Powering Up Communities to Deliver Local Wellbeing

Powerdigm, the consulting arm of Inspiring Communities, worked with Western Bay of Plenty District Council (WBOPDC) and its strategic community sector partner SociaLink to shape this project.

Taking a case study approach has enabled us to shine a light on six different locally-led initiatives doing amazing things to enable wellbeing in their part of Aotearoa. Their insights were brought together with our own to provide new framing and advice for how councils (and others!) can more effectively support and partner with key local ‘anchor’ organisations in their communities.

We hope that the learning and provocations in our Think Piece stimulate further thinking about collaborative community-led approaches and further experimentation of different ways to support and work with local communities, both in the Western Bay, and throughout Aotearoa.

Impact Stories – Understanding the impact and ingredients of success

This report offers an analysis of the successes and impacts of two temporary community hubs
developed and hosted by Kāinga Ora in Tāmaki Makaurau between 2020 and 2023. Ōwairaka
Community Hub on Richardson Road ran from April 2021 to 31 September 2022 and the Pop Up
Hub on Vincent Street ran from April 2022 and to 31 May 2023 with groups able to use the space
for some weeks after that.

Centring equity and place-based approaches in systemic transformation

This paper was co-produced by an international community of practice Inspiring Communities is part of. Our four organisations each support place-based transformation in Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the UK. We come together regularly to share our work, find common ground in many challenges as well as discovering many new ideas and sources of inspiration.

We are:

Collaboration for ImpactAustralia

Tamarack InstituteCanada

Inspiring CommunitiesNew Zealand

Place MattersUK

Make the Move – shifting how the public sector works with communities

Our report calls on public servants to change their ways if they want to see real results.

Responses to recent flooding caused by extreme weather events and Cyclone Gabrielle have again demonstrated how, in times of crisis, it is communities who are well placed to respond to people in need when resourced to do so. However, three years on from the start of COVID-19, while the Government may be ready to adopt ideas about community-led development, change is slow and the public policy system is not well set up to enable localised approaches.

We decided to write Make the Move to map the critical path required for radical change in the way our public policy system works. It is a practical resource for leaders in central and local government agencies, to help them make the shifts required to create the conditions for locally-led change. It is our response to communities and changemakers who share with us their ideas about what can really make a difference.

Community, hapū and iwi leaders tell us they are pleased that the government is wanting to honour Te Tiriti o Waitangi and embrace the important role communities play in helping tackle complex problems. But these same leaders are also overwhelmed by the demands from government to engage and consult on issues of concern without creating the conditions for that to take place in a way that works for communities.

For example, we heard this from one iwi leader:

Demand on us as an iwi right now is absolutely at onslaught levels. Here are just some of the matters we are being asked to work on right now: education sector transformation, health transformation, resource management act transformation, urban planning approach transformation, environmental policies in huge volumes, Three Waters Reforms, climate change reforms, refugee settlement, Oranga Tamariki transformation back to Iwi, social and affordable housing issues, poverty responses needed right now, continued COVID and welfare response, roading, a 50-year development plan, Marine and Coastal Area regulation changes, Charities Act changes, Government offices being bought to our town. All of these require iwi engagement and consultation and that is just what’s on top this week!

If we say no to being involved then our interests and rights are not considered and we are absent. If we are absent, any implications for our rights and interests… our environment, our whenua, our assets, our people… are also absent, and we will miss our chance to be considered. I am really very concerned (and aggrieved actually) that we may be prevented from being able to lead and/or participate the way we should and the way we deserve to be able to do.

This kind of pressure on our community leaders is not OK. This story shows how the public policy system is not well set up to enable localised approaches. We are not arguing that communities should lead policy processes rather that people create positive outcomes in a place and need to be included in decision making. A community-led approach is practical. It allows for ‘learning while doing’ and requires flexibility to change tac when needed. This approach is hard to apply in a public policy system that has rigid rules and low tolerances for risk.

Our current system was designed in a different era, with different assumptions, expectations and rules. It can no longer operate effectively in our changing context. This presents people working in government with an opportunity, to evolve the way they approach their roles and responsibilities now, in order to shape a more ethical and sustainable future.

The resulting 29 recommendations grouped under four insights are from change-makers who work at the intersection of public policy and community development.

