Appendix A: Steering Group Report and Accord

The views in this report are those of the Kia Tūtahi Standing Together Steering Group and are not Government policy.

This report is provided by the Steering Group to the Minister for the Community and Voluntary Sector. The Steering Group is supported by a secretariat from the Office for the Community and Voluntary Sector, administered by the Department of Internal Affairs.

Foreword from the Kia Tūtahi Standing Together Steering Group Co-chairs

Ko koe ki tena ko au ki tenei kiwai o te kete
With you on that handle, and me on this handle, together we will lift the basket

We believe this Relationship Accord is an important and significant step in an ongoing journey to improve relationships between communities and government. We acknowledge those who have taken part in that journey over many years and those who will take this work into the future. We intend this Accord to contribute to stronger community-government relationships. When government and community work well together we all benefit, through our combined effort to navigate the complex issues facing society.

We have a vision of Kia Tūtahi ñ communities and government working together for a fair, inclusive and flourishing society. The principles of this Accord form the basis for committed and continuous actions on which we, communities and government, can build our relationships. The Steering Groupís role comes to an end with the publication of this report. The next steps to put the Accord into practice are critical for its success. We know there are people passionate about the community-government relationship who will want to take this important work forward.

We wish to acknowledge all those from communities and government who contributed to the development of the Relationship Accord. We also acknowledge the Minister for the Community and Voluntary Sector, Hon Tariana Turia for her leadership and support, the Steering Group members and the secretariat for their commitment in completing this significant work.

We look forward to seeing ongoing action to put the Kia Tūtahi Standing Together Relationship Accord into effect.

Summary

Key Messages

The Kia Tūtahi Standing Together Steering Group has overseen the development of a Relationship Accord through which communities and government can build stronger relationships. This report summarises our work, what we have learned, the decisions we have made and our preferred options to give effect to the Accord.

The Relationship Accord

The Accord is an aspirational document, providing principles to enhance existing relationships and inform future action. Feedback received during consultation articulated difficulties around identifying the two parties that are implicit in a relationship agreement, and perceptions of legal implications. Consequently, we decided to re-frame the agreement as a Relationship Accord that communities and government can commit to and endorse. We believe this term better acknowledges the mutuality, commitment, respect and intent of the document.

Kia Tūtahi Standing Together

The name Kia Tūtahi Standing Together reflects the intention of the Relationship Accord. For Steering Group members, as we formed relationships and jointly developed the Relationship Accord, our work became an expression of what the Accord could mean in practice. Our work builds on the foundations laid by many others from communities and government who believe in the importance of constructive and meaningful community-government relationships. The 2001 Statement of Government Intentions for an Improved Community-Government Relationship was a significant step in that journey, followed by many actions to sustain the conversation and strengthen the relationship. We respect the significant contribution of those who have worked on these issues over many years.

Te Tiriti o Waitangi

As a founding document of Aotearoa New Zealand, Te Tiriti o Waitangi preserves the right of Māori to exercise their tino rangatiratanga. We believe that strengthening relationships between communities and government requires giving true recognition to Te Tiriti o Waitangi. Te Tiriti o Waitangi provides a platform for tangata whenua and all peoples of Aotearoa New Zealand to self determine their communities.

Communities of Aotearoa New Zealand

We acknowledge the inclusive, seamless nature of communities, whose members traverse multiple public and private roles and whose groups are self-defining. We wanted to reflect this in the focus of the Relationship Accord. As a result, we opted to use the term ìCommunities of Aotearoa New Zealandî to describe the community party to the relationship. This term recognises the broad range of groups, from large and structured, to small and non-formal that play a significant role in communities.

Going forward

The Relationship Accord is both a base from which the future community-government relationship can be developed and another step forward in a continuing conversation. Further work is needed to give effect to the Accord and build on the significant work that has gone before. How the Accord is taken forward by communities and government will be critical in supporting the sustainability of the community-government relationship.

Giving effect to the Accord means building on what works well (some examples are included in Appendix 4) and improving what needs to change. It will take time to embed the principles of the Accord and will be an ongoing process of improvement and development. Leadership is needed at all levels in government and communities to harness learning from communities and government and to sustain these principles. The Accord provides a base for strengthening not only relationships between communities and government, but between government agencies and between communities.

It is important to take action quickly to ensure that momentum is not lost in giving effect to the Accord. We propose phasing its implementation in order to enable progress to be made, reviewed and learned from, over a manageable period. We propose the following steps to implement the Accord.

1. Immediate actions to show commitment to the Kia Tūtahi Standing Together Relationship Accord (six months)

We ask the Minister for the Community and Voluntary Sector to:

• accept this report, which includes the Kia Tūtahi Standing Together Relationship Accord, and agree to its release
• seek a clear commitment from Government to put the Accord into practice
• seek multi-party support for the Accord
• sign the Kia Tūtahi Standing Together Relationship Accord with the Prime Minister and other Ministers and representatives from the communities of Aotearoa New Zealand, at a formal event in Wellington in mid-2011. The event would be live-streamed to a series of concurrent regional events. Following the signing, an online process would enable others to sign up to the Accord.
• agree to translate the Accord into Te Reo Māori, New Zealand Sign Language and other languages
• agree that a small number of government agencies be selected as champions to demonstrate the Relationship Accord in practice
• agree that the Office for the Community and Voluntary Sector lead work on ways to reflect the intentions of the Accord in the key strategic and accountability documents of government agencies.

