Current Work

We are currently working on these projects:

• Community Governance Project
• Deliberation and Sustained Dialogue

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Community Governance Project

The Social and Civic Policy Institute is organising a series of events on community-based planning and community governance. Key issues include the roles, forms of organisation, membership, functions and relationships with local and central government and the community of:

"Locally based community associations that cover areas smaller than those served by formal Local Authorities; that are formed voluntarily (not by statute) and are concerned with issues of governance in their communities as well as carrying our activities or providing services."

Our objective is to provide an opportunity for active citizens, as represented by residents associations and similar organisations, to share their stories of working within their communities for positive change.

The SCPI Community Governance Project is:

1. Collecting international papers on community governance and the impact on social and community well-being
2. Collecting case studies of local community activities and reviewing them in terms of “community governance”
3. Holding workshops (initially in Wellington and Auckland) to provide an opportunity to explore these issues
4. Planning a national conference in 2010 with additional input from commissioned case studies

It is apparent that there are a range of organisational types with a variety of community roles and innovative strategies developed to address needs and opportunities in the communities where they are located. However, there is little literature or research related to these developments especially on the impact that taking part in community governance has on building community well-being (as well as in influencing policies).

Papers on Community Governance

• Community Governance - Why our interest?
  Presentation by David Robinson to SCPI Community Governance Workshop, 16 July 2009
• Eternal Vigilance
  Address by David Haigh to SCPI Community Governance Workshop, 16 July 2009
• Case Study: Pukerua Bay (2.4 MB)
  Community Governance Workshop
• Local Government and Opportunities for Community Governance
  Presentation by Mike Reid to SCPI Community Governance Workshop

SCPI’s interest in community governance, participation and their relationship to social capital started long before the current discussion around the reorganisation of local government in Auckland.

The following two papers were written and presented in 2000, — one for a World Bank Study Tour seminar (Social Capital, Participation and Consultation), which raises the issue of risk management, and the other (Social capital and links to urban governance and management) for presentation at a conference on urban government in St Petersburg. The issues they raise remain relevant to our present discussions.

• Social Capital, Participation and Consultation
  Presentation by David Robinson to World Bank Study Group, Massey University, Auckland, 24 May 2000
• Social Capital, Links to Urban Governance
  Presentation by David Robinson at a conference on urban government in St Petersburg, June 2000

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Deliberation and Sustained Dialogue

Since the late 1990s SCPI has developed a working relationship with the Kettering Foundation based in Dayton Ohio, USA. Each year SCPI sponsors several associates to participate in training courses, discussions and/or meetings of the Kettering Foundation and National Issues Forum in Dayton.

Participants have included Sue Driver, Richard Davis, Louis Smith, Christina Rolleston, Maureen Gillon, Tu Williams, John Cody, Donna Matahare, Leila Boyle, Margaret Mayman, Marianne Elliott, and David Robinson. The Kettering Foundation promotes the use of a deliberative approach by communities to identify critical issues and develop responses to them. In New Zealand there has been growing interest in moving to a process that enables communities to engage in ongoing, in-depth discussion. This requires dialogue rather than debate, a willingness to listen to other views and commitment to an ongoing dialogue. Along with the Kettering Foundation, SCPI believes that an educational approach on its own is not sufficient. Simply providing information about difficult issues without allowing the opportunity for people to share knowledge of their own situation and experiences is unlikely to lead to improved relationships. Going beyond a legal solution to issues requires a personal investment of energy.

The Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) and SCPI have co-hosted two visits to New Zealand by Hal Saunders, Director of the International Institute for Sustained Dialogue and International Director of The Kettering Foundation. SCPI also organised a visit by Teddy Nemeroff from IDASA (Institute for Democracy in South Africa) in 2005.

SCPI is currently developing a series of community dialogues around the theme of 'living together in New Zealand" which involve members of the refugee, migrant and host communities in the wider Auckland area.

A hand book on the use of deliberation in New Zealand, 'Public Politics in Practice - a handbook on deliberation", 2000, is available from SCPI at NZ$15 a copy including post and packing.