WHAT DID WE DO?

Rationale worked with the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) to strategically address the problem of inequitable access to driver licences and supported the investigation of how a programme of work could be developed that helped to make impactful change. A key part of this process was leveraging cross-agency collaboration, which included:

• Ministry of Social Development (MSD)
• Te Manatū Waka |Ministry of Transport (MoT)
• Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC)
• New Zealand Police
• Te Puni Kōkiri (TPK)

Rationale worked closely with NZTA, agency partners and stakeholders to understand the barriers and challenges being faced and the benefits that could be expected if these problems were addressed. Through facilitated Investment Logic Mapping workshops the following problems and investment objectives were identified, which set the foundation for the programme of work.

Problems:

1. Failure to meet the diverse needs of our communities reduces participation in the driver licensing system, resulting in poor safety, economic, and social outcomes.
2. A lack of consistent and accessible services, coupled with insufficient capacity to test, inhibits entry and re-entry into the driver licensing system.
3. Not valuing having a driver licence, alongside a focus on testing and compliance, and a lack of driver safety education, is putting drivers and other road users at risk of death or serious injury (DSI).
4. Disadvantaged communities have a higher proportion of unlicensed drivers, contributing to social isolation and poor living standards, particularly in more remote

Investment objectives:

1. To increase participation in the driver licensing system by addressing the barriers facing disadvantaged communities.
2. To improve access to driver licensing by enhancing knowledge of how to get a driver licence and increasing the current levels of service delivery.
3. To improve road safety by ensuring there are more skilled and fully licensed drivers on the road.
4. To improve wellbeing, living standards, social inclusion, and economic participation by increasing the number of fully licensed drivers.

This involved bringing together a number of workstreams and initiatives, packaging them into cohesive options and then evaluating options against a range of key metrics to identify a preferred way forward.

As the programme progressed, Rationale led the development of a Programme Business Case and a Detailed Business Case. As part of the support for NZTA, Rationale helped set up and initially co-chaired a multi-agency working group, which ensured all agencies were across the work being done and could align activities. Our team worked closely with NZTA to develop an innovative approach to identifying and then mapping the expected benefits of the programme. This was done using both a top-down and bottom-up approach, which showed a significant benefit-cost ratio for the programme of work and was well-received by agency partners and NZ Treasury.

WHAT WAS THE RESULT?

DLIP set up a long-term programme of work that will see a range of improvements to driver licences over the coming years.

A number of immediate interventions were identified as part of the programme and these have already been actioned across the country, with fantastic results. These included:

More driver testing officers - A new type of driver testing officer, called a community driver testing officer (CDTO), has been introduced to support community driver training and mentoring programmes.

By the end of February 2024, there were over 3400 test passes through community testing officers. That’s more than 3400 people who previously had difficulty accessing the driver licensing system who now have a driver licence. 67% of these people live in a rural or remote location.

More driver test routes - To improve access to testing, new testing routes have been added across Aotearoa, mainly in smaller and more remote centres.

In the second half of 2022, new test routes were set up in Matamata, Upper Hutt, Kaikohe, Dargaville, Wairoa and Waipukurau, and in September 2023 a test route was opened in Ōpōtiki. More test routes are being added as individual community needs are determined.

More mobile theory testing - Working with the Automobile Association,  mobile theory testing has been trialled through a community provider to see if it’s an effective way to reach people who’ve had difficulty accessing learner licence testing.

Better regional support - New regional advisors to strengthen and develop community driver training and mentoring programmes have been introduced in communities around Aotearoa. This helps the regions and communities by giving better access and support to learner drivers.

Community trials in Tairāwhiti (Gisborne), the Far North and Ōpōtiki – In partnership with Far North REAP (Rural Education Activities Programme),Tairāwhiti REAP and Eastbay REAP  new ways of making access to driver testing for restricted and full licences faster and easier have been successfully trialled and implemented.

DLIP has set a new standard for cross-agency collaboration, seeing relationships built between agencies that have been enduring outside of the programme. The development of the cross-agency collaboration alongside an evidence-based business case has led to a high level of support from decision makers.

LEARN MORE

Improving the driver licensing system - nzta.govt.nz/driver-licences/improving-the-driver-licensing-system/ 

Improvements to the driver licensing system change lives - nzta.govt.nz/driver-licences/improving-the-driver-licensing-system/driver-licensing-stories/