To support the kaupapa of the Accord and to contribute to its ongoing implementation we suggest that:

• the Office for the Community and Voluntary Sector convenes a transitional reference group drawn from communities and government and supported by a wider stakeholder group, to provide advice and guidance during the first year of implementation
• the Office for the Community and Voluntary Sector invites community organisations and groups to advise on options for implementing the Accord, which could include:
• identifying champion organisations to promote the Accord
• using the Accord to support engagement between communities and government, and community to community
• identifying case study examples of good practice at national, regional and local level, to test how the Accord can work in practice.

2. Medium-term actions to build good practice (1 year)

We suggest that over the next year, the Office for the Community and Voluntary Sector, with advice from the reference group:

• supports champion agencies, community organisations and groups to identify and build on existing good practice
• tracks progress in implementing the Accord and reports to government and communities on progress of the champion agencies and options for replicating good practice.

3. Longer-term actions to embed the Accord (1 year +)

We propose that lessons from agency and community champions are used to provide leadership in promoting and replicating good practice in other agencies and organisations across government and communities, including considering options for its endorsement and use by local government.

4. Actions to sustain ongoing review and improvement (3 years +)

We propose that the Office for the Community and Voluntary Sector with government officials and community members:

• oversee three yearly reviews of the Relationship Accord implementation and actions arising from that
• provide support to agencies and communities to put the Relationship Accord into effect
• regularly inform government and communities of progress through newsletters, websites and social media.

Kia Tūtahi Standing Together
The Relationship Accord between the Communities of Aotearoa New Zealand and the Government of New Zealand

Wawata - Vision

The communities of Aotearoa New Zealand and the Government of New Zealand working together for a fair, inclusive and flourishing society.

Kaupapa - Purpose

Communities and government are increasingly working together to navigate the cultural, social, environmental and economic challenges for our society. In this context, the Relationship Accord supports the building of strong relationships between communities and government, with benefits accessible to all, so that we can jointly achieve our vision.

Tuapapa - Foundations

The work of communities and government together is integral to the fabric of our society. At the heart of our relationship, are the aspirations and wellbeing of whanau and individuals within our communities.

We, as communities and government:

• acknowledge the special relationship between the Crown and tangata whenua through Te Tiriti o Waitangi
• acknowledge our history and the past work achieved by communities and government to strengthen relationships
• respect and value the many cultures and diversity of the communities of Aotearoa New Zealand
• respect and value the contribution of tangata whenua, community and voluntary sector organisations; whether large or small, structured or informal
• respect and value the contributions of everyone who dedicates their time and energy voluntarily for the benefit of their communities
• recognise the role of government in setting policy and managing public resources and the importance of communities contributing to the development of policy.1

Tikanga - Principles

We, as communities and government, agree to build our relationship on a set of principles that form the basis for committed actions.

We will respect Te Tiriti o Waitangi.

• We recognise Te Tiriti o Waitangi as the foundation document of Aotearoa New Zealand.
• We respect all commitments that parties make under Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
• We will weave Te Tiriti through the work we do.

We have a collective responsibility to hear and respond to the voices of all.

• We will reach out to those who are not usually included and respond to the diversity in our communities.
• We will take account of the people whose daily lives are affected by our work.
• We will work to enable communities to determine their own destinies for the betterment of all.
• We will increase opportunities for people to participate and flourish in their communities.
• We will champion the principles and intent of this Relationship Accord.

We will act in good faith.

• We will do what we say we will do and put in place ways of making this clear to everyone.
• We will work cooperatively to resolve issues arising between us.
• We will act in the spirit of generosity towards each other.
• We will share our knowledge, celebrate success and learn from our experiences.

Our work together will be built on trust and mutual respect.

• We will be honest and open.
• We will develop and promote effective communication.
• We will be responsive to each otherís guidance and advice.
• We will respect the different roles and responsibilities we have.

Nga Mahinga - Putting the principles into practice

The success of the Relationship Accord will depend on how we put the principles into practice. We start from a strong base of more than a decade of work to strengthen relationships between communities and government and deliver better results for the people of Aotearoa New Zealand.

We will commit to implementing this Relationship Accord to achieve the following outcomes.

• The principles of the Relationship Accord are widely understood and modelled through consistent good practice.
• Communities and government are in genuine and purposeful engagement on matters of mutual interest and importance.
• Productive relationships between communities and government lead to decisions that reflect mutual interests.
• Communities and government jointly resolve longstanding matters of concern, such as, participation in decision-making around policy and service delivery issues, and funding arrangements.
• Communities and government have the resources to support working together better.
• Communities and government jointly review progress and share learning.

We will draw on the skills and knowledge within communities and government to resolve any differences and put in place strategies to give effect to the principles in the Relationship Accord.

Signatories

Signed by the communities of Aotearoa/New Zealand and the Government of New Zealand:

Background on the community-government conversation

History

This Relationship Accord is built on many years of discussion between communities and government on what constitutes an effective community-government relationship.

During 2000-2001, the Community and Voluntary Sector Working Party developed a joint community and government report seeking Government commitment to community and voluntary sector relationships: Whakatōpū Whakaaro: Potential for Partnership.

This report led to the Prime Minister and the Minister responsible for the Community and Voluntary Sector signing the Statement of Government Intentions for an Improved Community-Government Relationship (SOGI), in December 2001.

