Case Study 5: E-Local Government in the Auckland Region
Who is Involved?
North Shore City Council, Auckland City Council, Auckland Regional Council, Manukau City Council, Rodney District Council, Waitakere City Council, Franklin District Council, and Papakura District Council.
What Led To The Joint Arrangement?
The eight Auckland local authorities first began evaluating the possible benefits of working together at the end of 1999. At its meeting of September 2000, the Auckland Chief Executives Forum directed staff to establish a working party to report on E-Local Government in the Auckland region. In October 2000, a proposal was put to the forum for a working party that would establish a vision for E-Local Government in the Auckland region, draw up strategies, and identify net benefits from co-operation.
How Does It Work?
Agendas and minutes are prepared for the Auckland E-Local Government Working Party meetings, which assess progress on issues raised at previous meetings, review the status of the current work programme, and note action points and timetables. The Working Party reports periodically to the Chief Executives Forum on achievements and status of the current work programme, and on particular issues that it is asked to investigate on a regional basis. A consultant to the Auckland Shared Services Representative Group routinely attends meetings of the Working Party, to ensure its work is consistent with, and linked to, other joint arrangements.
The Working Party has defined its role as being to:
- co-ordinate and monitor progress to implement the Auckland region E-Local Government vision;
- establish and administer an Auckland Region Local Government Internet Portal;
- liaise with the E-Government Unit of the State Services Commission to ensure that Auckland developments complement central government direction; and
- establish and maintain regional benchmarks for presentation, content, and services to be provided through the local authorities’ web sites.
The Working Party has followed a strategy of adopting the E-Government Unit’s central government standards wherever possible. For example, the eight local authorities have agreed that Internet service delivery developments should be co-ordinated throughout the region, and follow central government developments as closely as possible.