Issue 19 - 1 September 2008

The New Zealand Non-profit Sector in Comparative Perspective provides the most accurate picture yet of the New Zealand non-profit sector and how it compares with 40 other countries.

The report, launched last month, shows that New Zealand’s volunteer workforce is two-thirds or 67% of the non-profit sector workforce, compared with an average of 42% for the 41 countries in the study.

The research also shows that almost half (49%) of New Zealand’s non-profit organisations are ‘expressive’ organisations, meaning they are involved in culture, sports, recreation, environmental protection, civic activism, unionism, professional associations, and religion. In other countries studied, expressive groups account for an average 37% of non-profit organisations.  There is a heavy reliance on volunteers in this part of the sector, reflecting New Zealanders’ strong commitment to supporting healthy, vibrant communities through voluntary activity.

The History of the Non-Profit Sector in New Zealand considers the forces and players that have shaped the non-profit sector in New Zealand over time. It examines our rich heritage and reminds us that a strong state and a strong non-profit sector can co-exist.

The History was launched at a combined event at Parliament in August, which also marked publication of the NZ Non-Profit Sector in Comparative Perspective.  The two reports are the culmination of a five-year collaboration involving the OCVS, the Committee for the Study for the New Zealand Non-Profit Sector, Johns Hopkins University, Statistics New Zealand and Massey University.

Professor Salamon, director of the Center for Civil Society Studies at the Johns Hopkins Institute for Policy Studies in the USA, was in New Zealand last month to help launch two New Zealand publications emerging from an international study. 

As director of the Johns Hopkins Comparative Nonprofit Sector Project, Dr. Salamon pioneered the systematic effort to analyse the scope, structure, financing, and role of the private non-profit sector in a cross-section of countries around the world. Data collected from 42 countries has helped to improve the collective knowledge and understanding of this sector – providing a sounder basis for both public and private action towards it.

While in NZ, Dr Salamon met with community and voluntary sector representatives and public servants in Wellington and Auckland to talk about international research into the sector – debunking 10 great myths of global civil society in the process and providing details on the Listening Post project undertaken in USA.

Public servants can now enrol for the next GPIA seminar on 19 September. The September seminar will be the first in a series focused on Taming Wicked Problems - a reference to the programme's focus on solving tough and complex problems in the community-government relationship.

The 2008/09 seminar series will look at next steps, and feature some of our earlier presenters revisiting earlier case studies so we can find out what happened next. The September seminar will feature two case studies: One on the Ministry of Health Drinking-Water Assistance programme and another about SPARC’s research on finding and keeping volunteers.

GPIA seminars are free Wellington events organised by the OCVS for public servants so they can share experiences and learn from each other. Places are limited, so enrol today.

The Office for the Community and Voluntary Sector and the NZ Federation of Voluntary Welfare Organisations jointly produced Keeping It Legal E Ai Ki Te Ture as a starting point for people in voluntary and non-profit organisations who want to know about the laws that may affect them.

This resource is available online at www.keepingitlegal.net.nz and in print.

The Taxation (International Taxation, Life Insurance, and Remedial Matters) Bill was introduced to Parliament at the beginning of July. It includes provisions to clarify taxation in relation to volunteer expenses and to introduce a voluntary payroll giving system for charitable donations.

For further information see the two media statements and the commentary on the bill.

The Acting State Services Commissioner, Tony Hartevelt, has drawn attention to the need for all State servants to be aware of their impartiality obligations in the run up to the election.

This guidance includes five fact sheets to help ensure agencies and their employees:

• maintain the political neutrality required to work with current and future governments; and
• respect the authority of the government of the day.

State servants need to carry out the functions of their organisation unaffected by personal beliefs, and support their organisation to provide robust and unbiased advice.

Stakeholder relations/engagement practitioners from 14 central government agencies recently got together to share ideas and experiences.  As a result, they are forming an informal network that will provide an opportunity for comparing and contrasting approaches and testing their rigour with those who have ‘been there before’.  

The forum will also provide an opportunity to discuss strategic issues (eg: developing good practice standards, facilitating cross-agency collaboration, and identifying emerging challenges/international trends in working effectively with stakeholders), and provide an opportunity to share the more technical aspects of the work (eg: stakeholder strategy templates,  databases,  guidelines and tools etc).

The exact role and purpose of the group will emerge through further discussion as members familiarise themselves with each others’ work programmes and the key issues.

