Developing a strategy for participation
Good progress can be made if community-government relationships are addressed at the policy and planning level, and in practice.
Specific actions to achieve change
- Adopt a systematic approach to community-government relationship planning within the agency’s work to develop its Statement of Intent.
- Map the agency’s relationships with community and voluntary organisations.
- Integrate, as appropriate, the Statement of Government Intentions for an Improved Community-Government Relationship into annual and strategic plans.
- Ensure that commitments contained within the Statement of Government Intentions and the Government Policy on Volunteering are communicated and supported throughout the agency from management through to community based service-delivery staff.
- Build strong internal communications systems so that lessons about successful participatory processes can be disseminated across the agency.
- Set up external communications systems that support active relationships with community, voluntary, iwi and Māori organisations.
- Build on other agencies’ experiences when working with community and voluntary sector organisations.
- Review human resources strategies at regular intervals to ensure that they recognise and support the kinds of skills that enhance relationships with communities.
