writing services to the Waitangi Tribunal.
- negotiations for settlement of historical claims arising from the Treaty of Waitangi and management of land for use in settlements.
- administration of parliamentary elections, by-elections and referenda.
- collection and enforcement of court-imposed monetary penalties and infringement fines, and enforcement of civil court orders.
In delivering operational services and providing support to the judiciary, the importance of the constitutional independence of judicial decision making is recognised. The Ministry’s administrative services facilitate these processes.
Policy advice
The Ministry provides policy advice to the Minister of Justice, Minister in Charge of Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations, Minister for Courts, Attorney-General, Associate Minister of Justice and Associate Minister in Charge of Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations. Briefings and advice provided to Ministers and Cabinet contribute to the development of government policy and the reform and development of legislation. Support and advice are also provided to a number of select committees, in particular, Justice and Electoral, Law and Order, and Māori Affairs.
The Ministry facilitates input to the justice system from the public by managing consultation during the reform and/or development of justice-related legislation, and communicates, on behalf of the Government, the intent and implementation requirements of new legislation.
In addition, the Ministry works with a range of non-government organisations in crime prevention and other activities, such as partnerships with local authorities and iwi, and funding provided directly to support local initiatives.
Sector leadership
The Ministry has a mandate for leadership of the justice sector and the co-ordination of processes that ensure a collaborative, outcome-focused approach. This includes undertaking research and evaluation, providing advice in relation to sector outcomes, linking cross-sector strategies that contribute to those outcomes, strengthening sector knowledge and information flows, and co-ordinating the sector’s annual budget process.
Non-departmental output classes
Some of the services that contribute to the justice system are provided by Crown entities and other service providers. These services are funded through non-departmental output classes within Vote Justice.
The Ministry works on behalf of the Minister of Justice with justice sector Crown entities and agencies to:
- support good governance through assistance with board appointment processes
- help ensure organisational capability to deliver intended results
- improve the co-ordination of entities and agencies within the justice sector
- support, and participate in, effective planning processes, assessing financial and non-financial performance against key indicators
- decide and advise on the merits of significant business cases or Budget initiatives
- identify and manage risks and keep the Minister informed of these risks.
Organisational structure
The Ministry is organised into three business groups – Operations, Policy and Legal, and Strategy and Corporate – and the Chief Electoral Office.
The Ministry is led by an Executive Team comprising the Secretary for Justice/Chief Executive and three Deputy Secretaries. The Executive Team sets the Ministry’s strategic direction and is responsible for its performance, and the development and maintenance of its capability. The Deputy Secretaries are responsible for the three core functions of the Ministry.
The Senior Management Team includes the Executive Team, the Chief Electoral Officer (who reports directly to the Chief Executive), 10 General Managers, the Chief Legal Counsel, the Director - Office of Treaty Settlements, the Director - Strategic Policy Unit, and the Director - Service Improvement.
Link Between Disability Strategy and the Ministry's Strategic Documents
A main focus of the Ministry over the lifespan of its current Strategic Plan (2005-2010) is on building its capability to better deliver our services to all those who need to access them. Key initiatives for 2006/07 are outlined in this implementation plan.
Statement of Intent
In the 2006/07 Statement of Intent, under the heading of Contributing to other Government priorities (page 35), the Ministry confirms its contribution towards the New Zealand Disability Strategy. Specific activities it undertakes to contribute to this priority are outlined in the Ministry’s annual reports.
Annual Report
The Ministry’s 2004/05 Annual Report, under the main heading of Contributing to other Government priorities and sub heading Disability Strategy (page 45), details the range of activities that the Ministry carried out in that financial year.
In the Ministry’s pending 2005/06 Annual Report, there will be a similar section that will provide updates on progress made in this past year’s disability-related work programmes.
Human Resources Strategy
The Ministry’s Human Resources Strategy is currently under development. This will be a comprehensive strategy relating to all aspects of people working in the Ministry. The issues arising out of the Government’s Disability Strategy have been taken into account and will be integrated into this strategy. The implementation of the Human Resources Strategy will commence in the 2006-07 financial year.