If your work involves stakeholder engagement and you are keen to find out more about the network, contact:

Five national umbrella groups (NZCOSS, NZFVWO, ANGOA, SHORE and Volunteering NZ) have combined to develop Community Central – a web-based platform for NZ community groups.

Community Central is a friendly space on the internet for tangata whenua, the community and voluntary sector, public health workers, advocates and others to come online to converse, share and work together.  The initiative has been started with the help of grants from the Digital Strategy Community Partnership Fund, the JR McKenzie Trust and Lottery Community.

New Zealand

• The Atlas of Socioeconomic Deprivation in New Zealand published by the Ministry of Health reveals the socioeconomic landscape generated by the NZ Index of Deprivation 2006. The map, divided into the 21 district health board areas, provides ratings to measure deprivation. These are based on Census data about income, home ownership, family support, employment, qualifications and transport.
• Amongst other findings, the 2008 Social Report produced by the Ministry of Social Development shows a reduction in income inequality between the highest and lowest earners - the first time the gap has closed in 20 years.
  » A full copy of the report is now available at www.socialreport.msd.govt.nz.
• Connecting Diverse Communities - Report on 2007 Public Engagement, published by the Ministry of Social Development and Office of Ethnic Affairs.
  This report summarises the findings from the fifteen public meetings held around New Zealand in 2007 to discuss diversity and social cohesion and a written questionnaire circulated in early 2008.
  » Download Connecting Diverse Communities report.
• Video captures of keynote addresses and case study presentations from June’s DevCon 2008 conference are now available on the Public Sector Intranet.
• Under the Emerging Issues Programme, public service executives commissioned Victoria University of Wellington (VUW) to lead a project on more joined-up citizen-focussed services. The discussion document produced as a result of the project is entitled Better Connected Services for Kiwis – it can now be downloaded from the Public Sector Intranet or VUW’s Institute of Policy Studies website.
• The Local Government Commission’s Summary report on the Local Government Act 2002 and the Local Electoral Act 2001 finds that both Acts are fundamentally sound and assist in achieving their legislative and policy purpose. The Local Government Act promotes participation in local decision-making and the accountability of councils to their communities for the decisions they make. The report states there is plenty of good practice material available to guide councils in implementing and giving full effect to the Local Government Act.
  » Read the Local Government Commission’s Summary Report online.
• The State Services Productivity Kit was launched at the P3 Productivity Partnership and Public Value conference in July.
  The kit provides practical advice on how the public sector can improve workplace productivity and delivery of services to the New Zealand public. It also features case studies of public sector organisations with excellent workplace practices that have improved productivity, including: ACC, Department of Labour, and Inland Revenue.
  » The productivity kit is available online.
• Secondary Futures - Hoenga Auaha Taiohi is a project set up to encourage discussion and debate about the role and purpose of secondary education in New Zealand, 20 years from now – creating a mandate for change.
  In April, a Secondary Futures seminar for the Futures Forum gave a compelling illustration of how participative and innovative futures work can engage a broad range of key stakeholders and get traction towards developing tangible change without necessarily having to wait for a final report to be written. The seminar proposed some stimulating insights into how the role of Government is changing in the 21st century and what challenges this is posing for the State Services.
  » To find out more about the Secondary Futures initiative, visit: www.secondaryfutures.co.nz.
• The Seriously Good Guide to Fundraising is a regional guide providing practical ideas and advice for community groups wanting to raise funds. Topics include Getting Started, Planning an Event, Sponsorship, Community Funding and Marketing. The Guide also provides details about running specific events such as discos, gala days, food stalls, raffles, tours, and auctions.
  » Find out more at www.exult.co.nz.
• The Legal Reference Manual - A practical guide to New Zealand law as it applies in everyday situations contains information on a wide range of legal subjects.
  Topics include the New Zealand legal system, legal aid, criminal proceedings, police powers, court fines, domestic violence, harassment, consumer, tenancy, neighbour disputes, accident compensation, privacy and wills. This extensively updated and revised fourth edition also features new sections on civil and human rights, and health and disability law, along with expanded sections on family law, employment law and the legal issues impacting on young people.
  » For further information, contact the Wellington Community Law Centre at info@wclc.org.nz or visit www.communitylaw.org.nz.
• Good magazine has teamed up with Habitat for Humanity to help families help themselves into new housing. Good magazine was launched in June and focuses on sustainable living.
  »  Read more about Good magazine.
• SPARC’s Club Kit – Tools to run your club is just one of the useful resources listed on the Help and information for community groups page on the OCVS website.  Club Kit has guidance on starting and running a club.
  » Check out the OCVS website page to see links to all kinds of useful information.

