Issue 21 - 3 December 2008

Our new Director Alasdair Finnie began with the Office for the Community and Voluntary Sector on 17 November.  Alasdair has already commenced a busy round of meetings and attended several events, including the ANZSTR conference, the GPIA seminar and a Promoting Generosity Hub meeting. He has many others on his list of key people to meet over coming weeks and months as he settles into the role and leads the OCVS team and work programme.

“I am really looking forward to working with this wonderful, dynamic and positive sector that makes such a difference to people’s lives and overall wellbeing. I have really appreciated the many messages of support I have received, and look forward to meeting new people in the sector and renewing contact with old sector friends”, Alasdair said.

Co-leader of the Maori Party, the Hon. Tariana Turia has been appointed Minister for the Community and Voluntary Sector outside Cabinet.  Mrs Turia also has Associate Minister roles in Health and Social Development and Employment. 

Mrs Turia has held the community and voluntary sector portfolio before - in 2003/04 when she officially launched the OCVS and the Charities Commission.  Her first official function as Minister this time was speaking at the Charities Commission AGM on 27 November.

The OCVS will be meeting with the new Minister over coming weeks to discuss in detail priorities for the community and voluntary sector portfolio.

The OCVS team was overwhelmed by the interest in a new series of 90-minute seminars focused on community engagement and participation.  The first Good Practice Participate seminar scheduled for 9 December was booked solid within 48 hours of registrations opening and a waiting list of interested people continues to build. 

The seminar entitled Public participation for better decisions will be presented by Anne Patillo (the Australasian President of the International Association for Public Participation IAP2), and will outline a framework for good practice in community engagement, including the IAP2 engagement spectrum and core values.

Bookings for a second GPP seminar entitled Encouraging equitable public participation are steady, even though it does not occur until 11 February 2009 (from 1:15-2:45pm). This seminar, by Dr Tricia Nickel from the School of Social and Cultural Studies at Victoria University, will consider the ideal of public participation, its criticisms, and contemporary methods to overcoming these challenges. 

It is great to see such interest in this important topic, so further 90-minute seminars on other aspects of community participation and engagement are being developed for 2009.

The Building Better Government Engagement (BBGE) project reference group has finalised a report to the OCVS on community engagement entitled ‘It’s More Than Talk’.  It includes options for building engagement skills, knowledge and values in the public service.

It’s anticipated that ‘It’s More Than Talk’ will be available for download from the OCVS website in the New Year and limited hard copies will be available. The reference group is keen to supplement the content of the report with input from communities, and the logistics of this are being explored for early in 2009.

The final document, together with the report on the Statement of Government Intentions for an Improved Community-Government Relationship (SOGI) review (also due out soon), will provide a focus for ongoing work to improve participation processes and community-government relationships.

As part of the process, a number of New Zealand case studies on community participation and engagement have been compiled and these will be available on the Good Practice Participate website shortly to provide insight into what works, and guide public service processes.

» Read more about the Building Better Government Engagement (BBGE) project.

» Read about the ANGOA-led review of the SOGI
(Statement of Government Intentions for an Improved Community-Government Relationship).

» Learn more about effective public participation processes.

» Test-drive Involve UK’s interactive Participation Planner – just one of the resources you can get to from the Good Practice Participate website.

A listing of research on the non-profit sector in New Zealand was collated as part of the Study of the New Zealand Non-profit Sector, and published online in October 2008.

This bibliography was commissioned by the OCVS and the Committee for the Study of the New Zealand Non-profit Sector. Compiled by Jackie Sanders, Mike O’Brien and Margaret Tennant of Massey University, the bibliography provides a listing of key articles, working papers and books on the New Zealand non-profit sector.

A final Policy publication will be produced in early 2009.

» Download the NZ Non-Profit Sector Bibliography.

» Read more about the Study of the NZ Non-profit Sector project.

» Order a free copy of The NZ Non-Profit Sector in Comparative Perspective.

