Kia ora Nic,

 

I refer to your official information request for information related to
Portal Design Accessibility.  Your request has been addressed under the
provisions of the Official Information Act 1982, which is based on the
concept that information held by government agencies should be made
available on request unless there is good reason for withholding it. 
Please find our responses to your questions below.

 

 1. Can you please explain what support is currently in place regarding
helping artists overcome barriers to accessing funds?

 

Support can vary dependent upon the specific needs required for an artist
to apply to a funding opportunity. Our Funding Services Team and Arts
Practice Directors are very happy to meet in the best way possible to
discuss an artist’s needs and what support Creative New Zealand can
provide through the relevant process.

 

 2. Are you able to give 10 different examples of accessible design in
this sense over the last year?

 

o The Pasifika Festivals Fund Tasi, Lua and Tolu Wave funds were
co-designed with the Pasifika festivals sector and the Pasifika
assessors to address and incorporate accessibility requirements
o The Tolu Wave held weekly dedicated Zoom drop-in support sessions for
festivals and bi-weekly as closing date approached, including out of
“office hours” to support applicants with other commitments at these
times
o Eligible festivals were able to submit material in video (or other)
formats as part of the application process for the Tolu Wave of the
Pasifika Festivals Fund
o Eligible festivals were able to submit material in a Pasifika language
as part of the application process for the Tolu Wave of the Pasifika
Festivals Fund
o Ngā Toi Māori applications to Arts Grants and Annual Arts Grants can
be submitted in Te Reo Māori if the applicant chooses-
o Dedicated artform-specific hui were held with practitioners (Dance,
Literature, Pacific, Music, Ngā Toi Māori) online and in person to
increase understanding of the artform specific offering and encourage
applications
o In-person funding hui were held with practitioners outside of the main
centres to increase understanding of the Creative New Zealand offering
and encourage applications
o Instructional “how to” videos are available online to step through an
application process. For example, a for Tolu Wave
[1]https://www.creativenz.govt.nz/find-fund...
and Te Waka Toi Awards
[2]https://www.creativenz.govt.nz/find-fund...
o Closed captioning on the “how to” Arts Grants video 
[3]https://www.creativenz.govt.nz/find-fund... and
Ngā Toi a Rohe
[4]https://www.creativenz.govt.nz/find-fund...
o A Funding Services Adviser talked through an elderly applicant in real
time to make an application in the portal, including "click here now"
and "press save" to overcome technical barriers.

 

 3. What has been the total contact hours of Arts Practice Directors to
independent artists over the last six years. Which other roles offer
support to artists? What has been the contact hours to artists of
these positions. Are you able to give a breakdown of the barriers they
may support artists overcome?

 

The Arts Practice Director Team does not count the hours spent in
different parts of their work and therefore Creative New Zealand does not
hold this information.  Other teams with roles offering support to artists
include Funding Services Team, Investment Services Team, Capability
Services and Initiatives Team, Māori Strategy and Partnerships Team,
Pacific Arts Team, and Business Systems Team. These teams do not count the
hours spent in different parts of their work and therefore Creative New
Zealand does not hold this information. 

 

       As per Questions 1 and 2, support can vary dependent upon the
specific needs required for an artist to apply to a funding opportunity.

 

 4. How does your written application take into account the 'Some 11.8% of
adults in New Zealand attain only Level 1 or below in literacy
proficiency'. How are peer assessors assessed to see that they
represent this group?

 

Our Funding Services Team and Arts Practice Directors are very happy to
meet in the best way possible to discuss an individual artist’s needs and
what support Creative New Zealand can provide through the current written
application process. Currently, assessors are not assessed to see that
they represent this group.

 

 5. What data do you have in terms of the prevalence of dyslexia within
the artist population?

 

Creative New Zealand does not hold data related to the prevalence of
dyslexia within the artist population.

 

 6. When was a multi-step expression of interest process last considered?
Are you able to supply any documents around this decision making?

 

Creative New Zealand does not use a multi-step expression of interest
process for Grant funding. Creative New Zealand has, to date, not
considered the introduction of such a process.

 

 7. How is universal design considered when designing systems & processes?

 

Creative New Zealand endeavours to consider the needs of all users when
designing a system or process. For example, we are currently developing a
new public facing digital customer experience (CX) platform. Our new CX
platform will integrate the current CNZ website, portal and online
knowledgebases and enable Creative New Zealand to develop and deliver best
practice digital services. In stages one and two we will bring together
all existing Creative New Zealand website, portal and online knowledgebase
content and functionality on our new CX platform to improve the
experience, transparency, and accessibility for the diverse range of
people who use Creative New Zealand’s services.

 

 8. What was the decision-making process for the 225 cap on applications?
How has Creative New Zealand measured artists wellbeing, including
levels of anxiety, and how has this been assessed against the current
funding processes.

 

The application limit for Arts Grants has been in place since August
2020. The limit was 200 applications for Arts Grants 2020/21,
which then changed to 225 for Arts Grants 2021/22. The limit was
introduced in 2020 because of unprecedented demand on our resources due to
COVID-19. It’s in place to ensure we can manage demand, our limited pūtea,
and can continue to deliver fast decision-making for applicants. We
heard feedback that quicker outcomes were much preferred by applicants.
The only way to achieve that was by introducing application limits, and we
carefully considered the impact this would have. 

 

We communicated this process change via different channels before Arts
Grants 2020/21 Round 1 opened last year. For example: 

·                     We communicated the limit and plan in July
2020: [5]www.creativenz.govt.nz/news/details-of-creative-new-zealand-s-12-month-investment-plan-ahead-of-august-openings  

·                     The Big Idea also wrote about the application limit
in July
2020: [6]www.thebigidea.nz/stories/cnz-funding-what-you-need-to-know 

·                     We communicated the changes to the sector
via several online Zoom
hui: [7]www.youtube.com/watch?v=QWlbJ1B-veo&t=2876s  

·                     We update the portal up to three times a day to show
the number of draft and submitted applications for an Arts Grants round,
to help applicants plan. 

·                     Emails are sent to applicants with a draft
application when 125 applications and then 175 applications are submitted
to a round. This indicates to applicants how the round is tracking towards
reaching the application limit or closing date. 

 

Creative New Zealand does not formally measure artists wellbeing,
including levels of anxiety.

 

Our annual Client/Customer Satisfaction survey asks for feedback on any
interactions artists have had with us in the last 12-months, to help us
understand and improve our service. As a result of the 2020 survey, we
identified a few areas where we could make immediate change to our Arts
Grants processes:

o better communicate with applicants about where their application is as
it moves through the process.
o more information as part of the notification process, including a
reflection on areas of interest from the assessment panels and an
indication of the number of applications that round; and
o offering feedback that is meaningful, timely and accessible.

There are other changes we’ll be able to effect to improve transparency
and accessibility in the short, medium, and long term.

If you wish to discuss this information request, please contact Pip
O’Flaherty (Senior Adviser Organisational Performance) via email to
pip.o’[email address].  You have the right to seek an
investigation and review by the Ombudsman of this response. Information
about how to make a complaint is available at
[8]https://www.ombudsman.parliament.nz/ or freephone 0800 802 602.

 

Ngā mihi nui, nā

Elizabeth Beale

Pou Whakahaere Kaupapa Here, Whakatakoto Mahere, Pūrongo hoki Manager,
Policy and Performance

 

 

 

 

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