Level 1 Activities: Universal responsiveness to disability issues
| Accessible government information | Achieved / available | Planned this year | N/A |
|---|---|---|---|
| Agency’s websites | |||
|
Meet e-government Web-Guidelines 2.11 Over the past year, the Ministry has been working towards the e-govt |
Yes | ||
|
Tested for accessibility for disabled people The Ministry intends to utilise an external company to carry out website accessibility testing of its main website. The results will be used as the new baseline to develop a detailed work plan for implementing accessibility testing. |
Yes | ||
|
Adapted to increase accessibility to disabled people Refer above and below |
Yes | ||
|
Downloadable files available in HTML, not only PDF The Ministry’s project to make downloadable files on the website available in HTML and not only PDF on the Ministry’s main website at www.justice.govt.nz will be completed in 2006/07 with the following three exceptions: a) documents in foreign languages |
Yes | ||
|
Other publications and public information available in alternative formats (eg key information available in easy-to-read English, Braille, NZSL video clips, captions on TV adverts, etc) The Chief Electoral Office is planning to further develop previous work undertaken for the deaf community that allowed them to better participate in the 2005 General Election and apply it for people with other disabilities, such as the blind. As part of this work, the Chief Electoral Office intends to build on the success of the Sign Language DVD as part of its revised Disability Action Plan leading towards the 2008 General Election. It plans to look at using specially formatted material for the blind and also to review options for providing information in different formats. |
Yes | ||
| Agency makes available alternative forms of contact (i.e. phone and fax numbers, email addresses, etc) |
Yes |
| Accessible government buildings and sites | Achieved / available | Planned this year | N/A | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
All agency’s buildings and sites meet statutory and regulatory access requirements (eg NZS 4121) In the 2006/07 year, the courthouses listed below will be upgraded and made compliant with the requirements of the Disabled Persons Community Welfare Act 19752 with regard to toilets, access ramps and lifts: Blenheim District and High Court, Greymouth District Court, Queenstown District Court, Hastings District Court, Invercargill District Court and Levin District Court. These works are part of the Ministry’s Capital Works programme that covers all of the Ministry’s properties nationwide. |
Yes | Yes | ||
|
Agency’s buildings and sites have Building Code compliance certification All of the Ministry’s buildings comply with the Building Code. Included amongst the Ministry’s properties are 21 buildings that have a Heritage classification which limits the extent to which these buildings can be altered or modified. In these buildings, compliance has been achieved in the best practical ways available. |
Yes | |||
|
Agency’s buildings and sites audited for accessibility by Barrier Free NZ Trust The Ministry will consider accessibility compliance and auditing. To this end, the Ministry will work with Barrier Free NZ Trust and other such audit service providers. |
Yes | |||
| Agency’s buildings and sites accessible | ||||
|
Frontline staff receive training in disability responsiveness Customer Focus training is to be developed and rolled out to frontline District Courts staff during 2006/07 financial year. Included in this training will be appropriate content and/or a module to cover disability responsiveness. |
Yes | |||
| Reception areas accessible | Yes | |||
|
Counters lowered for wheelchair users The Ministry has to consider issues of court security with regard to lowered counters. Where service counters in courthouses are not lowered, there are interview rooms adjacent to these counters for use by people with disabilities and for others who are unable to access services across the counter. |
Yes | |||
|
Telephone staff familiar with using NZ Relay service3 The Ministry will be consulting with NZ Relay with regard to including a training module in the training programme for its Collections call centre staff. |
Yes | |||
|
Other accommodations (please list) (eg signage, accessible lifts, hearing loops, etc) Signage Lifts Hearing Loops Courtroom Sound Systems |
Yes | Yes | ||
| Accessible government services | Achieved / available | Planned this year | N/A |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Service policies and procedures include reference to disability issues New Zealand Sign Language Act 2006 In the 2006/07 financial year, the Ministry plans to:
|
Yes | ||
|
Chief Electoral Office Each parliamentary term the Chief Electoral Office seeks to improve its service to the voting public and to the political parties and candidates who contest elections. In 2006/07, the Chief Electoral Office will review the 2005 Election action plan to focus their project work towards the planned 2008 general election. As part of this, the Office will continue to work in consultation with various disability organisations and community groups. Some priorities include:
|
Yes | ||
| Information/data on services provided to disabled people is recorded | No | ||
|
Service staff receive disability responsiveness training Customer Focus training is to be developed and rolled out to frontline District Courts staff during 2006/07 financial year. Included in this training will be appropriate content and/or a module to cover disability responsiveness. |
Yes | ||
|
When contracting for new or up-graded IT applications and environments, contracts include a requirement to ensure accessibility by disabled users The Ministry plans to establish governance and compliance frameworks which will include guidelines for authors and publishers of web related materials and content being supplied to the Ministry. |
Yes |
| Responsive government employment practices | Achieved / available | Planned this year | N/A | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Human Resource policies and procedures include EEO issues for disabled people | Yes | |||
| Recruitment and selection of vacancies responsive to disabled people (eg vacancies advertised to the widest possible audience, vacancies list alternative forms of contact – phone, fax, email, etc) | Yes | |||