As we enter the festive season, it’s a great time to think a little more about what it means to be generous. A Focus on Generosity series of discussion papers is being written to stimulate discussion between the Promoting Generosity project Hub members, advisors and others in order to guide the work of the Hub. The discussion papers may also be useful to people working in areas of giving, as conversations can in themselves be a catalyst for change.

The first paper is now available online, and three others are planned for release over a nine month period:

• Paper 1: What do we mean by generosity?
• Paper 2: What value do we place on generosity?
• Paper 3: What do we know about generosity in New Zealand?
• Paper 4: What can we do to promote generosity?

Once the series is complete, feedback will be incorporated into an updated Focus on Generosity series that will be made available before a communities-of-interest meeting in 2009 to explore where the Promoting Generosity project can go next.

» Read the introductory discussion paper overview.

» Read Paper 1: What do we mean by generosity?

» Read about NZ’s Promoting Generosity project to encourage the giving of time, money or in-kind donations and acts of kindness.

» Read Minister Turia’s media release about generosity and the recession’s impact on philanthropic funding.

» Read how NZ’s tax changes are making giving easier

» Visit Give it Up – a NZ website encouraging Kiwis to donate tax cuts.

» Visit www.givealittle.co.nz – a site offering donation vouchers as a unique gift option.

» Visit www.ammado.com, which connects nonprofits, socially responsible companies and engaged individuals online.

» Explore Learning to Give – an international curriculum resource site to help teach giving, volunteerism, and civic engagement and build character through service learning.

» See neighbourhood projects supported by TogetherNES.

» Read about Little Elms – a community construction project profiled in NZ Trucking magazine.

» Next magazine's Christmas edition profiles generous New Zealand women.

This Friday (5 December), communities, voluntary groups and Volunteer Centres up and down the country will be acknowledging the huge contribution that volunteers make to our communities as part of International Volunteer Day (IVD).   IVD was instigated by the United Nations in 1985 and is now celebrated in 125 countries.

In New Zealand, the day is often marked with awards, special morning or afternoon teas, civic ceremonies and volunteer challenges.  OCVS and Volunteering NZ have provided free promotional posters and balloons to many voluntary groups and produced an IVD Toolkit to support those wanting to recognise their volunteers in different ways.

» Learn more about International Volunteer Day or the IVD toolkit.

» Read about planned IVD activities via the Volunteering NZ blog.

» Nominate an exceptional volunteer for a Queen’s Birthday Honour before 1 February 2009.

» Find out about the Intrepid Volunteers Challenge at www.gomad.co.nz.

» Read about some of  the regional winners in the TrustPower Community Awards.

»  Download the NZ research Mahi Aroha: Maori Perspectives on Volunteering and Cultural Obligations.

Encouraging innovation through relationship building was the focus of presentations on the Better Connected Services for Kiwis project and the Ministry of Social Development’s SKIP programme at the November Good Practice in Action (GPIA) seminar. Information on these presentations is now available for download from the OCVS website. Notes from the GPIA workshop discussions, which involved around 80 public servants, will be added shortly.

Discussion during the day focused on the continuum of working with others – from co-existence, to communication, co-operation, co-ordination and collaboration. Emphasis was placed on the fact that collaboration is not always the best option – and that there are perfectly legitimate times when basic communication or co-ordination are what is needed. This is usually the case where there is agreement about what needs to be done and there are clear boundaries of responsibility. Seminar participants recognised the demands of collaboration, the need to create space for venting, thinking, and scoping what to do; and the challenges of sustaining any collaboration long term through successes and failures, and personnel changes.

GPIA seminars are free full-day events in Wellington organised by the OCVS for public servants so they can share experiences and learn from each other.

The next GPIA seminar will be on 6 March 2009.

» See presentations from recent GPIA events.

» View resources exploring the continuum for working with communities.

» Register for the Good Practice in Action seminar on 6 March 2009.

If you have an event, conference or meeting related to community or voluntary issues, you are welcome to send a brief description of the event to us at ocvs@msd.govt.nz for inclusion in our email updates.

