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Foreign National Resource & their vital solution

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New Zealand Red Cross, Department of Internal Affairs and Catalyst quickly collaborate to build a vital resource

Background

New Zealand Red Cross helps people every day – whether that’s providing a hot meal, supporting former refugees as they settle in a new city or assisting Kiwi communities before, during and after disasters. The Department of Internal Affairs works to build a safe, prosperous and respected nation. These two organisations came together to support foreign nationals who were experiencing hardship as a result of COVID-19.

Challenge

New Zealand Red Cross and Department of Internal Affairs needed a platform where foreign nationals could easily apply for financial support and upload validating documents such as bills. 

Solution 

New Zealand Red Cross, Department of Internal Affairs, and Catalyst designed and built an easy-to-use website in just 10 days. Visitors to the website could complete a short form to apply for assistance that would meet basic needs, such as food and accommodation.

Users were also able to upload supporting documents such as bills, making it easy for those on the admin side to verify, validate and provide the necessary support.

Because DIA and Catalyst already have a strong and trusting relationship, the teams were able to quickly and efficiently work together, leveraging off the already very successful Life Event builds, such as SmartStart.

Becky Cassam, Life Events Services Manager at DIA, said “It is always an absolute pleasure working with Catalyst. Collectively we have designed, built, tested, and deployed an application front-end with a back-end office admin function to support Foreign Nationals – all in 10 days!”

We have a very trusting working relationship and Catalyst has always delivered on time.

Becky Cassam Life Events Services Manager at DIA