Collective Change Kōrero 3 – a collective pathway

Based on previous sessions, in which we compiled a list of what is going on for us as individuals, as organisations, our aspirations and what this collective Kōrero could be, the convening team bought a proposed framework based on this input, to the hui. We began with Whakawhanaunga and then spent valuable and productive time experimenting with and working though the framework pictured below.

There is no doubt that holding these spaces allowed a rich and diverse sharing and learning from peoples’ mahi, vision, experience, noticing; ideas for action as well as a couple of asks. Below are small snapshots from the discussion; notice common themes occurring across organisation and people’s mahi and insight.

Holding a space for Kōrero, for people’s mahi and vision

We heard about:

The intersection of design, innovation and social technology. Degrowth – how we live in a more sustainable way.

The ongoing work in inclusiveness – IACT continues its mission where everyone has a place to belong. How the need to feel you belong is intrinsic in wellbeing. The work being done to bring networks together and building cross-sector networks to build power and agency. There was a retreat held for leaders working in the NGO sector to deeply dive into what is required to make this happen.

Mahi in which discussion is taking place about the little things that we do that can grow into bigger things. Aotearoa can choose to be a leader – questions then about how we can become more inclusive, continuing to strive for a country that is fair for everyone. Addressing issues such as poverty stemming from a colonial past.  Being brave, not afraid to call this stuff out. Aotearoa is on a knife edge; a game changer or the same old same old? We all need to be brave, take courageous steps, we are small, we can be agile. There is a lot of innovation happening, often despite government systems rather than because of them.

Mental health and wellbeing. The understanding that it is not a defined space – wellbeing is everything. Making sure everyone has what they need to thrive. If they are struggling that they can access the support they need to live the life that works for them.

Moving in innovators, getting the funding and support to make solutions work. The opportunity to use the knowledge within – to take that knowledge into the system – to support those trying to do this innovation within the system.

Inequality of access is top of mind. There are many substantive ideas, we need new leaders, new voices, new ways of working. There are many incredible leaders that don’t get to step into the spaces they should be in. People need to think about getting out of the way so others can claim their space. There is te ao māori, cultural nuances and sustainable models that are not getting enough mandate to make the change that is needed. Solutions will come with people working together and in the power of holding people’s voices, of speaking out, speaking up and calling out the challenges. Until we open up to tough conversations power won’t step aside – change won’t happen.

Cultural responsiveness is having some success in changing and understanding complexity – whether here or in aboriginal communities. Everything is around total wellbeing. Many relationships sit in a negative approach. There needs to be a challenge to the power structure but in a respectful way. Intercultural facilitation is about equality. Noticing Aotearoa is stuck in a cross-cultural space. If we ignore intercultural system when we go through the change space, we can often throw out the good stuff with the bad. New Zealand can lead in intercultural capacity and capability – leaders need to be going deeper than the top layer. If we move the power structure we can start with equity, start with partnership.

Economic wellbeing is busy looking for collaborations. Then it can ask communities – what is the economy they would like to see.  How do we encourage better decision making, address systemic problems.

Integrating personal relationships with professional, strong insight into colonising intergenerational trauma. Creating spaces for joining healing wellbeing and flourishing communities.

Holding a space for reflecting

What people have been noticing – from what’s going on in policy, latest reports, nationally and international trends, narrative and discussions. We heard about:

Reflecting change from 10 years ago, reading many reports such as a fair change for all and reform into local government. Hearing more about co-governance, CTU policy packages, all highlights a change – a te ao māori lens – lots of good work happening – we should celebrate it.

Worth us thinking about the issues that will be at the forefront of the election in 2023, important we have these conversations and don’t seed the ground to some pretty myopic perspectives.

People want to see things happening in different ways, but not sure they know what that looks like. Seeing some very interesting things happening in the health sector. There are challenges with the various stages different aspects are at, be good to see how the good is demonstrated – time needed for this to evolve. Mental health spaces too – how do you bring in the voices that know what they need and want? There are some bright sparks, it will be a test over the next few months to see how it is allowed to unfold.