CommunityCentral is an online space for people in tangata whenua, community and voluntary, public health and other organisations in Aotearoa New Zealand to work together, share and converse online.

An early version of the website is now available, where you can:

• Join for free and sign-up to receive e-newsletters from national organisations via CommunityCentral.
• Browse through key sector collaborative projects such as ComVoices and Workplace Wellbeing, which now have their home in CommunityCentral.

CommunityCentral takes the hassle out of managing email lists and distribution, as it provides an upload facility, a mail server and subscriber-based subscribe and unsubscribe functionality - all in one place.

CommunityCentral will help everyone work smarter across the sector with new features coming soon. There will be private workspaces for keeping common sets of files and records for groups working together on different computers, across different organisations or in different locations. Plus, you’ll be able to use online networks to share ideas and discuss a topic or theme of common interest.

» Visit Community Central.

» Contact the CommunityCentral Team if you want to manage your e-newsletter distribution via CommunityCentral, or set up a private workspace or network in the coming months.

As well as its registration and monitoring role, the Charities Commission is responsible for providing education and support to the charitable sector in relation to matters of good governance and management.  As the Commission completes the major work on the initial registration activity, it will move its focus towards the areas of education and reducing compliance in 2009.

Applications for the General Manager, Education, vacancy close on 5 December 2008.  The General Manager, Education, reports directly to the Chief Executive and is responsible for scoping the future role of the Commission’s education function, designing and implementing pilot education programmes to assist charities in relation to matters of good governance and management, and developing appropriate contacts within the Charities sector.

» Download the job description and application form.

» Read the Charities Commission Annual Report, view a snapshot of the range of charities registered, or search the register.

About Us: Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and the Law in New Zealand is a new legal resource looking at legal issues and gender identity/sexual orientation. It covers a broad range of legislation and drills down into some of the areas that are more specific to the target audience, such as legal parenting and guardianship issues, and legal identity documents.

Produced by Whitireia Community Law Centre in partnership with the Ministry of Social Development, the resource is housed on the Community Law Centre website.

» View the resource online at www.communitylaw.org.nz/.

An Interim Management Group comprising the Chairs of the NZ Federation of Vocational Support Services (VASS), National Residential Intellectual Disability Providers (NRID), Supported Living NZ (SLNZ) and the Association for Supported Employment in NZ (ASENZ), supported by the CEOs of IHC and CCS Disability Action, has been formed to oversee a project to determine the feasibility of, and support for, the idea of a single umbrella body for the disability sector.

The reasons for doing so include:

• It makes practical sense to streamline existing operations and make better use of existing resources.
• The NZ Disability Strategy gives disability groups a unifying philosophical platform that has been absent in the past.
• Disability groups will be more effective in their relationship with government if they offer a collective voice.

A paper has been prepared outlining the group’s thinking to date and giving organisations and individuals who are members of the existing umbrella groups an opportunity for input. The project group will hold a meeting in Wellington on 4 December to explain the thinking on the project to date and allow organisations an opportunity to obtain information and provide input.

In a related but separate move, discussions are also underway between VASS and ASENZ about merging/developing closer working relations between the two organisations.

Plain English Power (PEP)  is a network of New Zealand residents promoting the use of plain English for official documents and websites. PEP believes comprehensible information from government is a basic democratic right, so the group wants to make plain English the standard for all New Zealand contracts, consumer information, and communications from government organisations.

PEP says “we get readable, useful information from some government agencies. If some can do it, they all can.”  PEP believes all official information should be in plain language, because as Albert Einstein said, “If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough.”

PEP has prepared a bill for Parliament, which requires plain English in government communications. It is based on a similar bill passed recently by the U.S. House of Representatives. 

A survey focussing on the use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) in the tangata whenua, community, and voluntary sector is being conducted by Prof Ted Zorn of the Waikato Management School, in collaboration with Waikato 2020 Communications Trust, the NZ Federation of Voluntary Welfare Organisations, and the NZ Council of Social Services.