The SOGI describes Governmentís intentions for strong and respectful relationships between government and the community sector. It was understood that in this context, these terms meant core public service departments and the political executive on the one hand, and tangata whenua, community and voluntary organisations on the other.

From 2001, numerous activities occurred to further the community-government relationship including:

• Community-Government Relationship Steering Group report - He Waka Kotuia; Joining Together on a Shared Journey (August 2002)
• Government Policy on Volunteering published December 2002
• Community Forum/Sector Taskforce established 2003
• Office for the Community and Voluntary Sector established August 2003
• Community Sector Taskforce national forums held in 2004 and 2005
• National community-government forums held in 2007 and 2009.

In addition, Government developed a number of guidelines and resources to assist community and government to work better together.

In 2009, the Association of Non-Governmental Organisations of Aotearoa published its report, Good Intentions: An Assessment of the Statement of Government Intentions for an Improved Community-Government Relationship. The report recommended that the current Government support a statement of government intentions. In the same year, the Building Better Government Engagement reference group produced a report, From Talk to Action: Government Engagement with Citizens and Communities, which focused on government engagement with citizens and communities.

In response to these two reports, in August 2009, Cabinet agreed to a series of actions to strengthen community-government relationships, including holding a national community-government forum to discuss the development of a community-government relationship agreement to replace the SOGI.

The forum discussions showed a strong desire to re-visit the community-government relationship and develop a replacement for the SOGI. Following the forum, the Minister set up the Kia Tūtahi Standing Together Steering Group to oversee the development of a relationship agreement to replace the SOGI.

The appointment of the Kia Tūtahi Standing Together Steering Group

In January 2010, nominations for a steering group to oversee the development of a community-government relationship agreement were invited from communities across New Zealand and from government agencies. Over 120 community nominations were received. The Minister appointed two co-chairs who oversaw the selection process and recommended a preferred shortlist for the Ministerís consideration.

The make-up of the Steering Group reflected the ìjointî nature of its work. The 16 members comprise equal numbers from communities and the government, including a community co-chair and a government official co-chair. The terms of reference for the Steering Group (attached in Appendix 1) stress the task of developing a principles-based agreement to strengthen community-government relationships.

As far as possible, the Steering Group membership reflected the diverse and regional nature and interests of the communities of Aotearoa New Zealand. The Office for the Community and Voluntary Sector has provided the secretariat for the Steering Group. (The list of Steering Group members is attached in Appendix 2).

The Steering Groupís appointment ceases when it presents its report and the Accord, to the Minister for the Community and Voluntary Sector.

Other relationship documents

Over the last decade a small number of countries have developed written agreements between government and the community and voluntary sector. These have generally sprung from concerns that the community-government relationship was unsatisfactory, or at least needed improvement.

In England, the Compact sets out overall principles and commitments from Government and ìcivil societyî organisations in respect of policy development, allocating resources and advancing equality . A Commission oversees the Compact

The Australian National Compact: working together is a high-level, aspirational and principles-based document that provides a framework for new ways for the community and voluntary sector and Government to work together. A National Compact Sector Advisory Group works with Government to develop an action plan to implement the Compactís shared principles and aspirations.

In New Zealand the SOGI has been the only overarching agreement between Government and the community and voluntary sector. However, a number of local and central government agencies have relationship agreements with community organisations, for example, the Framework for Relationships between the Ministry of Health and Health/Disability Non-Government Organisations.

Process to develop the Relationship Accord

During April-May 2010, the Steering Group considered the issues around and requirements for, a draft relationship agreement. We favoured an aspirational, principles based document, in line with the Ministerís expectations.

In June 2010, the Minister for the Community and Voluntary Sector sought Cabinet approval to consult on the draft document. Following Cabinet approval, consultation was carried out between July and August 2010.

Consultation round July-August 2010

We consulted on a draft relationship agreement through face-to-face meetings, online discussion, written submissions and dissemination of information via the Office for the Community and Voluntary Sector website.

• 17 regional hui were held with over 660 people throughout New Zealand.
• Steering Group members held meetings with national community organisations, Wellington-based government agencies, four regional youth forums and attended the Association of Non-Governmental Organisations of Aotearoa (ANGOA) roundtable.
• Forty three comments were posted on the online forum ìBang The Tableî and it attracted 1,166 unique visitors.
• Twenty written submissions and comments were received.
• Representatives of the Federation of Voluntary Welfare Organisations, ANGOA, Volunteering New Zealand and the Community Sector Taskforce met with Steering Group members. (A list of hui and submissions is attached in Appendix 3).

The consultation indicated much support for an aspirational document, but a number of issues were raised:

Communities of Aotearoa New Zealand ñ while national and umbrella community organisations felt that the relationship agreement should focus exclusively on community and voluntary organisations, many regional hui attendees liked a broader focus that would include individuals and whanau.

Government ñ most people wanted all of central government and local government to be included in the agreement.

History and past work ñ some asked for acknowledgment of the history of work on resolving ongoing issues between community and government.

Next steps ñ most people wanted the agreement to include review, monitoring and next steps for implementation.

Cross-party support ñ hui participants asked that cross-party support be sought to ensure an enduring agreement.