There are many incredible publications and think pieces it would be awesome to bring them together – because that gives visibility to what is happening. Change is often invisible so people are not seeing the change. People in this Kōrero are exposed to change which inspires us but a lot of people are not. Very hopeful, there is amazing people doing amazing mahi – we see that by getting into community and talking to people, leaders, volunteers doing the mahi whether there is money or not, government is involved or not, they are doing it. Many more people need to have this exposure.

Common themes; everybody continues to have head down stuck in the business, not coming to the horizon to take a breath before plans are put in place – if you aspire for change, take a different approach. For example, a pathway Walk Together is developing to take people through a mindset shift – come into equity as a process, as a pathway rather than it being an outcome. Mindset shifts can only happen if you do it in context.  Walk Together has developed 12 pathways. And there is a campaign; 100,000 cups of tea. It’s about getting groups to collaborate through the cups of tea, partly facilitated, partly co-constructed – get in touch with Arama if you want to have a cup of tea! All sorts of ideas and purpose that could come out of getting out of business as usual. There is an imagined bureaucracy which leads to a ‘not sure if we can do that’ mindset – actually you can!

Online spaces – countering violent extremism and terrorism, involved in the Christchurch Call and the International Internet Forum to Counter Terrorism. What we are seeing is the pathways to radicalisation, it’s the increasingly hostile discourse – online platforms where awful stuff is being said and is happening. Where the basis to judge good and bad information – determine what is truth and not – is undermined. There are malicious players – it is well funded, well organised across the world and we are not immune. Part of advocacy is how do we do better with online spaces – bureaucracy and systems haven’t legislated, very frustrating. So if government isn’t going to act then that just leaves community and that is why we want to be doing stuff rather than just talking – great to talk what are we going to do. It is critical that we allow people to have spaces and be visible. There needs to be a lot better and a lot faster coordination around this.

At a local level initiatives like healthy families’ webinars – what does system change look like? ‘Community up’ is a new term. And internationally people are looking at indigenous ways of achieving the like of carbon net zero, looking to New Zealand to see what is happening on the ground.

There is an interesting risk narrative around mental health – exploring ways to balance the need for safety with innovation. Exploring ways help people understand all the voices that need to be considered – a lot of national and international work around this, but we need to go further.  It is important that we build confidence for people to innovate safely rather than put them off or uphold power dynamics by creating accreditation processes where amazing community leaders have to go somewhere else so as to prove their worth to be able to do their mahi.

Holding a space for sharing

Time was short!

Inspiring Communities are going to do a report working title ‘Centrally enabled, Locally led’. They are interested in hearing from people who may like to contribute. Find out more

WEALL is organising an event with people in Auckland wanting to discuss building a new   economy. If you are interested in this, get in touch with Gareth. Email: gareth@weall.org

“I’m resonating madly with what everyone is saying.”

– quote from the session

The links to mahi, publications, organisations discussed throughout the Kōrero

https://inclusiveaotearoa.nz – Anjum’s mahi

https://www.emberinnovations.nz – Emily’s Mahi

https://www.huie.org.nz – Rochelle’s mahi

https://walktogether.co.nz  – Arama’s mahi

https://weall.org/newzealand – Gareth’s mahi

https://synergia.consulting – Deb’s mahi

https://inspiringcommunities.org.nz  – David (& Rachel’s) mahi

https://www.powerdigm.org.nz – Rachel’s other mahi  

 

Feedback on the Future for Local Government

Late last year, the Local Government Review panel released their draft report, He mata whāriki, he matawhanui, which outlines the need for a local governance system in Aotearoa that is community-focussed and citizen-centred, based on strong relationships and partnerships with iwi Māori. The report encourages further discussion on a range of topics and invites submissions to shape the final report and recommendations back to Government.

We know that effective, engaged and enabling local Councils play a key role in effective community-led change. Inspiring Communities’ Megan Courtney, has prepared this DRAFT Inspiring Communities Feedback on the Local Government Review Panel Draft Report Feb 2023. We welcome you to read, share ideas and encourage you to also submit through this process. Submissions on the Draft Report close on 28 February 2023. 

Our June Locally-led Matters webinar had a special focus on ideas for growing collaborative local leadership, watch here.