A paper survey is being sent to more than 2,500 groups and organisations, however other groups can complete the survey online. The survey takes 15 minutes to complete and your input will help identify needs and priorities in the sector regarding the use of ICTs.  It is NOT necessary that you currently use ICTs in order for your input to be helpful.

» Complete the survey online at www.mngt.waikato.ac.nz/ict/survey.

» If you have questions or comments about the survey, email tzorn@waikato.ac.nz.

• Trust and confidence in the charitable sector – New Zealand
  The Charities Commission has published a benchmark survey into the level of public trust and confidence in the New Zealand charitable sector.
  » Read more about this research and download the report.

• Business community partnerships in NZ: Understanding experiences of partnership – research by Dr Louise Lee, Department of Management, Massey University.
  This report provides a New Zealand perspective on a key aspect of socially responsible business activity – the dynamics of business community partnerships. It focuses on results of qualitative research carried out in 2005-06 with seven business community partnerships, and seeks to answer two key questions: How is the nature of ‘partnership’ understood and defined by those actively involved, and what characteristics or factors enable or impede successful partnerships involving business and community organisations? Ultimately the author’s focus is on benefiting the managers of participating organisations – and others like them.
  » Read the report on the Funding Information Service website.

• Full schedule of abstracts from the recent Australia New Zealand Third Sector Research (ANZTSR) Conference is now available. 
  » Read more at www.anztsr.org.au

• Ethnicity, identity and public policy: Critical perspectives on multiculturalism by David Bromell, Institute of Policy Studies, Victoria University of Wellington.
  This book evaluates theory developed in other national contexts (Canada, Australia, North America and the UK) against challenges for public policy in New Zealand. It summarises NZ's history of migration and settlement, and includes analysis of demographic change from the 2006 Census, the history of debate about biculturalism and multiculturalism here, and challenges to public policy that arise from the increasing ethno-cultural diversity of our population. The author concludes that it is time to refine and complicate our thinking - urging the cultivation of citizen participation in deliberative democracy to inform and stimulate debate.
  »  Read more or order the book online from the Institute of Policy Studies.

• A guide for local government: An introduction to youth participation – The Ministry of Youth Development.
  This guide offers simple advice and tips on why youth participation is important, how to do it and what works, as well as examples of successful youth involvement in local decision-making from around the country.
  »  Access this guide on the Good Practice Participate website.

• Community work a winner for all – article in NZ Herald, 15 Nov 2008.
  Staff volunteering on company time builds morale and expands an employee's skill base, writes David Maida. Allowing staff to do community volunteer work on company time can be a win/win situation - but only if proper practices are followed, says Susan Peterson, chairwoman of the Corporate Responsibility Council for ANZ National.
  »  Read the article online.

• New funding guide from Creative NZ.
  Following a review of arts project funding, Creative New NZ will be implementing a new funding system for the February 2009 funding round. This guide explains the changes.
  » Read the guide online.

• Bugger…..It’s OK: A case for advertising self-regulation.
  The Advertising Standards Association (a non-government organisation) has produced an information resource for those who have questions about advertising self-regulation and how it works. Information about the theory of self-regulation, the New Zealand system and international best practice is included in the booklet, along with responses to common criticisms from opponents of self-regulation.
  » Download the booklet from the ASA website.

• ComVoices briefing to incoming Ministers.
  This community sector network’s briefing summarises the value of the community and voluntary sector to the economy, recommends a measurable vision for New Zealand, and focuses on key issues that need addressing, such as independence, consultation and engagement, funding, and sustainability.
  » Download this document online.
  » Read more about ComVoices.

• Kete Kupu is the NZ Council of Christian Social Services' new combined newsletter covering all the activities previously included in the Services to Older People (SOP) Mailing and General Social Services (GSS) Mailing. 
  » To subscribe to Kete Kupu, send an email to admin@nzccss.org.nz.

