Kia tutahi - Standing together
National Community-Government Forum - 11 November 2009

The forum provided an opportunity for the community sector, government officials, the Prime Minister and Ministers to discuss the Government’s response to the following recent reports:

• Good Intentions - An Assessment of the Statement of Government Intentions for an Improved Community-Government Relationship 
  – by the Association of Non-Governmental Organisations in Aotearoa (ANGOA)
• From Talk to Action: Government Engagement with Citizens and Communities – by the Building Better Government Engagement reference group.

On 31 August 2009, Cabinet agreed that the national Community-Government Forum will discuss possible development of a Relationship Agreement to replace the 2001 Statement of Government Intentions for an Improved Community-Government Relationship.   A relationship agreement could include a joint vision for working together, respective roles and responsibilities, and commitments from both sides.

 » Read the Cabinet paper and minute: Government Commitment to Building Strong Community Relationships

Discussion about what should be included in a proposed Relationship Agreement between the community sector and Government has begun online at two websites.  Community Central and the Community Sector Taskforce are both hosting online discussions about who should sign an Agreement and what should be included in one. 

The online discussions are allowing people who could not attend the forum to have a say­ – both before and after the event.

» Participate in the Relationship Agreement discussion on Community Central

» Have your say about a Relationship Agreement on the Community Sector Taskforce website

Whakapakari Hapori, Marohirohi Kawanatanga
Stronger Communities, Stronger Government

The Forum explored the key elements that might be in a Relationship Agreement, and the next steps in the process to develop it.

The forum steering group will meet in early December to confirm next steps. 

Notes from the day will be published here in the near future.

 

A discussion paper written by Pat Hanley was distributed to some participants at the forum.  It was not part of the official information pack, and does not represent the views of the forum steering group. We provide it here as information for those people who requested it, and as a contribution to the ongoing discussions.

Participants included community and voluntary organisations, government agencies, the Prime Minister and Ministers.

In total, around 225 participants attended the forum.

Expressions of interest from possible attendees from the community and voluntary sector were sought during August and September. People were asked to provide information about their organisation, the regions, population groups and/or sub-sectors they identify with (see below for suggestions), and details on how they might assist post-forum.

Expressions of interest were considered by the forum steering group as numbers were limited and needed to balance a range of representation from different localities, sub-sectors and population groups, so not all those who wished to attend were able to. 

 

Regional breakdown

• Northland
• Auckland
• Waikato
• Bay of Plenty
• East Coast
• Central
• Taranaki
• Wellington
• Nelson
• Canterbury
• Southern

 

Population groups

• Māori
• Pacific peoples
• Ethnic minorities
• Disabled people
• Women
• Youth and children
• Older people.

 

 

 

Sub-sectors of the community sector

• Sports, culture and arts, recreation and social clubs
• Education and research
• Social services
• Health
• Environment
• Development and housing
• Grant-making, fundraising and volunteer promotion
• Religion
• Business, professional associations and unions.

Groups listed above are indicative only and attendance was not restricted to only these groups - a wide variety of people and interests attended the forum.

 

The Steering Group working with the OCVS to organise the forum is:

• Agnes Granada – Migrant Action Trust Auckland
• Brian Gardner – National Network of Stopping Violence
• Dave Henderson – Association of Non-Governmental Organisations in Aotearoa (ANGOA)
• Geoff Barry – Surf Life Saving NZ
• Hadyn Smith – Land Search and Rescue
• Iris Pahau – Community Sector Taskforce
• Parekotuku Moore – National Network of Stopping Violence
• Sam Sefuiva – Community Sector Taskforce
• Tina Reid – NZ Federation of Voluntary Welfare Organisations (NZFVWO)
• Wendi Wicks – Disabled Persons Assembly, an umbrella organisation representing people with disabilities, the organisations involved in advocacy on their behalf, and service providers 

• Janice Roxburgh-Gair – Department of Internal Affairs
• Mary McCulloch – Department of Internal Affairs
• Alasdair Finnie – Chair of Steering Group, OCVS
• Cath Sim – Ministry of Social Development (MSD)
• David Smith – Ministry of Social Development (MSD)  
• Diana Suggate – OCVS
• Gabrielle Benson – OCVS
• Iris Webster – OCVS.