Steering Group response to the feedback from the consultation round In response to the feedback, revisions to the document included:

• acknowledgment of the history of past work to strengthen community-government relationships
• acknowledgement of issues in governmentís relationship with community and voluntary organisations (such as the importance of simplifying and improving funding practices, and assisting community participation in decision-making on policies and service delivery)
• proposing a clear commitment to action in the section Nga mahinga ñ putting the principles into practice
• greater clarity around principles in respect of Te Tiriti o Waitangi
• adding acknowledgment of volunteers.

Continuing the conversation

During the consultation hui, participants asked to see the relationship agreement once it had been revised. We asked the Minister to extend the timeframe for developing the agreement, so that the revised agreement could be circulated.

In November 2010, a revised agreement was circulated to participants in the previous consultation and then through wider networks. We had discussions with representatives of umbrella/national groups and officials to tease out further some of the issues of concern. Six written responses were received.

The main feedback received in November was:

• more detail was needed on how to give effect to the agreement
• it would be difficult to ensure accountability (particularly from government) to the principles of the agreement
• there were still some difficulties around defining the parties to the agreement.

We have taken these responses into account in re-framing the agreement as an Accord and in our suggestions for giving effect to the Accord.

Communities and Government

During the consultation some participants were concerned that a high-level document would be difficult to implement. They articulated difficulties around identifying and separating the two parties that are implicit in a relationship agreement. There were also suggestions that the term ìrelationship agreementî could be misunderstood to have legal connotations, eg redress, that could not be met.

Recognising the difficulties around defining the parties and accountability in the context of an agreement, we re-framed the agreement as a Relationship Accord, that communities and government can commit to and endorse. This term implies a desire to work in accordance with the principles, rather than an agreement with perceived legal connotations. We believe this term better acknowledges the aspirational nature of the document and its mutuality, commitment, respect and intent.

Also fundamental to the process of developing the Relationship Accord was clarifying the terms ìcommunityî and ìgovernmentî.

Communities

Communities are made up of diverse members, whose multiple public and private roles intersect. Communities are not static; they reflect the fluid and overlapping relationships of the members and groups that create them. They include all types of people. Some communities may be ìhard to reachî and disconnected from wider society. Communities are self-defining and the term ìcommunityî has many meanings. However, it is commonly used to refer to a network of relationships based on:

• a common identity, eg ethnicity
• a common interest, eg sport, music
• a geographic area.

For tangata whenua, Te Tiriti o Waitangi preserves the right of tino rangatiratanga and the ability of Māori to define what community means in a Māori context.

The tangata whenua, community and voluntary sector in New Zealand provides vital structures within communities, comprising around 97,000 non-profit bodies from large, highly structured organisations to non-formal, small groups. The sector represents 12 diverse sub-sectors, including culture, sport, health, social services, and education, and operates at national, regional and local levels.

We felt strongly that the focus of the agreement should be broader communities and wished the agreement to reflect the needs and aspirations of these communities. As a result, we proposed that the draft document should be between the Government and the Communities of Aotearoa New Zealand. During consultation we heard concerns about the term ìcommunities of Aotearoa New Zealandî and discussed this in some depth. We recognised the diversity within the community and voluntary sector, the different levels at which it operates and the need for a strong voice from communities. We noted on the one hand, the preference for the term ìtangata whenua, community and voluntary sectorî, and on the other, that local communities often had difficulty relating to this concept.

We concluded that ìcommunities of Aotearoa New Zealandî is more inclusive, as it encompasses larger, formal organisations as well as non-formal groups. Community members can self-determine whether they identify as part of ìcommunities of Aotearoa New Zealandî.

The Government

In the context of the community-government relationship, government is taken to mean State sector agencies and the political executive. The political executive comprises the Prime Minister and Cabinet (including Ministers outside Cabinet), ie the Government of the day. The ìState sectorî is the term for the organisations whose financial situation and performance is reported in the annual financial statements of the Government. It comprises a wide variety of organisations, including the 35 public service departments, other State services such as Crown entities, and other entities such as State-owned enterprises.

These organisations carry out government policy to varying degrees. For instance, State-owned enterprises, (such as Transpower New Zealand Ltd), operate differently from Crown entities (such as Housing New Zealand Corporation) or public service departments (such as the Ministry of Social Development). In general, the span of government control runs from Ministerial direction of the 35 public service departments, to less direct influence of the wider State sector.

In some instances public bodies may be drawn from, and feel responsible to, communities. For instance, school boards of trustees, as Crown entities, are an instrument of government, but may also see themselves as representatives of the community from which the school population is drawn. Some communities may also engage at a local level with State-owned enterprises, eg Mighty River Power Limited.

Local government is not part of the State sector, having separate legislation that sets out how authorities should engage with communities. Nevertheless, at a local level much community engagement is with local bodies.

During consultation, participants showed strong support for including the whole of central and local government in the Relationship Accord. We support including the whole of the State sector in the Accord, while noting that some parts of that sector are under greater obligation to follow government direction. For many communities, primary relationships are with local, rather than central government and we favour finding ways for local government bodies to adopt the Accord.

Giving effect to the Accord

The Relationship Accord is a significant step on the journey to strengthen the community-government relationship. Its kaupapa is about putting Kia Tūtahi into practice. The Relationship Accord has moved from the ìgovernment onlyî focus of the SOGI to achieving:

• broad support for the high level relationship principles
• a much broader constituency in the discussion, including smaller and less formal groupings and individuals who do not see themselves included in the term ìcommunity and voluntary sectorî
• clear support from the consultation feedback for a joint community-government approach.