| Human Resource staff familiar with EEO issues for disabled people (eg staff receive disability responsiveness training, staff familiar with the Disability Perspective Tool Kit4, etc) |
Yes | |||
| Disabled staff are supported | ||||
| Individual assessments of workplace accommodations or support are provided (eg work station assessments) |
Yes | |||
| Accommodations provided to disabled staff (eg work station adaptations, special equipment, New Zealand Sign Language interpreters, etc are provided) |
Yes | |||
| Disabled staff provided with opportunities for career advancement | Yes | |||
| Agency supports a disabled staff network group | Yes* | |||
| Internal agency newsletters promote the positive presence of disabled staff people | Yes** | |||
| Other support provided to disabled staff (please list) | Yes*** | |||
* When Ministry staff were surveyed in regard to forming or participating in a network, their response indicated a preference to participate in a network that was already established, e.g. through the State Services Commission.
** In the monthly staff newsletter Working Together, the Ministry will look at appropriate ways to acknowledge the role that the Ministry’s disabled staff are playing in the ongoing development and day-to-day operations of the Ministry. *** The Ministry provides appropriate support tailored to the individual needs of the disabled staff member.
| Information and data on disabled people is collected | Achieved / available | Planned this year | N/A | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Information on agency’s responsiveness to disabled staff people | ||||
| Number of disabled people employed (we recommend you use the State Service Commission’s EEO disability information) |
Yes | |||
| Data on disability related accommodations, adaptive equipment, etc, provided by your agency | No | No | ||
| Number of disabled people employed under the State Service Commission’s ‘Mainstream programme’5. | Yes | |||
| Information on agency’s responsiveness to the disabled public | ||||
| Information and data on agency’s contact with the disabled public is recorded (eg consultation with disabled groups) |
No | No | ||
| Information/data on agency’s disabled client group recorded | * | |||
Level 2 Activities: Disability perspective included in ordinary work
Applicable to some government agencies, particularly those who have general social policy responsibilities. In addition to planning and reporting activities under level 2, these agencies will also plan and report on their level 1 activities.
These activities involve encouraging departments to ensure a disability perspective is routinely considered within their ordinary work.
| Disability responsiveness training and resources | Planned this year | N/A |
|---|---|---|
| Disability responsiveness training offered to all staff Refer Ministry’s planned Customer Focus training initiative to incorporate disability responsiveness into front line staff training (see Level 1 – Accessible government services). |
Yes | |
| Promotion of the Disability Perspective Tool Kit6 within your agency (eg this website resource distributed to policy and strategic personnel, receiving training or advice on the use of this resource, etc) In the 2006/07 financial year, the Ministry plans to further consider how to ensure disability perspectives are included as a core part of policy development and how they can be built into future training modules. |
Yes |
| Disability perspective included in ordinary work | Planned this year | N/A |
|---|---|---|
| Key documents to incorporate a disability perspective | ||
| A. Cabinet papers and Bills All of the Ministry’s Cabinet papers and draft Bills are vetted for compliance with the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act 1990 and the Human Rights Act 1993. This includes vetting for implications regarding disability. |
Already being done |
|
| B. Policy and procedure papers The Ministry will take part in ongoing working groups and inter-agency developments relating to the implementation of the New Zealand Sign Language Act 2006. |
Yes | |
| C. Strategic documents (eg Statement of Intent, Managing for Outcomes and key strategies) In the Ministry’s Strategic Plan 2005-2010, under Theme 1 Putting Service First, the Ministry sets out its strategy to better understand its customers’ service needs and to enhance its services to reflect this understanding. Implicit in this is the inclusion of awareness of the need of service users with disabilities. The Ministry’s Statement of Intent and Annual Plan are referred to in this plan’s Introduction on page 6. In the 2006/07 financial year, the Ministry will commence the implementation of its Human Resources Strategy that will include reference to disability responsiveness. |
Yes Yes Yes |
|
| D. Legislation Refer above in (a) |
Yes | |
| E. Consultation with disabled people/groups The Ministry will consult with the disabled community as an integral part of its process to develop a disability responsiveness module for its Collections call centre staff training programme. |
Yes |
| Implementing the NZ Disability Strategy beyond your agency | Planned this year | N/A |
|---|---|---|
| Agencies, Crown Entities, boards, reference groups, etc, that your agency is responsible for are encouraged to consider disabled people and disability issues The Ministry of Justice manages a number of relationships with Crown entities funded through Vote Justice. These include: Electoral Commission, Human Rights Commission, Law Commission, Legal Services Agency, Police Complaints Authority, and Privacy Commissioner. The Ministry also manages a number of other agencies funded through Vote Justice Non-departmental Output Classes. These entities and agencies are encouraged by the Ministry to consider disabled people and disability issues and this will be appropriately reflected in the entities’ and agencies’ 2006/07 accountability documentation. |
Yes |
Level 3 Activities: key Disability focused work
Applicable to a few government agencies who have key social policy responsibilities in areas that have a significant impact on the lives of disabled people. In addition to planning and reporting activities under level 3, these agencies will also plan and report on their level 1 and 2 activities. These activities involve key disability-focused work.