• Community Connect is the e-newsletter of Family and Community Services (part of the Ministry of Social Development).
  » To read the issues online or subscribe, visit the FACS website.

• Collaborative Voices – Access Radio programme.
  Collaborative Voices keeps the not-for-profit and social service sectors up-to-date and informed, via their regular radio broadcasts - actively demonstrating how organisations are working together collaboratively.
  » To listen online, visit www.accessradio.org.nz

• Victorian Government’s Action Plan: Strengthening community organisations.
  This action plan (launched at the Australian Council of Social Services Conference in April) responds to two reviews commissioned by the Victorian Government: the Stronger Community Organisations project and the Review of Not-for-Profit Regulation. A new Office for the Community Sector will be responsible for implementing the plan, which includes 25 actions to reduce red tape, build the capacity of the sector workforce and strengthen the long term sustainability of community organisations.
  » Download the Action Plan online and read the findings of the reviews.

• 'Partnerships': potentials and pitfalls for not-for-profits - Australian Review of Public Affairs.
  With public funding comes increased scrutiny and policies to encourage 'partnerships' between not-for-profits and governments and businesses. According to this article, not-for-profits in this environment face challenges - perhaps threats - they have not encountered before.
  » Read the article from the Australian Review.

• Getting on with the job: From deliberate relationships to a national community innovation system - Canadian Policy Research Networks.
  A recent presentation at the University of Western Ontario, speaks to the importance of enabling policy creativity at the local level. Presenter Neil Bradford proposes to mobilise a national community innovation system to support and engage the voluntary/non-profit sector to meet local needs and strengthen communities. The system would address five key policy challenges: social inclusion, environmental sustainability, cultural diversity, public health and economic development.
  » View the presentation online.

• Towards Agile Government – Demos, Australia/United Kingdom.
  Agile government means public services that respond to citizens' needs in the short term, adapt their structures and services to address medium term trends, and shape needs in the long run.  This report presents best practice from Victoria and highlights key barriers and opportunities for the future direction of greater citizen involvement in design and delivery, more local decision making, and better freedom for front line-staff, combined with greater efficiency.
  » Download this report.

• Social inclusion - origins, concepts and key themes - Australian Institute of Family Studies.
  This paper provides an overview of the origins of the concepts of social inclusion and exclusion, and of key themes and emerging debates about social inclusion in Australia and selected overseas countries. In the paper, the discussion switches between social exclusion and inclusion as two ends of a single dimension.
  » Read this paper.

• Network Citizens: Power and responsibility at work – Demos, United Kingdom.
  This research explores how organisations are responding to the increasing importance and visibility of social networks at work. The findings demonstrate that these networks can be more powerful than the formal structures of an organisation. The vitality of networks in enhancing innovation, productivity and democracy is graphically demonstrated.
  » Download this report.

• How do charities grow? – an nfpSynergy presentation, United Kingdom.
  A key point in this presentation shows that big and medium charities on average show greater ability to cope with downturns.
  » View this presentation online.

• Fundraising in a Cold Climate – An analysis by 2into3, Ireland.
  This report looks at the impact of economic downturns on the community and voluntary sector and suggests the latest financial crisis is unlikely to reduce levels of giving.
  » Download the PDF file of this 12 page article.

• Global fundraising confidence survey – The Management Centre (=mc) global consulting firm.
  This report analyses the responses to a global online survey undertaken over five days at the 2008 International Fundraising Congress in Holland, and explores the implications of the global financial crisis for fundraisers. It acts as a guide to fundraisers now on how their preferred strategy compares to global expert views.  It will provide data for 12-24 months time on how accurately fundraisers predicted the impact of the crisis.
  » Download the survey report.

