Victoria MacLennan. 27 June 2022, 10:28 pm
I am off to Ōtepoti Dunedin tomorrow (Tuesday 28th) for the inaugural Data Stewardship conference, hosted by Otago University business school, where I will be speaking on SFIA in a data maturity context – one of my favourite topics data maturity.
I’m not especially looking forward to the forecast maximum temperature of 8 degrees so much. I think my earliest memory is of a cold winters day in Ōtepoti, one of those days when the sheets froze on the washing line after the morning frost had thawed.
It was a crazy short week last week, mine was filled with 3 hour long meetings, large documents for review and sprinkled with inspiring moments of wisdom from a range of ITP members and supporters – ngā mihi. I was very privileged to review an early draft of the Workforce Development Plan Toi Mai have in development, meet with the Digital Industry Plan reference group and attend a large Ministry’s Digital Transformation governance board meeting. All of these initiatives are creating transformative building blocks for our industry as it matures and professionalises.
Immigration Webinar
As promised last week – this is coming up next week! Wednesday 6th July at 1pm. (I promise a registration link will be out Tuesday 28th replacing this text but please put it in your schedules now as a placeholder).
The Government is introducing a new immigration policy for employers looking to employ migrant workers, the ‘Accredited Employer Work visa’ (AEWV). The policy is designed as a three stage process and will impact the way employers recruit migrant workers. It takes effect from 4 July 2022.
This webinar will help those employing workers for the digital tech sector to understand the AEWV policy and process as well as provide information for any stakeholders with an interest in immigration. Immigration NZ relationship managers will run through a presentation (which will also touch on the immigration rebalance and the new ‘Green List’) and then take questions.
Call to action – if you have questions please send them to [email protected] by next Monday the 4th of July, to give the Immigration team a couple of days to prepare for tricky questions.
From Yesterday to Tomorrow – A history of digital accessibility in Aotearoa
One of the most passionate equity advocates I know wrote Chapter 5 of Yesterday to Tomorrow – Chandra Harrison. A history of digital accessibility in Aoteaora describes the transformational opportunities digital technologies can bring for those with disabilities, chronicles the history of accessibility software in Aotearoa and explains the current environment we work within including our immaturity and lack of targeted accessibility education domestically. Chandra writes this chapter with a blend of beautiful story telling and matter of fact “telling us like it is” through the lens of Meredith (name changed) a young woman with cerebral palsy living in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland.
The context we should all take away from this chapter is summarised as –
“Digital accessibility is the ability for people to access digital technology, software, devices, apps, websites and kiosks, despite any impairments the user may have.”
Chandra goes on to say “To create accessible technology we need to consider the access needs for all potential users. We need to remove barriers by designing appropriately. Not everyone can read a website or use a mouse or hear speech in a video or access a Captcha1 entry code. Designers and developers need to accommodate these needs to help everyone get equitable access to digital technology.”
It was a great reminder reading this chapter on the importance of true diversity.
ITP AGM in August
ITP members have all received an email on our upcoming AGM to be held on the 12th of August (pending board approval). This is an important AGM for me as my first for the organisation but equally important the election of new board members. I need a board who will challenge, push, stretch and support me, all things every CEO craves.
Some of our board members are retiring or are unable to stand again within the rules of ITP (more on that in a moment), others are mid-term and others are standing again, so we are seeking a small number of new board members.
ITP’s role within our ecosystem, as the digital technology workforce grows, is as important as ever before. Our role is to support the career aspirations of our members, support lifting the capability of the industry as a whole and move us further along the maturity path towards professionalism.
My vision is to solidify ITP’s role in supporting this vibrant, creative industry as we embrace diversity and tackle the challenges of working in such a rapidly changing space. But I need help – starting with a board who will govern and direct this organisation with equal passion for change.
Some of the projects the ITP board will need to undertake and oversee this coming year include development of our 5 year Strategic Plan, undertaking constitutional reform to both meet the obligations of the new Incorporated Societies Act and in light of the strategic review, undertaking a review of the Rules of ITP, review of the Code of Ethics all while keeping me in line.
Stepping into a governance function is not to be taken lightly, our board volunteers their time and deserve massive respect for every moment they can give back to the industry through this role. If you are looking for governance experience, are passionate about this mahi or just want the opportunity to keep me in line – please consider nominating yourself or asking a colleague to nominate you. If you’re not currently an ITP member and feel inspired to join our board, it’s not hard to join and become eligible. Either way if you want to learn more about this please drop me a line so we can arrange a korero – [email protected]
Finally
The Cyber Security Advisory Committee (CSAC) I am a member of also met last week to develop advice for Minsters and reflect on the recent budget announcements in the cyber space – one of my colleagues drew our attention to this information sheet from the FMA on “Cyber Security & Operational Systems Resilience” while it is directed at those in the financial services industry it is a fantastic guide for any organisation grappling with cyber security challenges and obligations. Well worth taking notice of – and thank you FMA for releasing this publically!
I hope everyone is relaxed and refreshed after the first historic Matariki holiday on Friday, a wonderful milestone for Aotearoa New Zealand. Vic