He Manawa Māori – A Māori Heart

In February 2022, Victor Walker (Te Aitanga-a-Hauiti) was contracted by IC to help the organisation with its Treaty honouring journey mahi.
The intention was to have conversations with Māori who have established relationships with IC and CLD to learn about their experience and what value, if any, Inspiring Communities has been, explore how they see Community-led Development aligning, intersecting, or supporting Hapū, Iwi, Māori development and to gather ideas and insights on the most useful roles, steps and mahi for others are in this space. This report is the result of those conversations, including key observations and recommendations for next steps.

19 interviews were conducted with Māori in CLD leadership positions. The conversations allowed Kaikōrero an opportunity to review the progress of their personal, Whānau, Hapū, Iwi and Māori community development over three – four decades to the present.

All speakers spoke candidly about the issues and challenges that had been, and in some cases still are, obstacles for them, to set goals for the coming decades and to consider a vision for future generations. Kaikōrero were also very open and expressive about the neat, innovative, and powerful and influencing mahi that they were involved in. They were quite free and frank about what needed to happen if they were to experience the ‘tino rangatiratanga’ and ‘mana motuhake’ they saw as essential to their success at a multiplicity of levels. 

Inspiring Communities thanks Victor, and all the contributing Kaikōrero for their mahi and insights.

Enabling Local Wellbeing

Megan Courtney is passionate about making changes that devolve power and support communities to be part of designing and delivering wellbeing, in place. And so is taking a keen interest in the current Local Government Review process, recently contributing to a Local Government NZ webinar on wellbeing.

With a lens of place based, community-led development, she shares her perspective on what is happening in this space, how the reforms can support TRUE collaboration – sharing power and resources to best fit the needs and aspirations of the people in each place.

I totally support local government having a stronger role in wellbeing – in fact it’s essential.

But I don’t automatically equate ‘greater local government delivery of wellbeing functions and services’ – with local government doing or providing more services.

What I’m proposing here are small, intentional steps to better enable local wellbeing outcomes.

I’d love to see a new wellbeing development grant offered – say $150k to every Council (which they’d match from their own funds, or a proportion there of) to support development of local wellbeing action plan and processes – that would be supported improved capability and capacity in local councils as mentioned earlier. 

The first task would be to bring people together to collectively gather local aspirations, priorities and sources for investment and effort. We need to bring all the wellbeings (social, economic, environmental and cultural) to the table. Lots of this information already exists and working out what the next phase of each local collaborative process might look like, needs to build on the strengths in places. Think Local Wellbeing Summits – that go on to catalyse and support new local action, with people coming back together to reflect, learn, share and determine next steps at regular intervals.

In many places, including my own in Nelson Tasman, I observe that economic development plans and networks continue to sit separately to social development, environment and climate aspirations and plans. We have to keep knitting across local silos, which is best done by doing some small things together – from there, trust and confidence grows.

No doubt districts, cities and regions need some flexible putea to try new things, as well as mandate and support to do some things differently. Within this, finding ways to resource and strengthen whanau, hapu, iwi and community leadership and participation is critical. There is a need to build community capacity in many places across the motu before organisations like Councils can partner with them.

Let’s also wrap strategic learning and facilitation support around a new wellbeing approach so that Councils and local partners have a pool of potential people, tools and resources to support them in this journey. Let’s document and share everyone’s learning by doing so we can adapt things in real time as we see what’s works, how and why. This process for me, is significant to enabling broader systemic change and will be key in enabling wellbeing processes to be more than ‘one offs’.  It’s mindsets we need to change, as well as practices, investment approaches and collaboration cultures. It’s no accident that Australia is moving to set up a new federally funded national centre to support place-based collaboration

In some places, it may be that new wellbeing planning processes have to start from scratch – but in other communities, it might be a matter of bringing together existing leadership tables and plans – for example in education, safety, iwi development, social and community services, violence prevention, regional tourism, climate change – and co-deciding next steps from there.

We also need to also think more laterally across the wider pool of wellbeing investors, beyond just tax or rate funding to community trusts, foundations, philanthropy, locally funded bonds too.

In Aotearoa, there’s huge untapped capacity in communities to support wellbeing.  Collectively we’ve bought beaches, in Invercargill they’re building an amazing new charity hospital, Acorn Community Foundation in Tauranga has $41m in funds for local reinvestment and local farmers in the Hauraki District where I’m from, have purchased two multi-million-dollar farms to support farming employment pathways for rangatahi and to ensure the local high school has all the resources it needs.