Government agencies and communities will support the Accord if they can see where it adds value without unnecessary compliance. Understanding what already works well in community-government relationships and how that contributes to good practice enables government to do its business better. There are already existing resources, and examples of government and communities working well together that provide a base on which to build good practice, such as described in Appendix 4.

Embedding the Accord in the culture of communities and government, so that it becomes the norm, will take time. To keep momentum going, some actions are needed that can have an immediate impact.

Signing the Relationship Accord

How the Accord is implemented will affect the sustainability of the community-government relationship. Signing the Accord shows commitment to the Accord principles. It provides an opportunity to publicise the Relationship Accord and seek support for its principles, through wide promotion of the Accord within government agencies and across the full breadth of communities.

We believe it is important to ensure wide involvement of communities in the process of signing the Accord and we propose the following approach.

• A national launch and signing in Wellington, led by the Prime Minister, the Minister for the Community and Voluntary Sector, and Associate Minister and other Ministers. Other signatories would include members of the Steering Group, and representatives of communities of Aotearoa New Zealand, selected by ballot from the consultation process participants.
• A number of regional events hosted by local authorities or regional offices of central government agencies. These events would occur at the same time as the launch and be open to all members of the community and government officials to sign the Accord online or in a hard copy.
• Live streaming of the launch via the internet would be available at the regional ceremonies and to internet users.
• Following the launch, an online website would enable anyone who wishes, to sign the Accord.

Our preferred option is for government agency chief executives and regional managers, and local government bodies, to also endorse the Relationship Accord. We believe this would show important leadership at all levels in government.

There was consistent feedback from the consultation that all political parties should have the opportunity to endorse the Accord and in the spirit of Kia Tūtahi, to make the signing as inclusive as possible.

Implementing the Relationship Accord

Implementation should recognise the wide range of groups and voices within the communities of Aotearoa New Zealand. What works at local level may not be appropriate at a national level, and while some groups will want to determine their own response to the Relationship Accord, others may ask for assistance.

The implementation of the Accord should reflect its kaupapa, enabling equal participation of communities and government, and positively harnessing the differences and synergies.

Transitional reference group

To show commitment to the kaupapa of the Accord and to be satisfied that joint activities contribute to the ongoing implementation of the Accord, we suggest that a transitional reference group is set up to provide advice and guidance on the implementation of the Accord during its first year. We expect the group to be drawn from communities, officials and existing Steering Group members, supported by a wider network of diverse stakeholders. It would operate within the kaupapa of Kia Tūtahi that has guided this work to date. We expect the Office for the Community and Voluntary Sector to convene and support the group.

Pilot, review, replicate and embed the Accord

We propose phasing the implementation of the Accord to enable progress to be made, reviewed and learned from, over a manageable period. (Detailed actions and an implementation diagram are set out on pages 24-28).

As a first step, we propose that a small number of government agencies pilot the Accord over the next year. These champion agencies would build on and strengthen current good practice, working with their community partners and reflecting the individual kaupapa of each agency. We expect the Office for the Community and Voluntary Sector to provide support to champion agencies, help identify and develop resource needs, collate information, review, and report on progress.

We expect champion agencies to have significant engagement and reach within communities, influence across government, and existing good practice to build on. Champion agencies will also consider pressure points and long-standing issues of concern in the context of their operations (for instance, enabling community participation in decision-making on policy and service delivery). As each agency develops good practice, this learning will be replicated across government in an ongoing process of review and improvement. We hope that the promotion of the Accord by these agencies will encourage others to see the benefits of adopting good practice, and encourage cross-agency co-operation.

We propose that the Office for the Community and Voluntary Sector invite community organisations and groups to advise on options for implementing the Accord. We envisage that these options could include selecting champion organisations to promote the Accord, collecting stories of good practice, and supporting engagement between communities and government, and community to community. We envisage that the stories will be used as case studies to help identify practical ways that the Accord supports the communityñgovernment relationship. We expect community champions to show ways of practice that support purposeful engagement between government agencies and communities, and within communities.

At the same time, we expect progress to be made on ensuring that the intentions of the Accord are reflected in the key strategic and accountability documents of government agencies. It will also be important that alignment is sought with other organisations and relevant activities that contribute to improved community-government relationships. We expect the Office for the Community and Voluntary Sector to lead this work with the support of the transitional reference group.

Impacts of the Accord in practice

We expect that positive progress will have been made if actions contribute to the proposed outcomes in the Accord and the following impacts are discernable:

• the principles of the Accord are modelled and championed
• there is increased understanding of the intention of the Accord
• communities and government separately and collaboratively contribute to implementing the Accord towards it becoming the norm in practice
• relationships between communities and government are more productive with greater input from marginalised groups
• there are measurable benefits, such as reduced compliance and transaction costs, issue resolution, improved working relationships
• existing resources, networks and processes are used more effectively, made more widely available and improved
• knowledge of good practice and what works well is increased
• learning from review and analysis of progress is used, replicated and contributes to good practice.

Communicating and gaining support for the Relationship Accord

Participants in the consultation process need to be kept informed of progress with the Relationship Accord. We propose that after considering this report, the Minister for the Community and Voluntary Sector releases it to the public.

The Accord needs champions to ensure it is sustained and implemented. We look to Government to provide leadership and commitment to put the Accord into practice. We have consistently heard feedback that communities wish to see an Accord that can endure during government change. We propose that the Minister for the Community and Voluntary Sector seeks Government and multi-party support for the Accord. We also look for champions from communities of Aotearoa New Zealand to demonstrate leadership and commitment in implementing this Accord.

