COVID-19 and Economic Recovery*: New Zealand’s lessons learnt on digital inclusion and resilience

New Zealand, like the rest of the word, faced unprecedented circumstances in late March 2020. Lockdown due to COVID-19 epidemic meant everyone but essential workers were asked to stay home, except to exercise locally or access essential goods and services. Hundreds of thousands of people literally overnight – began working from home instead of the office, schools and universities moved to online learning, and businesses shifted frantically to online ordering and payment to implement contactless purchase solutions.

The internet and digital devices became the main access point to the world outside “our bubbles”. This “hero of the day” was used to get help to people who needed it, build community, share official information and get updates from our officials and elected representatives. But it also quickly highlighted the size and extent of the digital inclusion “gap” and with it the social and economic impact on these New Zealanders. In the COVID-19 recovery phase,  challenges for digitally-excluded groups are expected to become more pronounced, and the impact of social inequality is likely to be exacerbated. New groups of New Zealanders have also become vulnerable to digital exclusion, such as those in the business sector. For example, the month after lockdown was lifted in New Zealand seventeen percent of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) were considered not digitally savvy, needing additional support to stay financially viable and retain their employees.²

Work to ensure digital inclusion has been underway for many years in New Zealand – with iwi, hapū, Community organisations, businesses, libraries, philanthropic organisations, charities, and local and central government all providing important services across the 4 elements* of digital inclusion. COVID-19 however in its unprecedented way has really highlighted the importance of not only being able to access and navigate the digital realm, but the need to become digitally resilient.

(* The framework used to describe digital inclusion uses 4 interdependent elements which are all needed for a person to be digitally included: motivation, access (including affordability, connectivity and accessibility), skills and trust. More information: Digital Inclusion Outcomes Framework. )

This presentation will discuss some key challenges:

• What’s the role of the Government Blueprint (The intent, framework and principles)
• How will the 2020 Action Plan contribute? (What did the 2019 plan do?, why is the 2020 plan focussed on action/ activity targeting known gaps that impact individuals, community and government agencies delivering services)
• How has Covid-19 impacted this?
• Does Government’s role need to change? (Oversight, monitoring, enforcement?)
• What’s really needed to solve digital inclusion? (System wide strategy, mobilisation, everyone has role – a team of 5.7 million)