1. Implementation of the New Zealand Sign Language Act 2006
Description
Implementation of the New Zealand Sign Language Act 2006.
Desired outcome
Issues relating to the consistent implementation of the New Zealand Sign Language Act 2006 will be identified and addressed through the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet’s cross-agency forum. This will mean that deaf people and their families can receive consistent service across government services.
Outcome measures and timeframes
Input and feedback provided by the Ministry as required, as part of the Ministry’s ongoing participation in the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet’s cross-agency forum.
Links to strategy objective and action (in Government’s Disability Strategy)
Objective 2: Ensure rights for disabled people - 2.1 and 2.2.
Objective 6: Foster an aware and responsive public service - 6.2, 6.3, 6.4.
Note that a range of new initiatives are planned within the Ministry that focus on internal issues arising from the introduction of the New Zealand Sign Language Act 2006. Refer to previous page 10.
2. The Ministry of Justice Interpreters’ Strategy
Description
Development and implementation of the Ministry of Justice Interpreters Strategy.
Desired outcome
In 2006/07 the Ministry will be developing a strategy that will outline its responsibility and implementation priorities for the short and medium term to enhance interpreter services within the Ministry.
Outcome measures and timeframes
Development of the strategy and implementation priorities.
Links to strategy objective and action (in Government’s Disability Strategy)
Objective 2: Ensure rights for disabled people - 2.1 & 2.2.
Objective 6: Foster an aware and responsive public service - 6.2, 6.3, 6.4.
3. The New Zealand Action Plan on Human Rights
This project has been continued from the 2005/06 Plan.
Description
The New Zealand Action Plan on Human Rights (NZAPHR) was presented by the Human Rights Commission to the Government on 31 March 2005 . The Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, in consultation with the Ministry of Justice and other relevant departments, is leading the development of options for the Government's response to the Action Plan.
The Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet will continue to progress this work into 2006/07 and the Ministry of Justice expects to be consulted as part of this process.
Further specific work on disability issues (as with all other priority actions in the NZAPHR), other than items already on departmental or agency work programmes, will therefore depend on Cabinet decisions during 2006/7.
Desired outcome
A principal aim of the NZAPHR is to increase the understanding of human rights issues (including disability issues) among policy makers and enhance the likelihood that these factors will become integral to the policy process and therefore addressed fully and at an early stage.
Outcome measures and timeframes
Yet to be defined.
Links to strategy objective and action (in Government’s Disability Strategy)
Objective 6: Foster an aware and responsive public service - 6.1 and 6.2.
1. The current version of the NZ Government Web Guidelines is Version 2.1, last revised on 13 February 2004 . For more information refer to http://www.e.govt.nz/standards/web-guidelines/
2. Disabled Persons Community Welfare Act 1975/Part 2—Promotion of Community Welfare of Disabled Persons/Premises Open to Public/[25 Access and facilities to and within buildings]
3. For information on NZ Relay service
4. The Disability Perspective Tool Kit is available on the Office for Disability Issues’ website
5. Information on the State Service Commission’s Mainstream Programme
6. The Disability Perspective Tool Kit is available on the Office for Disability Issues’ website