• Report from NCVO summit to discuss the recession’s impact on the Third Sector – United Kingdom.
  On 25 November, the UK’s National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO) hosted a summit bringing together 25 sector leaders and government representatives to discuss the economic crisis and its impact on civil society. The UK’s Minister for the Third Sector attended and the NCVO research team presented – noting that a generally thin, conflicting evidence base suggests any impacts are mixed: some organisations will fail; others will emerge stronger; some sectors will face increased demands, others fewer. Some income sources and costs will decline; others will increase.  An action plan of support is being developed to address UK issues.
  » Read notes from the summit, read findings and see presentations.
  » Read about the UK’s proposed action plan of support.

• How will the economic crisis affect volunteering? An article by Susan J Ellis, USA.
  This article explores assumptions such as people can’t afford to volunteer, become more self-centred, and withdraw due to financial worries during the downturn.
  » Read this article online.

• Volunteering: An opportunity for the whole family - Volunteering Australia.
  This subject guide explores this unique and enjoyable group volunteering experience. It does not prescribe to any particular definition of who or what makes up a family, rather it seeks to celebrate the rich diversity of family involvement in volunteering.
  » Download this guide (and others) from the Volunteering Australia website.

• Volunteering and social activism: Pathways for participation in human development – The joint publication from the International Association for Volunteer Effort (IAVE), CIVICUS (the World Alliance for Citizen Participation) and United Nations Volunteers.
  This paper is based on a study undertaken by the three organisations in 2007-08.  The background study concludes that both volunteering and social activism are important strategies for fostering people’s participation in social change and human development. The paper argues that volunteering, like social activism, can be purposeful and change-orientated. Volunteering can be directed at influencing agenda-setting, policy-making, decision-making and representation, and is also an important mechanism for promoting empowerment, personal transformation and social inclusion.
   » Read more or download the full report on the IAVE website.

• 3-5 Dec: DevNet Peripheral Vision Conference – Victoria University, Wellington.
  Development agencies explore civil society issues.
  » Read more at www.devnet.org.nz.

• 5 Dec: International Volunteer Day – nationwide.
  » Read more on the IVD blog.

• 5 Dec: Volunteering CanterburyYouth Volunteer Awards 2008.
  Volunteering Canterbury will present awards to the best of the Under 20s to celebrate its 20^th year.
  » Read more at www.volcan.org.nz.

• 5 Dec: Workshop on the Long Term Council Community Plans (LTCCP) and other mysteries that central government should know about local government – Wellington. Organised by NZ Society of Local Government Managers (SOLGM) and The Department of Internal Affairs.
  This workshop, developed specifically for central government policy analysts and advisors, will provide an understanding of local government processes and finances, the way local authorities work with their communities to promote well-being, and the importance of strong central and local government relationships.
  » Read about this event at www.communityoutcomes.govt.nz.

• 9 Dec: Good Practice Participate seminar: Public participation for better decisions presented by Anne Patillo – Wellington.
  This seminar is the first in the OCVS series focused on participation and engagement. It is fully booked!! We can only admit people whose RSVPs have been confirmed.
  » Learn more about participation on the Good Practice Participate website.

• 15 Dec: Applications for the Community Internship Programme due at Department of Internal Affairs.
  This programme offers community organisations funding for a salary for someone from another sector or organisation to bring their skills and knowledge to assist an organisation to achieve its development objectives
  » Refer to the Programme Guidelines for further details.

• 31 Dec: Closing date for United Way grant applications.
  2009 funding applications are invited from community based human welfare charities operating in the  Greater Auckland, Manawatu, Horowhenua, Marlborough, Tasman, Canterbury, Otago and Southland areas and focusing on either:
  • Helping children and youth succeed
  • Strengthening and assisting families
  • Supporting the vulnerable and elderly
  • Promoting wellness, independence and self-sufficiency.

» Application forms may be completed online at www.unitedway.org.nz.    
» For further information, call United Way NZ (09) 377-2544 or email Patsy@unitedway.org.nz.   

