Source: Radio New Zealand
Health NZ has consolidated 110 websites so far. RNZ / Peter de Graaf
Health New Zealand has managed to consolidate about a third of its almost 350 websites after over two years’ work, but said it was more difficult than just shifting the information over.
The agency began in 2023-24 on shutting down the websites inherited from district health boards or set up to run old campaigns, or to shift their content into its main website.
It had consolidated 110 so far, it said on Monday.
“In practice, consolidating legacy websites is significantly more complex than the act of technical migration alone,” said chief comms and government services officer Catherine Delore in a statement.
“Many websites are large, highly complex, or tightly coupled to local processes, clinical content, or bespoke functionality.
“In many cases, content cannot be transferred directly and instead must be reviewed, rewritten, or retired.”
Some sites required HNZ talk to third parties, look at contractual exit points and reduce risks round security and clinical safety, she said.
The work did not get formally funded till 2024-25 when many of the core staff joined it.
They had had to initially stabilise core national platforms, agree governance arrangements and do prep work like audits and prioritisation frameworks.
A single national website was now the primary channel but a few operational platforms such as Book My Vaccine and the Holidays Act Remediation portal that handled personal or workforce information sat in behind that.
HNZ had forecast $22 million in total benefits from the current phase of the website project that ends in June and Delore said it was well on track to hit or exceed that.
“We have not yet completed an audit of all remaining sites that are to be consolidated, and we are therefore unable to provide an accurate figure at this stage of the further savings we will make but we expect they will likely be significant based on the Phase 1 savings.”
Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