International

• Pathways to community participation – The Benevolent Society, New South Wales for the Australian Research Alliance for Children and Youth, Australia.
  This paper examines the benefits of community participation for children, families and communities; then goes on to look at the challenges associated with encouraging participation in communities experiencing social exclusion. The paper provides best practice principles for service providers on building pathways to community participation.
  » Download this paper online.
• Sustaining effective social partnerships - National Centre for Vocational Education Research, Australia.
  The formation and maintenance of social partnerships depends on five key principles relating to: purposes and goals; relations with partners; capacity for partnership work; governance and leadership; and trust and trustworthiness. Using four case studies, this report assesses how these principles and practices can be used to develop strong social partnerships.
  » Download the report online.
• Forces for Good: The Six Practices of High Impact Nonprofits – Leslie Crutchfield and Heather McLeod Grant, USA.
  This book says the secret to creating social change lies in how great organisations mobilise every sector of society – government, business, nonprofits, and the public – to be a force for good. According to the authors’ research, high impact nonprofits do this through six things:
  • Advocate and serve: They don't just focus on doing one thing well.
  • Make markets work: Self-interest and the laws of economics are more effective than appealing to pure altruism.
  • Inspire evangelists: They see volunteers, donors, and advisors for more than their contributions of time, money and guidance, but also for what they can do as evangelists for their cause.
  • Nurture nonprofit networks: They freely share wealth, expertise, talent, and power with their peers, because it is in their self interest to do so.
  • Master the art of adaptation: They respond to changing circumstances with one innovation after another – learning from their mistakes.
  • Share leadership: They distribute leadership through their organisation and their nonprofit network – empowering others to lead.
    » Read more about Forces for Good.
• The Index of Global Philanthropy 2008 - Hudson Institute's Centre for Global Prosperity, USA.
  The index highlights how the greatest difference being made in poverty-stricken countries comes from individuals, communities and organisations, rather than governments. It provides an overview of social entrepreneurship – showing the numerous and increasingly creative ways that poverty throughout the world is being tackled.
  » Read The Index of Global Philanthropy 2008 or order a hard copy from Hudson’s website.
• The Power of Giving – How Giving Back Enriches Us All - Azim Jamal & Harvey McKinnon, Canada.
  » Read more about the book at www.thepowerofgiving.org
• It’s More Than Talk…Listen, Learn and Act. A New Model for Public Engagement – New Brunswick, Canada.
  Released at a national Canadian conference in May 2008, this final report of the Public Engagement Initiative outlines why a new ‘views-deliberation-action’ model is needed and describes how governments can apply it to achieve the right type of dialogue on different issues.  Different ways to carry out dialogue are needed to hear the many different voices in the public space, including stakeholders, opinion leaders, ordinary citizens, and other government officials. All have a role to play in public engagement, and the choice of dialogue depends on who is participating and why. The model identifies a range of roles for government, including convenor, facilitator, participant, enabler, and partner. The 5-year PEI project was led by Don Lenihan who was in New Zealand to present at an AUT workshop in July 2008.
  » Download the report from the Online Participation Community of Practice wiki.
  » Read more about public participation processes in New Zealand on the Good Practice Participate website.
• Communities in Control: Real people, real power - Department for Communities and Local Government, United Kingdom.
  This White Paper tells the story of power, influence and control and how everyone in local communities can use existing and new tools to access it.
  » Download this White Paper.
• Public Service & the Third Sector: Rhetoric & Reality – House of Commons, United Kingdom.
  This first ever Select Committee report focused on the third sector was released in July, and specifically looks at the policy of commissioning public service delivery from organisations in the third sector. The UK Public Administration Select Committee wanted to assess the impact on government, the third sector and, most importantly, 'the effect on service users and the public at large'.
  » Download the report and read various reaction from NAVCA, newstartmag, and from TimesOnline.
• Making the Most of Volunteers – Public/Private Ventures, USA.
  This analysis by Jean Baldwin Grossman and Kathryn Furano discovered that three functions - screening, training and ongoing management - are key to maximising volunteer value and minimising damage.
  » Download Making the Most of Volunteers.

