So much to do, so little time! In 1989, amalgamations in New Zealand saw approximately 700 local bodies become 87. I was the CEO responsible for the amalgamation of four local governments in the West of metropolitan Auckland....
Knowing what citizens want is not enough Citizens are often asked questions about their vision and priorities. They are asked about what services are important to them and how satisfied they are with current performance....
Integrated Planning and Reporting (IPR) – aligning your strategic planning and electoral cycles In our view, aligning local government elections with strategic planning is one of the great benefits of IPR. Citizens can engage in...
Citizens Committees can enhance decision-making We are great believers in Citizens’ Committees although we would seldom use that specific term. ACELG has just released a highly useful report on this subject, The Role and Future...
The belt-tightening in UK local government is seeing an increasing focus on new ways to achieve outcomes with and for communities. These four examples are all quite different but have one key ingredient in common...
Interesting article on community governance by MDL, based on an overview prepared for the NSW Independent Local Government Review Panel, the Local Government Association of South Australia’s expert panel on the ‘Council of the Future’ and Local...