The Accord is intended to be inclusive of all groups within communities. As such, we suggest that it should be available in the official New Zealand languages and the languages of significant population groups. We propose that the Office for the Community and Voluntary Sector arrange translation of the Accord into Te Reo Māori, New Zealand Sign Language and other languages.

Key actions - Pilot - review - replicate - embed

We propose the following key actions to move the Accord forward.

1. Immediate actions to show commitment to the Kia Tūtahi Standing Together Relationship Accord

Action	Level	Action by	By
Minister for the Community and Voluntary Sector releases this report	national	government	June 2011
OCVS convenes a transitional reference group of officials and community representatives to provide advice and guidance on the implementation of the Accord	national	community/ government	June 2011
Prime Minister, Ministers and community representatives sign the Accord with regional events	national, regional	community/ government	August 2011
Ministers champion the Accord and seek multi-party support	national	government	ongoing
Government lead agencies identified to champion the Accord and model good practice	national	government	August 2011
OCVS leads work on ways to ensure that the intentions of the Accord are reflected in the key strategic and accountability documents of government agencies.	national	government/ community	August 2011
OCVS invites community organisations and groups to advise on options for implementing the Accord such as identifying champion organisations to promote the Accord and using the Accord to support engagement between communities and government, and community to community	national, regional, local	community	August 2011
OCVS invites community organisations and groups to identify case study examples of good practice at national, regional and local level, to test how the Accord can work in practice.	national, regional, local	community	August 2011

2. Medium-term actions to build good practice

Action	Level	Action by	By
Champion agencies, working with community partners: promote the Accord within their portfolios at national, regional and local levels and appoint internal champions review business processes and policies in relation to the Accord review the status of agency-community relationships, what works well, what needs improvement, what can be built on and resource implications resolve pressure points and other issues of long-standing concern, eg enabling community participation in decision-making on policy and service delivery identify case study examples of good practice at national, regional and local level	national, regional, local	government/ community	March 2012
Community champions collect stories of good practice and support the development of good practice between government and communities, and community to community.	national	community/ government	March 2012
OCVS and the transitional reference group: review case studies and consider what can be learned and replicated track progress and provide public report through newsletters, accountability documents etc seek alignment with organisations and relevant activities that contribute to improved community-government relationships	national	community/ government	March 2012
OCVS in consultation with the reference group reports on responses to cross-government issues	national	government/ community	March 2012
OCVS supports the champion agencies, community organisations and groups to identify what works well, needs improvement and can be built on	national, regional, local	government/ community	March 2012
OCVS in consultation with community and the reference group reports to government and communities on progress and options for replicating the learning	national	government	June 2012

3. Longer-term actions to embed the Accord (1 year +)

Action	Level	Action by	By
OCVS oversees a rolling programme to replicate across government, the learning and good practice from champion agencies and communities.	national	government / community	From June 2012

4. Actions to sustain ongoing review and improvement (3 years +)

Action	Level	Action by	By
OCVS carries out a 3 yearly review of progress of the implementation of the Accord	national	government	March 2014
OCVS supports agencies and communities to put the Accord into effect and reports regularly on progress to communities and government	national regional local	government	ongoing

Implementation plan diagram

Appendix 1: Terms of Reference for members of the Steering Group to develop the Community-Government Relationship Agreement

Context

The relationship between government and the community and voluntary sector is more important than ever before. Government recognises the significant role of the community and voluntary sector in society (around 97,000 organisations, 1.2 million volunteers and contributing 4.9% to GDP in 2004). Government wants to engage more with the sector ñ through collaboration and partnerships and engaging on matters of policy or service planning and delivery ñ because it recognises that government and the sector need to work together to address complex problems.

Background

The Government has approved a programme of work to help build strong relationships with the community and voluntary sector, including developing a Relationship Agreement between Government and the Community and Voluntary sector to replace the Statement of Government Intentions for an improved Community Government Relationship (2001).

As a first step in this process the Minister for the Community and Voluntary Sector, Hon Tariana Turia, hosted a national Community-Government Forum on 11 November 2009. The forum enabled participants from the community and voluntary sector, government officials, the Prime Minister and Ministers to start the thinking on how to develop a Relationship Agreement.

The forum explored the key elements that might be in a Relationship Agreement, and the steps in the process to develop it. Three main themes emerged from the forum discussions:

The need for a robust process

Participants wanted to see something happen quickly that would build on what has gone before, but cautioned that there needs to be enough time to ìensure the waka is moving forward and we all participate in the journeyî. They stressed the importance of the sector and government working together and wide participation of the sector at all levels, with opportunities for extensive engagement and consultation with the sector on a draft agreement.

A values-based agreement

Participants strongly emphasised the need for values to underpin an agreement, in particular respect, trust and inclusiveness, and for it to acknowledge the power imbalance between the parties, and the Treaty of Waitangi. Implementation of an agreement

Participants indicated that further discussion is needed about whom in the community and voluntary sector would be identified to sign-up to the final document. Once signed, a mechanism is needed to measure whether the agreement is working and to ensure government accountability. Participants emphasised the importance of a sustainable agreement through successive Governments.