In New Zealand

• 1 Sept: Random Acts of Kindness Day
  » Read more at www.rak.co.nz.
• 4 Sept: E-engage your Community conference – Wellington.
  Similar to the successful Waikato conference held in April, this event will use case studies and hands-on workshops to demonstrate Internet-based tools with the potential to help community groups and organisations publicise themselves and assist with their community work.
  » Read more at www.wellingtonict.org.nz/ or www.eyc.org.nz/.  
• 9-10 Sept: Planning for Effective Public Participation – Twyford’s IAP2 Training – Christchurch.
  » Read more at www.twyford.com.au.
• 19 Sept: OCVS Good Practice in Action - Solving Wicked Problems seminar for public servants in Wellington.
  » See story # 04 above.
• 22 Sept: ANGOA research forum – Christchurch.
• 23 Sept: Inaugural Digital Development Forum meeting – Wellington.
  In April 2008, the Minister for Communications and Information Technology announced support for the formation of a new participant-led Digital Development Forum (DDF) and a Digital Development Council. The core role of the DDF will be to provide a co-ordinated voice and recommendations on strategic priorities to the Digital Development Council and to the Government.
  » Read more at http://ddc.org.nz/ or register your interest at http://ddc.org.nz/forum.
• 1-3 Oct: NZCOSS Our voices in social change conference – Auckland.
  » See more information at www.nzcoss.org.nz.
• 23 Oct: Making National Partnerships Work NGO-MoH Forum – Alexandra Park, Auckland.
  Confirmed speakers include: Stephen McKernan (Director-General of Health; Ministry of Health; Nicola White (Assistant Auditor-General, Legal; Office of the Auditor General) speaking on Good Practice Guidelines; and Hingatu Thompson (Group Manager, Maori Population Health; Ministry of Health) speaking on Te Puāwaiwhero and Whanau Oro.
  » Watch for registration information soon at www.moh.govt.nz/ngo.
• 24-26 Nov: The AustraliaNew ZealandThird Sector Research (ANZTSR) Conference – Auckland. 
  This event will DEMONSTRATE and CELEBRATE the contribution community researchers and their research in/for/by/with the community/NGO/Third Sector make to the well-being of people and planet.
  » Read more at www.anztsr.org.au.
• 28 Nov: OCVS Good Practice in Action seminar for public servants in Wellington.
  » Watch www.ocvs.govt.nz for more details soon.
• 28 Nov: e-Engage Your Community: Expanding your communications toolkit – Rotorua.
  A day packed with speakers and practical hands-on workshops to help you and your organisation get up to speed with the latest and emerging communication tools.
  Early-bird registrations for Not-For-Profit organisations are $75 per person, and for non-NFPs it's $150 per person. Maximum of 120 people due to venue limitations.
  » The Rotorua Social Services Council will have more details in its next newsletter.
• 3-5 Dec: DevNet Conference: Peripheral Vision - Victoria University, Wellington.
  Development agencies will explore civil society issues.
  » Watch for more info soon at www.devnet.org.nz.
• 22-26 Feb 2009: 1^st ever Down Under Institute – Hamilton.
  The Lifestyle Trust and Disability Resource Centre (Hawkes Bay) Trust are co-hosting this event to explore international best practice in the areas of inclusion, diversity and community building.
  » To register an expression of interest: Email:  lyn@lifestyletrust.org.nz.
• 18-19 March 2009: Philanthropy NZ & Community Trusts combined conference – Wellington.
  » Watch for more details at a later date at www.giving.org.nz.

 

Overseas

• 3-5 Sept: Australia’s 12th National Conference on Volunteering – Gold Coast, Australia.
  This event will explore the shift in the way people are volunteering, flexibility in management and the changing demographics of volunteering.
  » Visit www.volunteeringaustralia.org for more details.
• 16-19 Sept: Asia Pacific Volunteer Leadership conference – Honolulu, Hawaii.
  A gathering of people from around the Pacific Rim whose focus is on leadership of volunteers.  Attendees will learn what influences and sustains volunteers, innovative practices for future programme development, and ways to network globally.
  » More information is on the conference website www.vrchawaii.org/APVLConference or contact Sue Kobar at 03-375-4230 or email suek@nursemaude.org.nz
• 9-10 Oct: Evaluate 08 - IAP2 Symposium:  Measuring the Effectiveness of Community Engagement - Adelaide, Australia.
  » Read more about the conference programme online.
• 19-22 Nov: 8th Global Conference on National Youth Service – hosted by IANYS secretariat, Innovations in Civic Participation (ICP), in partnership with Unis-Cité and the Association of Voluntary Service Organizations (AVSO) in Paris, France.
  » See the conference website: www.icicp.org 

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