It’s about whanau
Secondments can be a great opportunity for organisations to exchange skills and gain a better understanding of each other's work and challenges.
Shane Bradbrook (Director), and Skye Te Rangi Kimura (National Youth Advocate Māori) of Te Reo Marama- Māori Smokefree Coalition with OCVS Senior Analyst Joyce-Anne Raihania (right).
As part of its work to build relationships between government and community, voluntary and iwi/Māori organisations, the OCVS initiated a project in 2005 to encourage secondments between government agencies and community organisations.
Improving understanding
A secondment is a temporary transfer of an employee to an agency or different business unit for development, to work on a specific project or to foster inter-agency relationships. Secondments can provide insights into the work of a community agency and are an excellent opportunity to increase the community sector’s understanding of the machinery of government and the processes and procedures involved in policy development and decision-making.
With the endorsement of a project advisory group, which included a representative from the State Services Commission, the OCVS initiated its first staff secondment into the sector in 2006. Upon returning from maternity leave, OCVS Senior Analyst, Joyce-Anne Raihania undertook a ten-week, part-time secondment with Te Reo Marama - Māori Smokefree Coalition. For her secondment, Joyce-Anne was tasked with developing a funding toolkit for the NGO with a particular focus on the philanthropic sector.
Funding for a Māori organisation
Te Reo Marama’s work aims to reduce smoking by targeting the tobacco industry, rather than individuals, and the small NGO enjoyed international success this year when tobacco giant Philip Morris issued an unprecedented apology to Māori for using images of Māori on ‘Maori Mix’ cigarette packets sold in Israel.
“Te Reo Marama receives funding from various government agencies, but at times, its goals fall outside those funding constraints, so it is important for them to source funds from other Trusts and Foundations,” Joyce Anne said.
As well as initiating meetings with potential funders, Joyce-Anne helped Te Reo Marama to ‘marry’ its message to funders’ goals and reinforce mutual benefits.
“I was also able to take them through the journey of ‘in kind’ services, where it was about more than just an exchange of money, but a real opportunity for two organisations to help each other achieve their goals,” Joyce-Anne said.
Safeguarding our rangitahi
The secondment had personal connections for Joyce-Anne too.
“I was exposed to the reality and isolation of working in a two-person organisation. Much of their work takes either Shane or Skye out of the office, which can mean the other person is left to work alone for much of the time,” Joyce-Anne said.
“I also finally understood the addictive nature of smoking. As a non-smoker I could never understand why people couldn’t just give up, but now I see that it’s just not that easy. That’s why Te Reo Marama’s work to target the tobacco industry and work towards a total ban on cigarettes is so important.”
Joyce-Anne’s sense of pride and achievement grew when her own 16 year old son, James was selected as one of the young people to appear in Te Reo Marama’s Endangered Species advertising campaign.
“They weren’t just looking for young people who were non-smokers, they wanted rangitahi who displayed a sense of control over their lives,” Joyce-Anne said.
“The really big learning for me during the secondment was the huge part that funding plays in the kaupapa of the NGO. The realities of securing ongoing funding and the amount of time that takes up are much clearer to me now.”
"I also really enjoyed working in an environment where Te Reo Maori was spoken frequently. I recognise that this is an area I want to continue to develop, both personally and professionally," Joyce-Anne said.
Another OCVS team member, Glenda McCallum, completed a secondment with Changemakers Refugee Forum in 2007/08.
Left to right: Shane Bradbrook (Director), and Skye Te Rangi Kimura (National Youth Advocate Māori) of Te Reo Marama - Māori Smokefree Coalition with OCVS Senior Analyst, Joyce-Anne Raihania and her son James Keepa. James featured in the anti-tobacco ‘Endangered Species’ advertising campaign launched during Joyce-Anne’s secondment.