Steering Group to develop the Relationship Agreement

Following the Forum, the Minister for the Community and Voluntary Sector has decided to establish a Steering Group to lead the development of the Relationship Agreement. The Minister will appoint the Steering Group, whose members will be accountable to the Minister for the development of the Relationship Agreement.

The Steering Group will oversee development of the Relationship Agreement and lead and participate in the consultation process on the draft Relationship Agreement.

Nominations to the Steering Group will be sought from the community and voluntary sector and the state sector. Members will be selected on the basis of their skills, experience and networks.

As far as possible, the Steering Group membership will reflect the diverse nature of the community and voluntary sector, and in particular, Māori, Pacific peoples, ethnic minorities and the disabled.

Support to the Steering Group

A secretariat from the Office for the Community and Voluntary Sector (OCVS) will support the Steering Group and will work with the Steering Group to report on progress to the Minister for the Community and Voluntary Sector and Cabinet.

Steering Group composition and structure

The Steering Group will consist of seven community and voluntary sector members and seven state sector members. In addition, the Minister will appoint two co-chairs, one from the community and voluntary sector and one from the state sector (see figure below).

Diagram of the proposed structure

Skills and experience

Steering Group members will:

• be well networked within the community and voluntary sector and/or government.
• be well respected amongst their peers, able to influence and lead others.
• be able to present and communicate effectively, increasing awareness about the Relationship Agreement through their networks
• have a collaborative and participatory approach.

Public sector members will be senior officials with the ability to influence others across government.

The co-chairs will be good facilitators, with seniority and mana in their sectors.

Expectations of the Steering Group

Steering Group members are expected to work together to oversee the development of the Relationship Agreement. There is a tight timeline for completing the work and it is likely that deadlines will have to be met at short notice. At this stage, the following is an indication of the expected commitment by members:

Steering Group Meetings

• Attend six to seven meetings between late March and early September 2010. The first meeting will be over two days, the others one day.
• The provisional dates for the first two meetings are 24-25 March and 13 April 2010.
• At least half-day preparation will be required for each meeting and meetings will be held in Wellington.
• Review the final Relationship Agreement - around seven hours in August.
• Provide comment and feedback as required at other times.
• Feedback will usually need to be provided within a two day turn-around.

Consultation

• Attend and present at two regional meetings during the consultation period.
• Review the feedback from the consultation process ñ around seven hours.

Co-chairs will be also expected to meet with the Minister as required, in order to report on progress; to meet or be in contact with the OCVS weekly; to sign-off on minutes of meetings, reports and other correspondence from the Steering Group; and to jointly facilitate Steering Group meetings.

Remuneration

Remuneration will be in accordance with Cabinet Office guidelines on fees for members appointed to bodies in which the Crown has an interest. All travel expenses and other reasonable approved expenses will be met by the OCVS.

Appendix 2: Kia Tūtahi Steering Group members

Community

Hori Awa (Waikato-Tainui) (co-chair) has experience spanning 30 years in iwi and community development. He was chairperson of Trust Waikato and Tiaki Tangata (a forum between government and the community). He is currently chairperson of a community trust supporting youth development, a member of the Iwi Māori Council of the Waikato District Health Board and a member of the Community Sector Taskforce.

Alison Broad is a member of the National Management Group for Inspiring Communities, a network that supports and promotes community-led initiatives to strengthen communities. She is currently a trustee of the Community Trust of Southland, and holds positions on various boards. Ms Broad is a consultant on a wide range of community projects, that include working with community providers and government agencies.

Lani Evans manages Volunteer Otago, a referral, promotion and advocacy agency supporting 120 non-profit organisations and around 900 individuals a year. She was previously a youth co-ordinator at Volunteer Otago, working alongside schools and community organisations to create in-school volunteer programmes connecting young people with their communities. Ms Evans is a member of the Generosity Hub, a joint government, community and business initiative to promote giving in all its forms.

Tania Kingi (Ngati Awa, Ngai Tai, Te Arawa) has a long history of involvement in the health and disability sector. She currently provides management services to Te Roopu Waiora Trust, an organisation that gives disability information, advice and support to whanau with disabilities. She is a member of several boards including the Charities Commission and chairs the National Steering Group of Māori Disability Support Services.

Owen Lloyd (Nga Ariki Kaiputahi, Ngati Porou, Te Aitanga a Mahaki, Rongowhakaata, Whakatohea) is a member and/or chair of several organisations including the New Zealand Council of Social Services, Social Services Industry Training Organisation, Gisborne Council of Social Services and Nga Ariki Kaiputahi Iwi. He is currently leading the combined Turanga/Gisborne Treaty claims negotiations and has several governance roles. He has a background in the health sector.

Dr Kevin Moran is well networked in the community and voluntary sector, particularly in relation to sport and recreation. He has been a volunteer surf lifesaver for over 35 years, for which he has received distinguished service awards from Surf Lifesaving New Zealand. Dr Moran is a principal lecturer in health and physical education at the University of Auckland. He has experience leading several forums on water safety, including as co-chair of the International Taskforce on Open Water Drowning Prevention.

Pancha Narayanan has led the New Zealand Federation of Multicultural Councils for the last seven years. He has held many volunteer roles in the community and voluntary sector, including as president of the Ethnic Council of Wellington, assisting migrants and refugees to settle in New Zealand. He is currently a member of the Community Sector Taskforce and manages a small firm providing business and service transformation consultancy to private and public sector organisations.

