Statistics New Zealand

Introduction

Statistics New Zealand’s main role under the Statistics Act 1975 is to:

1. Provide leadership for New Zealand’s official statistics.
2. Be the key contributor to the collection, analysis and dissemination of official statistics relating to New Zealand’s economy, environment and society.
3. Build and maintain trust in official statistics.
4. Ensure that official statistics are of high integrity and quality, and are equally available to all.

Statistics New Zealand is a medium-sized organisation with approximately 1000 staff, not including interviewers, working across four locations in Wellington, Christchurch and Auckland.

Statistics New Zealand’s outcomes framework consists of a high-level outcome (the over-arching driver for our business), an intermediate outcome (the situation over which our impacts can have the most influence), and two lower-level outcomes, which are commonly referred to as ‘Impacts’. These impacts are things that we may influence directly in order that we may bring about the situation described in the intermediate outcome.

High-level outcome

An informed society through official statistics

Intermediate outcome

Governments, businesses, communities and citizens use official statistics on New Zealand’s economy, society and environment to inform debate, research and decision making.

Impact: Trust and confidence

Users and respondents have trust and confidence in the Official Statistics System

Impact: Access

Users have access to official statistics

These outcomes relate most directly to Objective 10 in the New Zealand Disability Strategy: Collect and use relevant information about disabled people and disability issues.

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 2.1	Yes
	Tested for accessibility for disabled people	Yes
	Adapted to increase accessibility to disabled people	Yes
	Downloadable files available in HTML, not only PDF	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)		Yes
Agency makes available alternative forms of contact (ie 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)	Yes
Agency’s buildings and sites have Building Code compliance certification	Yes
Agency’s buildings and sites audited for accessibility by Barrier Free NZ Trust	Yes
Agency’s buildings and sites accessible.
Frontline staff receive training in disability responsiveness		Yes
Reception areas accessible	Yes
Counters lowered for wheelchair users	Yes
Telephone staff familiar with using NZ Relay service1	Yes
Other accommodations (please list) Signage Accessible lifts	Yes

Accessible government services	Achieved / available	Planned this year	N/A
Service policies and procedures include reference to disability issues (eg policies on the use of New Zealand Sign Language Interpreters)	Yes
Information/data on services provided to disabled people is recorded			N/A
Service staff receive disability responsiveness training	Yes
When contracting for new or up-graded IT applications and environments, contracts include a requirement to ensure accessibility by disabled users		Yes

Responsive government employment practices		Achieved / available	Planned this year	N/A
Human Resource policies and procedures include EEO issues for disabled people		No
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 Kit2, etc)		No
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			N/A
	Other support provided to disabled staff (please list)			N/A

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 and definition of disability.)	Yes
	Data on disability related accommodations, adaptive equipment, etc, provided by your agency	Yes
	Number of disabled people employed under the State Service Commission’s ‘Mainstream programme’3.	Yes
	Number of current employees previously employed under the ‘Mainstream Programme’.	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)			N/A
	Information/data on agency’s disabled client group recorded			N/A

Level 2 Activities: Disability perspective included in ordinary work

Disability responsiveness training and resources	Planned this year	N/A
Disability responsiveness training offered to all staff (Where training is provided your end of year report should indicate who gave the training, when it was given, and how many staff and what kind of staff attended)	No
Promotion of the Disability Perspective Tool Kit4 within your agency (eg this website resource distributed to policy and strategic personnel, receiving training or advice on the use of this resource, etc) (Where known, your end of year report should indicate any training or advice received on the use of this resource, who gave the training and who attended)	Yes
Other (please indicate)

Disability perspective included in ordinary work		Planned this year	N/A
Key documents to incorporate a disability perspective
	Cabinet papers	Yes
	Policy and procedure papers	Yes
	Strategic documents (eg Statement of Intent, Managing for Outcomes and key strategies)	Yes
	Legislation		N/A
	Consultation with disabled people/groups	Yes
	Other (please indicate)

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 (eg staff/membership supports the inclusion of disabled people, compliance with level 1 activities is encouraged, your agency’s purchase agreements require compliance with the Disability Strategy, and where appropriate requires the provision of any data/information on disability issues/disabled clients)		N/A
Other (please indicate)

Level 3 Activities: key Disability focused work your agency is leading

1. New Zealand Disability Survey

Description

Statistics New Zealand is leading the development of a coordinated whole-of-government programme of official social statistics. The programme includes a 5 yearly disability survey following each Census of Population and Dwellings. The 2006 Census included filter questions to identify much of the population for the post-censal disability survey which will be conducted in late 2006.

During the 2005/06 year, Statistics New Zealand consulted with key users to identify their information needs for the 2006 Disability Survey. These needs were taken into account when designing the survey.

Desired Outcome

The 2006 Disability Survey:

• provides a comprehensive picture of disability in New Zealand in 2006, that is internationally comparable
• meets user needs
• provides up-to-date data that is comparable with the 1996/97 and 2001 Disability Surveys
• allows changes to be measured between these survey periods.

Outcome measures and timeframes

2006 Disability Survey undertaken by the end of 2006.

Links to Strategy objective and action

Collect and use relevant information about disabled people and disability issues - action 10.2.

2. Promote the Use of Existing Data

Description

Promote the data from the 1996/97, 2001 and 2006 Disability Surveys through analysing and presenting results in analytical publications and appropriate forums to be used in policy, decision-making and evaluation processes.

Desired Outcome

Increased understanding of disabled people and their needs.

Increased use of existing data in planning and monitoring government services for disabled people.

Outcome measures and timeframes

Results are presented in a readily understood form.

All reasonable opportunities are taken up to provide further analysis and presentation of data on disabled people.

Links to Strategy objective and action

Collect and use relevant information about disabled people and disability issues - actions 10.3, 10.4 and 10.5.

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1. For information on NZ Relay service
2. The Disability Perspective Tool Kit is available on the Office for Disability Issues’ website
3. Information on the State Service Commission’s Mainstream Programme
4. The Disability Perspective Tool Kit is available on the Office for Disability Issues’ website