As part of rethinking wellbeing collaboration, we also need to look at international best practice in collaborative governance. Putting it plainly, top-down governance models which continue to frame a lot of local government affairs, just don’t fit new collaborative contexts.  

So what’s emerging in terms of best practice? The focus of senior leadership tables isn’t on detailed decision making – it’s more about system stewardship and oversight, with leadership devolved or distributed to collaborative action groups. These collaborative action groups are also supported by dedicated coordination and communications resource so that things are integrated and joined up. Moving forward then, elected members need to be up for some new ways of working and being too. 

The future for wellbeing needs to be framed within a collective lens – a local systems approach – where everyone has something to contribute to activate positive change. This includes local government, alongside communities and iwi too. The last thing I want to see is big central government replaced by big local government. If we’re seriously talking about decentralisation and distributed wellbeing leadership, we need to see who else within the local system could take on more, and what kind of extra support they might need to do that effectively. 

If we want iwi and wider communities to be partners and active participants in wellbeing – central and local government partners need to be prepared to give up some power, sit in discomfort and work things out together. It will be messy and challenging, but it’s work that needs to be done. And done well, with the right relationships in place, then the possibilities for wellbeing really are as wide open as our collective imaginations.

MEGAN COURTNEY, CLD COORDINATION AND PRACTICE LEAD AT INSPIRING COMMUNITIES

Collective Change Kōrero 2

Taking the time – having the space to stop, reflect and then converge with other changemakers when there is so much else to be done – is the perfect time to join a kōrero to think about what we are currently doing and what could be possible to make space to create change. 

This was one of the many insights that popped to the top of the second Collective Change Kōrero held online recently. 

An assumption is that all of us want things to be better – we are working in many different places and sectors and we have a collective sense of the complexity. We are noticing and are inspired by activity that is creating change, while also noticing the scale and pace of activity going nowhere. We need a collective space that enables us to take time to be part of what will emerge from Collective Change Kōrero because ultimately that is what will add value to our networks, our roopu, our iwi and hapū. It is up to all of us to pick up the conversation to be creative, collaborative, and effective in this. 

While hard to do this justice, as there was so much richness, experience, practice and ideas offered in the 2-hour hui, here’s just some of the whakaaro shared by the 15 changemakers present. 

Noticing what is happening is always a good place to begin, and is the genesis for starting this conversation – and there is a lot of noticing of what is happening. Over 50 thoughts thrown onto the jamboard: so much positivity – neighbourhood-scale action, place-based initiatives, there is effective mahi happening. People have a desire for self-determination, however this requires a well navigated transition and those with power will need to act with a more equitable approach. Investing time into more intergenerational, intercultural, and inter-disciplinary collaborative initiatives. Lots has been learned over the past two years – it can’t be wasted, and while there’s mostly optimism, healing unresolved trauma as well as underlying cultural change is required. More co-governance, changes to leadership, in particular the political and public service approaches.  

There is an opportunity to collaborate on a common language, to call out rhetoric over action to drive and create the changes going forward together. Who doesn’t like a good powerful question that lends itself to thinking about the future? It is worth noting the themes that emerged in this session were very similarly future-focused. The future starts with whānau and hāpu. With indigenous ways of doing things that enable varied pathways, imagine a Te Tiriti house next to Parliament…imagine a future where people, place and planet are the triple bottom line, where Papatūānuku is nurtured and regenerated, that there is stronger, better resourced local governance, a world in which we all slowed down, had more time for relationships – a future with more autonomy over our lives.

Reflecting on te tāwara, the buzz of the conversation, in this hui:

People enjoyed the time thinking collectively about growing a shared language and common vision

Sharing and hearing from everyone who joins in, a desire to tap into this collective wisdom more often, to join up on each other’s existing mahi making it more impactful.

Imaging and planning for all of us to be thriving in ways that bring everyone into ‘enough’. People like the energy for a better world, the optimism and belief in our resilience to weather the coming storms. Building momentum in ways that are equitable, decolonise and regenerate.

How can we kōrero with others who are not like us? People who are doing well in the current system and who hold some of the power to block change? And there was a desire from some to come up with actions we can do together, how can we work as a group?

