What are Community Outcomes?
A way to view community outcomes is that they are 'the things that the community thinks are important for its well-being'.
The Local Government Act 2002 has set out how to improve the way that all local authorities around the country work with their communities. To begin, councils have to establish what people value for their future and what they want for themselves, their communities and their city. The ‘community’ includes businesses, government, agencies, regional agencies and people across all sectors.
Establishing what the community wants is only the beginning, as these goals will have to be acted upon, by the community, including council. Think of it as an ongoing city conversation, changing as the city changes and always informing us of our thinking.
What is the Community Outcomes process?
The first step is to find out or identify exactly what the community thinks is important. This can mean a couple of things: what is important right now and what is important in the future, say 10 years from now. To do this right, we need to try and reach and talk with as many different sectors, groups, organisations, schools etc. in the community as possible. The Community Outcomes information from this process will be fed into the draft City Plan, early 2006.
The second step is to work with community groups, schools, businesses and the many agencies that keep the city moving – to work out how progress may be made towards the community’s outcome. This could include discussing the different roles various organisations or community groups can play.
The third step is to figure out ways of measuring and reporting on how well we are moving towards the achievement of your outcomes. To do this we will be working with many organisations and community groups to measure “is the city getting closer to what it wants?”
What is the council's role?
The council's role is to facilitate the process to identify community outcomes and to report (at least every three years) progress that has been made against the identified outcomes.
There is no requirement for the Council to contribute to any outcome but the legislation clearly say's the Council has to take stock of what the community has told them is important and working out how it will contribute towards achieving the outcomes.
How long is this Community Outcomes conversation?
The legislation has been careful not to make this a fixed process that only takes a one-time snapshot of the community's views and wants. Instead, as the face of the community changes over the years, priorities of things it think are important may change - so this conversation that has begun will continue and be updated regularly. The legislation therefore requires the community to review the community outcomes every six years (the City Plan will be reviewed every three years). We will 'report' back to the community every three years on the progress that is being made to achieving the outcomes.
How did the council go about having a conversation with its communities?
We went through the extensive community contacts that the Council hold, including our Community Services Department and all the other sectors of the community that we work with, in our different roles and responsibilities.
We met or held focus groups with, a wide variety of groups. Some of these groups included Enterprise North Shore, the North Shore Tongan Community in their church in Northcote, the Burundi and Chinese communities, the Disability Advisory Group, the Chinese Kiwi Friendship Project and environmental groups including Friends of Lucas Creek.
In total we had over 80 meetings including 54 representative community focus groups that gave their views and suggestions.
Seven hui were held with Maori to enable them to express their dreams, wants and desires for the future direction of North Shore City.
Who did the council talk to?
We talked to people in a wide variety of public events, from ‘Cairo to Capetown’ in Browns Bay, to a skate competition in Birkenhead and the Takapuna Mardi Gras. The North Shore Community Social Services Council (NSCOSS) also undertook their own conversation with 28 member organisations through surveys and focus groups. NSCOSS have provided all this community feedback to be part of the city’s community outcomes.
More importantly, we talked to residents who felt they have never had an opportunity to voice their thoughts or participated before.
In general every conversation we had with people was around these four questions:
- Can you describe what North Shore is like now?
- What are the issues that most need to be addressed?
- Of these, what the four most important things?
- Who can be involved in these changes?
What was the response like and what did people say?
- Two thousand five hundred cards received and 150 + website and email responses
- People said they were happy with the Community Outcomes initiative
- People said that community and family are important
- People said they want to connect better with Council and other agencies as well other members of their communities
- People said they love the city and want to be involved in the way it progresses.
- People want the city brought to life!
- People said that strong leadership and identity are important
- People said they want the city’s potential realised, for our successes to be recognised and for North Shore to be set apart from other cities
- People said they want our youth to be cherished, celebrated and given a place in our community.
Were there any constant themes?
Yes, through our conversations people thought that in order for North Shore City to succeed, the following themes would be vital:
- Leadership – Council and community leadership is vital for our city’s success
- Celebration – Celebrating what we have, identifying and promoting what we are
- Community – Cohesion, a sense of belonging, a sense of place
- Partnerships – Sharing ideas, resources and progressing together
What is a Long Term Council Community Plan (LTCCP)?
The Long Term Council Community Plan (LTCCP) is a document that sets out the local authority's priorities over the medium to long term. Its sets out how Council intends to contribute to community well being over the life of the plan. North Shore City Council refers to its LTCCP as the City Plan.
Does the Council have to implement all the Community Outcomes in the City Plan (LTCCP)?
No. The City Plan (LTCCP) is a Council Community Plan. This means that the community, other organizations, other groups and other businesses also have a responsibility to help achieve the outcomes.
Will the City Plan (LTCCP) be reviewed?
Yes. Once it is adopted in 2006, the City Plan (LTCCP) is monitored, and reviewed every three years to check that the Council is on track to achieving, not only the Community Outcomes but all aspects of the City Plan.
What is the process for approving the City Plan (LTCCP)?
Approving and adopting our City Plan (LTCCP) is a legislative process. Under the Local Government Act 2002, Council must undertake a consultation and submission process. Council must then take into account the submissions and feedback from the public and other stakeholders, draft the final document and adopt the City Plan (LTCCP), by July 2006. This document then defines what Council does over the next few years.
How will the Community Outcomes be turned into action?
It is up to communities, the Council and other stakeholders (Government agencies, organisations and partners) to turn outcomes into action.
What part can I play?
Your feedback on what you think is important. Ask yourself what you want North Shore City to become? The conversation has just begun, and it will be an ongoing conversation, so keep giving us your views and feedback.
Will there still be an Annual Report?
Yes. The Annual Report is closely related to the City Plan and the Annual Plan. The purpose of the Annual Report is to compare actual activities and results over the past year with what was planned for the year. It also has to promote accountability to the community for local authorities' decisions made throughout the year.
What other information do you have on the Local Government Act?
- The Local Government Act (2002) sets out a framework for planning and decision-making. Section 91 of the Act requires all Councils to facilitate a process where the community identifies its desired community outcomes.
- The Local Government Act has a broad mandate to promote community well-being and this can be seen as involving four different aspects: Social, Cultural, Economic, Environmental, and the connections between them.Concern needs to be given to the well being of future communities as well as current communities.
- The community outcomes process provides a forum for local authorities, central government agencies, the community and voluntary sector, Maori, the private sector and the community as a whole to get together and decide what is important to the community.
- The Local Government Act recognises the crown's responsibility to the Treaty of Waitangi and includes principles and requirements to facilitate participation of Maori in local decision-making. Section 81 introduces requirements for councils to further develop engagement mechanisms or improve existing process to work effectively with Maori communities.
- The outcomes are a community judgment and the local authority's key decision comes in deciding how it will contribute to the outcomes.
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