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DIA announces digital dream team to help grease the wheels of government

Last week, Chris Tremain, the minister of internal affairs, announced the launch of the cross-government Common Web Services initiative, which aims to streamline the tender processes for central and local government agencies to save time and money. And 42 providers across seven categories have made the cut. 

“Agencies
requiring web related resources can now select from this panel of providers,
complete minimal paperwork, and get on with the job of providing government
information and services online,” Tremain said in a release. “The panel of providers is comprehensive and
includes New Zealand owned and operated small-to medium sized enterprises with
specific expertise, as well as larger companies offering a wider range of
services. Better procurement practices for government
work are vital to ensure that the taxpayer is getting value for money. This
streamlined arrangement will reduce red tape and improve efficiency. This initiative demonstrates the government’s
commitment to helping citizens and businesses engage with government more
easily in a digital environment.”

A spokesperson for DIA couldn’t be contacted, but according to the webpage, CWS will benefit both government agencies
and suppliers alike (as long as those suppliers made it on to the list, of course).

“[Government ] agencies will no longer have to tender
for web projects, big or small. This will save staff time, including
administrative and legal. This will also allow agencies to develop stronger
working relationships with suppliers, which will in turn provide better
outcomes. CWS is good for suppliers who will no
longer have the expense of preparing tenders for government work. This is
likely to benefit small-medium suppliers the most, and will contribute to
economic development in this sector.”

Although the mandatory
procurement rules require all government entities to follow formal processes for contracts worth more than $100,000, many agencies have
internal procurement policies that require formal processes for contracts less
than $100,000 as well. And while government agencies are “strongly encouraged to participate” and use the panel, it is opt in. 

Members of the panel, which were chosen through what was ostensibly a credentials pitch plus interviews, have been appointed for an initial term of two years, with participating agencies and suppliers jointly agreeing to common, carefully considered terms of business. 

M&C Saatchi is one of the agencies that has been accepted onto the panel and general manager Aaron White says as the scheme is optional it will have to survive on its merits.

“If the suppliers collectively provide good, honest value for money and deliver great work, we’ll have helped create a system that benefits everyone involved. We’re completely committed to that.”

And Ben Pujji, M&C Saatchi’s head of digital, says: “The streamlining of procurement will hopefully mean we can spend more time and energy on doing great work and less on the journey of getting to the start line.”

Doug Hanna, chief executive of Terabyte Interactive, another one of the suppliers on the list, says the CWS scheme makes absolute sense because it will improve efficiencies in the procurement process, ensure the state gets better value for money, stop duplications and tighten up on the “enormous variation of systems and suppliers in use”. 

The other part of the CWS scheme is procuring a single web platform for government entities to use. Hanna, whose company has NZ Trade and Enterprise, NZ Tourism, Christchurch and Canterbury Tourism, NZ Parliament and Auckland and Palmerston North City Councils on its books, says there are an awful lot of content management systems in use at present so this will also “reduce wastage”and make it faster and easier to deploy websites.

The working group responsible for the CWS scheme includes representatives from the Department of Internal Affairs, Treasury, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Culture and Heritage, Ministry of Social Development, Crown Law, Treasury, Inland Revenue, Ministry for Primary Industries, Maritime NZ, PHARMAC, Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, Ministry of Transport, and NZ Transport Agency. 

The list: 

CompanyURLPanels
3monthswww.3months.comFront-end developers
Affinity IDwww.affinityid.co.nzInformation architects, Usability advisors, Website testers, Front-end developers, Graphical/visual designers, Website technical writers
Aura Information Securitywww.aurainfosec.comWebsite testers
Boost New Mediawww.boost.co.nzInformation architects,  Website testers, Front-end developers, Graphical/visual designers, Website technical writers
Catalyst.NET Limitedhttp://catalyst.net.nzInformation architects, Usability advisors, Website testers, Front-end developers, Graphical/visual designers,  Accessibility consultants
Chrometoaster New Media Limitedwww.chrometoaster.comInformation architects,  Front-end developers, Graphical/visual designers
ClearPoint Limitedwww.clearpoint.co.nzFront-end developers
Clicksuitewww.clicksuite.co.nzInformation architects, Usability advisors, Website testers,  Graphical/visual designers
Contented Consortiumhttp://contented.comWebsite technical writers, Accessibility consultants
Culture Workshophttp://cultureworkshop.co.nzInformation architects
Datacom Systems (Wellington) Limitedwww.datacom.co.nzInformation architects, Usability advisors, Website testers, Front-end developers, Graphical/visual designers,  Accessibility consultants
Design By Insightwww.designedbyinsight.comInformation architects, Front-end developers, Graphical/visual designers
DNA Designhttp://dna.co.nzInformation architects, Usability advisors,  Front-end developers, Graphical/visual designers
Enlighten Designswww.enlighten.co.nzWebsite testers, Front-end developers, Graphical/visual designers
Equinox Limitedwww.equinox.co.nzWebsite testers
Experiencewww.experience.net.nzInformation architects, Usability advisors,  Front-end developers, Graphical/visual designers, Website technical writers
Gustowww.gustodesign.co.nzFront-end developers, Graphical/visual designers
Heydayhttp://heyday.co.nzInformation architects, Usability advisors, Graphical/visual designers, Website technical writers 
IntegrationQAwww.integrationqa.co.nzWebsite testers
Intergen Limitedwww.intergen.co.nzInformation architects, Usability advisors,  , Graphical/visual designers, Website technical writers
Learning Mediawww.learningmedia.co.nzInformation architects, Usability advisors, Website testers, Front-end developers, Graphical/visual designers, Website technical writers, Accessibility consultants
Netcowww.netco.co.nzWebsite technical writers
NV Interactivewww.nvinteractive.co.nzInformation architects, Front-end developers, Graphical/visual designers
Ocean Design Group Limitedwww.oceandesign.co.nzGraphical/visual designers
Optimal Usabilitywww.optimalusability.comInformation architects, Usability advisors, Website testers
Pikselin (formerly Shift)http://pikselin.comInformation architects, Usability advisors, Website testers, Front-end developers, Graphical/visual designers
Planit Software Testing Limitedwww.planittesting.co.nzWebsite testers
Provoke Solutions Limitedwww.provoke.co.nzInformation architects, Usability advisors
Qual IT Solutions Limitedwww.qualit.co.nzWebsite testers
M&C Saatchi www.mcsaatchi.co.nzInformation architects,  Front-end developers, Graphical/visual designers
Samdogwww.samdog.co.nzInformation architects, Usability advisors,  Front-end developers, Graphical/visual designers,  Accessibility consultants
Signify Limitedwww.signify.co.nzInformation architects, Usability advisors, Website testers, Front-end developers
SilverStripe Ltdwww.silverstripe.comInformation architects, Usability advisors, Website testers, Front-end developers, Graphical/visual designers,  Accessibility consultants
Sparks Interactivewww.sparksinteractive.co.nzInformation architects, Usability advisors,  Front-end developers, Graphical/visual designers
Squizwww.squiz.co.nzFront-end developers
Sysdochttp://sysdocgroup.comInformation architects,  Website technical writers
TACTICS Limitedwww.tactics.co.nzWebsite technical writers
Terabyte Interactive Ltdwww.terabyte.co.nzInformation architects,  Front-end developers, Graphical/visual designers
The Churchwww.thechurch.co.nzFront-end developers, Graphical/visual designers
Webstruxure Limitedwww.webstruxure.co.nzWebsite technical writers
Writeclickwww.writeclick.co.nzWebsite technical writers
Write Limitedwww.write.co.nzWebsite technical writers

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