I like the energy we all have for a better world. I wish there was more time to talanoa/wananga.  I wonder what a shared vision would look like. I will be back.

I like the optimism of the kaupapa, I wish we all had a money tree, I wonder where the pandemic will take us next, I will continue to believe in our resiliency to weather the coming storms.

I like imagining/planning for all of us to be thriving in ways that bring everyone into ‘enough’

There is a solid commitment from those attending to continuing the conversation. This approach is about connecting a ‘collective of collectives’, it’s not about creating another initiative or network and it is not set in must dos or shoulds, instead held in whanaungatanga from where magic will emerge.
The coordinating team of this hui have agreed to meet and develop what surfaced. However, as this Collective Change Kōrero is not held by any group we would like to share the roles, we would love to hear from you if you would like to be involved in coordinating the next hui. It doesn’t take much and offers more opportunities to connect and kōrero. Please feel free to have a chat with any of us.

If you were unable to attend but would like to contribute your thoughts, or read more of the contributions, jump on the jamboard – it’s a living document.


Ngā mihi,
Arama, David, Jade, Rachel and Rochelle
June 2022 Coordinating team

Arama Mataira info@walktogetherdesign.com

Jade Tang-Taylor jade.tang-taylor@innovationunit.org

Rochelle Stewart-Allen rochelle@huie.org.nz

Rachel Roberts rachel.roberts@inspiringcommunities.org.nz

David Hanna david.hanna@inspiringcommunities.org.nz

So who is we? Here’s a list of those participating in the Collective Changemaker Kōrero to date:

Field Catalyst Thinking

MEGAN COURTNEY, CLD COORDINATION AND PRACTICE LEAD AT INSPIRING COMMUNITIES


10 June 2022

I love it when someone else provides language and framing that brings to life what you’re seeing, thinking and doing too.

Earlier this year, I was struck by the Tamarack Institute’s paper on their role as a Field Catalyst and how they’ve accelerated social change in Canada. Field catalysts bring together the best of ‘bottom up and top down’ approaches and contributions to help strengthen social change on a national scale. Both local and national levels need to work hand in hand if community transformation potential is to be realised and sustained.

Tamarack’s report and accompanying webinar explores the many different kinds of roles intermediary organisations like Tamarack and Inspiring Communities (and many others!) are playing to enable place-based social change. Internationally, the important role of field catalysts is gaining attention, with key roles and tasks including:

• Bringing profile, language and legitimacy to an approach or issue
• Documenting, harvesting and sharing emerging learning, effective practice and practice-based evidence and research
• Making connections and strengthening relationships at multiple levels
• Building capability of change makers at multiple levels
• Influencing system changes (eg. funding and policy approaches) to make it easier for local level collaboration and innovation to succeed

I would argue this key national level social change infrastructure is largely unrecognised, undervalued and certainly under-invested in here in Aotearoa. We also need to talk about who or what kind of organisations are best placed to fulfil these roles and functions.
I suspect many government agencies would argue that they are well placed to be effective field catalysts and do this role now. I would respectfully disagree. A key part of the field catalyst role is navigating the ‘spaces in between’ different levels and stakeholders. It demands skilful looking and listening through multiple lenses to help make sense of what’s emerging and what’s needed to strengthen collaborative change processes underway or required next. Building this capacity outside of government or funder systems is imperative.

Aotearoa has one of most centralised forms of government in the OECD. The pandemic has demonstrated how difficult it is for central systems to share power and resource in ways that truly sustains and enables collaborative locally-led change. For many, working with government remains inherently difficult and slow, with vested interest in retaining the status quo significant – especially when new ways get challenging.
That said, calls for greater investment in community-led responses to some of our most pressing issues – family violence, housing, biodiversity, child poverty and climate change – continue to grow. This is the opportunity then. Rather than just funding individual community-led initiatives across the motu, we need to make sure that aligned resourcing for sector field catalysts is also part of the innovation investment mix.

This way, we can enable and scale greater impact for all our communities.

Note: Tamarack’s Field Catalyst paper is part of a Stanford Social Innovation Review series celebrating and sharing learning from 10 years of Collective Impact. If you’re working in collaborative contexts, it’s worth a look!