Digital Council for Aotearoa New Zealand #weeknotes (9)

By Mitchell Pham, Chair of the Digital Council for Aotearoa New Zealand.

Stakeholder meetings continue

Last week we continued to meet with a wide array of sectors and interest groups — thanks again to everyone who’s taken the time to meet with us.

First up, we met with Professor Shaun Hendy and learnt more about the team’s work on complex systems at Te Punaha Matatini.

Shaun’s team specialise in building quantitative models for complex issues such as those relating to Covid-19. The team is also exploring the issue of disinformation related to Covid-19 and its spread. We see plenty of opportunity to work with Shaun’s team to share insights, case studies and research.

Next week we will meet with representatives from the arts and creative sectors and continue to canvas issues related to digital inclusion, accessibility, access to information and the need for more widespread co-design practices.

Update on our research work

Last week, we announced details of our major research programme into automated decision making and our new partnership with Brainbox Institute and Massey University’s Toi Āria: Design for Public Good.

We told people about our gold sponsorship of this year’s Digital Identity New Zealand research survey on New Zealanders’ attitudes towards digital interactions, trust and transparency.

And we asked people for their thoughts on the following research questions (don’t forget to email your answers to: info@digitalcouncil.nz).

1. What’s the best thing you’ve read recently on automated decision making? (either because of the quality of the insights or the way the information was communicated).
2. When we say ADM, what springs to mind?

Digital inclusion presentation to a global audience

Also last week, thanks to the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, we were invited to participate in a webinar meeting to mark Germany’s inaugural annual Digitaltag (Digital Day) 2020.

The theme of the meeting was ‘Public Policy for Digital Inclusion — Best Practices from around the World.’

Our chair, Mitchell Pham, joined Selly Bynessayn, Head of Digital Literacy at Digital Israel, to explore issues of access to digital services, the increasing gap between those who have digital advantage and those who are disadvantaged. The pair also discussed different ways to ensure everyone has equitable opportunities to participate in society and business using digital technologies.

Thanks to the Digital Inclusion Programme team at DIA for an update on the Digital Inclusion Blueprint and their plans to launch a new Action Plan for Digital Inclusion later in the year.

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