Faíamatuainu Wayne Poutoa is manager of Streets Ahead 237 in Porirua, a programme that focuses on reducing gang recruitment and youth offending. This local programme works alongside families entrenched in gang life, as well as the youth gangs themselves. He is an active church member and in 1997 he was made a Samoan Chief.

Government Officials

Don Gray (co-chair)	Ministry of Social Development
Cherie Engelbrecht	Office of Ethnic Affairs
Andrew Fieldsend	Sport and Recreation New Zealand
Jeanette Harris (until September 2010)	Te Puni Kokiri
Ruth Harrison	Department of Internal Affairs
Sonya Rimene (until May 2010)	Ministry of Womenís Affairs
Teresa Wall	Ministry of Health
Dean Westerlund	Ministry of Pacific Island Affairs

Appendix 3: Summary of consultation hui and submissions

Consultation Hui

Date	Location	Attendees
9 July	Rotorua	22
13 July	Whangarei	34
13 July	Gisborne	21
14 July	Henderson	35
14 July	Umbrella / National Organisations (Wellington)	26
15 July	Hastings	26
16 July	New Plymouth	23
19 July	Palmerston North	35
21 July	Porirua	83
22 July	Nelson	34
22 July	Officials (Wellington)	44
27 July	Christchurch	58
28 July	Dunedin	40
3 August	Hamilton	49
4 August	Opotiki	17
4 August4	Kaikohe (The hui in Kaikohe was cancelled due to bad weatherand alternative arrangements were made by Te Puni Kokiri to gather the views of people intending to attend.)	6
6 August	Invercargill	38
12 August	Greymouth	25
13 August	Manukau	45
Total		661

Submissions and comments were received from:

• Auckland Sexual Abuse HELP Foundation
• Community Solutions
• Don S McDonald
• Energy Efficiency Community Network (EECN)
• Hutt City Council
• James Mutch
• Katherine Peet
• New Zealand Red Cross
• Peter Vaughan
• Porirua City Council
• Public Service Association
• Southland Interagency Forum
• Tapu Tunga Trust
• The Community Sector Taskforce
• Trust Waikato
• Volunteering New Zealand
• Wellington Council of Social Services

Appendix 4: Examples of current initiatives that support the relationship between communities and government

The implementation of the Accord starts from an existing base of activities and practices that reflect good practice in the relationship between communities and government. The following section contains examples of these activities and practices.

Government and communities working together

• The Department of Conservation works in partnership with nearly 400 community conservation organisations, some of whom undertake ambitious mainland or island restoration and visitor projects on public conservation land. Staff training programmes that include community partners institutionalise working with the community across the department.
• Health and Disability NGO-Ministry of Health Forums are hosted annually by the Ministry of Health and the Health and Disability NGO Working Group. The NGO Working Group is a group elected by their peers to represent the health and disability sector and to work strategically to further the relationships between the NGO community, the Ministry of Health and other key stakeholders.
• The Ministry of Social Developmentís Family and Community Services manages the Community Response Model bringing together government and community organisations to give communities a real say in how family and community services funding will be spent. Communities create plans for social support in their area, participating in the decision-making process and developing local solutions.
• The Ministry of Social Development has introduced High Trust Contracting, a new way of contracting between government and the community social services sector. It incorporates a central belief that communities know best what works for people and families in their neighbourhoods. Community organisations that have a strong and trusted relationship with government are eligible for a high trust agreement.
• The Department of Internal Affairsí regional teams facilitate and broker support for community-led initiatives and enable collaboration between government and communities to achieve shared goals. Support may include advice and/or funding, but often brokering engagement between communities and relevant government and other agencies.
• The Land and Water Forum (that includes recreational non-profits and iwi) advises the Ministry for the Environment and Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry on water use.
• Whanau Ora is an inclusive approach to providing services and opportunities to whanau across New Zealand. It empowers whanau as a whole, rather than focusing separately on individual whanau members and their problems. It requires multiple government agencies to work together with families rather than separately with individual family members.

Following the Christchurch earthquake, government agencies, iwi, community organisations, communities and volunteers came together spontaneously to deal with events as they arose. There is much to be learnt from what worked well and how in the future communities and government can work better together.

Cross-government resources

• Code of Funding Practice: jointly developed through a community-government process and released in 2010, the Code supports government agencies and non-profits in managing government funding arrangements and helps to embed good funding practice
• Ministry of Social Developmentís Family and Community Services embeds the Code in all its funding arrangements
• OCVS Good Practice Funding website provides online resources to support users of the Code.
• Good Practice in Action and Good Engagement seminars and workshops promote the sharing of information and good practice in strengthening relationships between communities and government
• A Ready Reference Guide to Good Engagement (to be launched later in 2011) provides step-by-step guidance on engaging with citizens and communities; supported by the Good Practice Participate website.

Government agency and community resources

• From Seed to Success: Guidelines for Community Conservation Partnerships by the Department of Conservation.
• The Department of Internal Affairs / Waitakere City Council guidance on partnering agreements Putting Pen to Paper.
• Office for Disability Issuesí Disability Perspective Toolkit.
• ChangeMakers Refugee Forum Standards for Engagement: Guidelines for Central and Local Government and NGOs Working with Refugee Background Communities.
• Community Sector Taskforce Community Collective Toolkit ñ a resource for communities to use in developing and maintaining Community Collectives i.e. collaborations of groups/organisations whose focus is the community.