In my most recent role, I’ve been working with the Deputy Government Chief Digital Officer and her team here in New Zealand, in putting together a Channels Strategy ‘Whakameto’ (Advance) for the Digital Public Service (DPS) branch.

A Vision for the future

At the heart of this strategy lies a vision to:

“Share our mahi stories early and often, so we are trusted, transparent, authentic and we mobilize and inspire the public service.”

This vision serves as a guiding light for engagement teams, setting the stage for clear objectives in our work.

Collaborative approach

The strategy’s development involved an extensive consultations, including:

• 30 sessions with the DPS branch and other public sector agencies

• Insights from international counterparts such as the Canadian Digital Service

• Alignment with the Strategy for a Digital Public Service and DIA organizational values

Key findings and recommendations

The process revealed the need for bolder, more authentic communication and new storytelling methods. To achieve this, a new Editorial Group (Rōpū) has been established to:

• Develop diverse content
• Accelerate communications releases
• Enhance DPS’s reputation
• Improve analytics reporting
• Empower branch communications

Embracing change, looking forward

In today’s crowded digital landscape, this Channels Strategy aims to create a strong, authentic identity that resonates with our audiences. It provides structure to communication efforts while allowing flexibility for teams to adapt messaging as needed.

The DPS team continues to drive positive change, and influence Aotearoa’s digital government transformation. This Channels Strategy will help our showcasing of the impactful work of talented teams from across the public sector.