I have been leading the Navigate Programme, based at the Service Innovation Lab in Wellington, a multi-faceted piece of work exploring how we improve digital services at an all-of-government level.

Strategic initiatives

Our initial work focuses on a subset of systemic challenges, including:

• Testing of an all-of-government Design System
• Structured content model(s)
• A government information architecture
• Discovery into Te Reo Maori integration
• ‘Life Events’ Service Integration

These initiatives are guided by core principles around:

• User-centric design
• Inclusive development of digital services
• Establishing baselines to measure impacts

Digital Service Design Framework

Building on our initial prototyping and testing, we’re co-designing a comprehensive framework to:

1. Establish consensus on best practices
2. Provide tools, platforms, and standards for people-centred service design
3. Foster an active community of contributors and users

Our approach aligns with the Digital Service Design Standard, ensuring consistency and quality across government services.

Working for our future selves

As we move forward, our focus is on:

1. Scaling successful prototypes
2. Deepening cross-agency collaboration
3. Continuously refining our framework based on user feedback
4. Promoting a culture of digital innovation within government

By addressing systemic challenges and leveraging user insights, we’re building a more responsive, efficient, and user-friendly digital government ecosystem for all New Zealanders.