The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) has announced an extension of its current language assistance services contract while procurement of a panel of providers continues.
In July 2023, MBIE decided to transition from a single provider model to a panel of providers for telephone and video interpreting services.
This acknowledges the diverse language requirements of individuals throughout the country and helps maintain consistent service delivery for the New Zealand government, the Ministry said in a statement.
“While the panel procurement process has been ongoing, we have continued providing language assistance services through the existing provider, Connecting Now,” it said.
“Due to the complexity of the cyber security assessment, there have been delays with the procurement process. MBIE recognises the significance of this step, as it is crucial to ensure that our providers can safeguard data, manage potential risks, and maintain compliance with industry regulations.
“As a result, we have extended our contract with Connecting Now for an additional six months to allow sufficient time to complete the procurement process without any disruptions to people using language services. No action is required from participating agencies during this period.”
Once the panel is established, the Ministry says there will be access to a variety of telephone and video language assistance service providers offering an extensive array of languages.
“We will provide a further update when the procurement for the panel has been completed,” it said.