2009

• Various dates in 2009: The Institute of Directors (IOD) offers a range of professional development courses for board members. These include Not-for-profit governance essentials, which will be offered in several locations. The IOD also provides a range of services, including allowing not-for-profits to advertise their governance vacancies on the IOD website at no cost.
  » Check out the 2009 IOD training calendar online.
  » See the Institute of Directors governance presentation made at the Charities Commission AGM.

• Date tba in 2009: Citizens’ Forum to examine the issue of political party funding and recommend reforms - with representation from each electorate.
  This forum is part of the Review of Electoral Administration and Political Party Funding announced in September. An Expert Panel will provide information and options for this Forum to deliberate on.
  » Read more about the review at www.electoralreview.govt.nz/

• 11 Feb 2009: Good Practice Participate seminar: Encouraging equitable public participation presented by Dr Tricia Nickel from the School of Social and Cultural Studies at Victoria University.
  Venue: Level 3, Bowen State Building, Bowen St, Wellington (1:15-2:45pm).
  » Reserve your place, by e-mailling ocvs@msd.govt.nz

• 16 Feb to 4 March 2009: Martin J Cowling volunteer management workshops.
  Details are being finalised for the series of eight volunteer management training workshops to be held in Invercargill, Dunedin, Christchurch, Blenheim, Auckland, Hamilton, Tauranga and Wellington.
  » Contact your local Volunteer Centre for more info.

• 22-26 Feb 2009: 1^st ever Down Under Institute – Hamilton.
  The Lifestyle Trust and Disability Resource Centre (Hawke’s 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.

• 23 Feb 2009: Fit 4 Funding expo at Lower Hutt Town Hall.
  Presentations on funding basics, governance, finance and volunteer retention. 
  Expo brought to you by the Department of Internal Affairs, Hutt City and Upper Hut City Councils.

• 27 Feb 2009: Deadline for abstracts for the International Careers Conference: Transforming Careers ~ Unleashing Potential (to be held in Wellington 19-21 Nov 2009).
  The conference is open on possible presentations, but has suggested topics such as:
  • Building capability of community leaders to support others’ career development
  • The role of the citizen and community in shaping the development and delivery of career practice and policy
  • Examples of citizens or groups in the community having input into shaping practice, operations or technology
  • Ways in which public/stakeholders have strengthened policies or strategy
  • Mechanisms used to ensure public/stakeholder opinions are sought and considered in strategy and policy making.

» Read more on the conference website.

• 6 March 2009: Good Practice in Action seminar for public servants: Trust and accountability presentations by State Services Commission and NZAID.
  » Learn more or reserve a place at this full day event in Wellington.

• 12-13 March 2009: Social Marketing Downunder Conference: Making Connections – Hotel Intercontinental, Wellington. (Updated: CANCELLED)
  This event aims to enhance understanding of social marketing and its value to our communities; improve the quality and effectiveness of social marketing practice in NZ, Australia and the Pacific; and encourage collaboration between social marketing agencies, the sharing of good ideas and the building of networks.
  » Online registration is now open – read about the proposed presentations and speakers.

• 18-19 March 2009: Philanthropy NZ & Community Trusts combined conference: Passion, Pragmatism, Possibilities – Wellington.
  » Read more on the conference website.

• 19-20 March 2009: Skills to Make a Difference – The National Non-Profit Sector Conference – Napier.
  » Find out more at www.nfpconference.co.nz

• 19-20 May 2009: NZ Gambling Conference organised by the Department of Internal Affairs. (Updated: CANCELLED)
  This event will share information about issues related to the costs and benefits of gambling, the way the community is engaged with gambling issues, and how integrity, harm and crime issues related to gambling are addressed. The development of the conference is being supported by a wiki that seeks information and comments from people in preparation for the conference.
  » The wiki url is http://gamblingconference2009.dia.govt.nz.  

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The Office for the Community and Voluntary Sector exists to inspire co-operation and superb relationships between the government and the community and voluntary sector. You can find out more about the OCVS on our website: www.ocvs.govt.nz, by email at: ocvs@msd.govt.nz, phone: 04 918 9555, or by fax: 04 913 3080.