Government agencies are taking another step towards improving access to services, thanks to a new information sharing agreement that passed into law this week.

The new agreement, led by the Department of Internal Affairs (DIA), focuses on services that people choose to take part in (customer nominated services) such as applying for superannuation. The main aim of this information sharing agreement is to allow people to authorise partner government agencies to share their personal information so people can access services more easily.

“When people apply for a service from a government agency, many agencies ask their customers to get certificates and other documents from DIA so that they can prove who they are or show that they’re eligible for a service.” Maria Robertson, Deputy Chief Executive for Service Delivery and Operations says.

“This agreement will now make it easier for a customer to give an agency permission to look at the relevant part of their record held by DIA, and for the agency to be able to do that with the right legal authorisation.

“The agreement is an essential component of the Department’s continuing programme of work to transform our service delivery, putting our customers at the heart of what we do.”

The law came into effect as of 25 July 2020.

With the legal framework in place, work has already started to develop the operating procedures, to implement the new agreement. These procedures outline the exact details of when and how the legislation can be used.

Notes to the editor:

· This agreement is an Approved Information Sharing Agreement, or AISA. AISAs are a newer type of legal agreement that seeks to simplify information sharing legislation, giving agencies more flexibility in how and when they can share customer information, while ensuring that agencies respect their rights and privacy, and the integrity of the information.

· The agencies that are the party to this AISA are:

o The Department for Internal Affairs including the Registrar-General;

o Accident Compensation Corporation;

o Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment;

o Ministry of Education;

o Ministry of Social Development; and

o NZ Transport Agency.

· This one agreement will replace 18 existing bilateral agreements of various kinds and expands what information can be shared for what purpose.

· In addition, this AISA also makes information sharing possible with agencies that DIA was not previously sharing information with.

· The Privacy Commissioner considers that this AISA offers considerable benefits, and has provided a report on the AISA as required by section 96O of the Privacy Act

· Further information can be found on the DIA website

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