AUCKLAND, NZ – While at a reception here in Auckland I had the privilege to meet New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark. An impressive and widely respected woman (even rival aussies that I talked to had nothing but good things to say) Clark has been New Zealand’s leader for six years.

Progressive to say the least the Right Honourable Clark (Labour Party) has formed the past three governments forming coalition (minority) governments – the current and the past governments being coalitions with the Progressive Party.

While here I wanted to see just how progressive these kiwi politicians are and so I decided to do a little research. I found an impressive and highly progressive intranet case study: the New Zealand Ministry of Health intranet (the first one I found). As far as intranets go, it certainly is progressive (it is NZ Health’s own case study that is open to anyone to read).

What is particularly impressive about NZ Health’s intranet is their dedication to people and process. Before NZ Health did anything, they undertook a consultation process to find out what the target audience wanted. The consultation involved stakeholders in five cities and not only included Ministry employees but also “Crown health enterprises and independent practitioner associations.”

The NZ Health Intranet is ultimately governed by a very effective vision statement:

"Timely, accurate and robust information appropriate to their roles and needs will be available to all individuals and agencies involved in the provision of health and disability support services, and to consumers, with the knowledge, agreement and confidence of everyone, which will facilitate the ongoing, continuous improvement in the health and disability status of all New Zealand people."

Perhaps the single best intranet vision statement I’ve seen. Most organizations don’t bother with a mission or vision statement and that’s an unfortunate mistake. If you have an intranet or portal, you need a mission or vision statement.

The process also included a privacy impact assessment, pilot phase, and a technical review prior to fully building and rolling-out the intranet in 1999, 18 months after the initial consultation process.

So there is no confusion, the purpose of the governing body must be well defined to focus priorities and to minimize politics. NZ Health Intranet has a well-defined Governance Body with a governing committee of 10 individuals represented by individuals from the Ministry, Crown enterprises and related associations. The NZ Health’s Governance Body has a focus “to ensure that the Health Intranet benefits health services delivery through improved and cost-effective communication in the health sector” and has five priorities:

• Promoting the Health Intranet to individuals and organisations in the health sector
• Determining security standards for the transfer and sharing of health information
• Accreding and managing network and certification vendors required for Health Intranet operation
• Accrediting types of applications for the Health Intranet
• Approving new members to join the Health Intranet

I’ve talked many times about the need for intranet standards which NZ Health is explicit in documenting. Intranet standards include:

• Security standards (defines six principles for ensuring security)
• Code of Practice (“An agreed set of rules that determines how information can be exchanged in the health sector. Among other things the Code defines user and supplier criteria.”)
• Technical standards (use of digital certificates, secure e-mail, etc.)

Not so much progressive as it is smart and necessary – something absent in most intranets.