Blog
Notes on local government issues
Seven ways to structure your advice
People who work in the local government sector are swimming in information, which is a heady mix of central government and consultants’ reports, scientific data, climate change forecasts, and public feedback. They need to wade through this sea of documents to write...
Three takeaways from a writing workshop
Over the past month I have been developing in-depth content for a writing workshop which will include a two-hour overview in the morning and three practical sessions in the afternoon. I have been focusing on making sure I have enough content to provide value for five...
Working with consultants – 15 ways to reduce the risks and maximise the benefits
Working with a consultant for the first time carries some risks. There’s a lot of trust involved – you discuss your project and they disappear, leaving you to hope they produce what you need, on time. Commissioning assistance is an important decision, and the outputs...
How to overcome resistance, fear and self-doubt when you write
Writer's block can strike in any of the following ways: resistance to getting startedfear of writing a boring reportnot knowing exactly how to go about moving your report from 'okay' to excellent'. OBSTACLE 1: Resistance to getting started It’s very natural to want to...
Review: Navigating Critical 21st Century Transitions
A report on Navigating Critical 21st Century Transitions outlines five transitions we all need to make to: low emissions livingbe better prepared for living in a disrupted climatebe a low waste societybe more connected as a communityadjust to the need for life-long...
How to summarise and report on submissions
I’m the first to admit that summarising submissions is not glamorous work … but it is an essential element of consultation. When submitters can see their views are included in the feedback to councillors, and that they are being taken seriously, they will have more...
Viable options to reduce greenhouse gas emissions
The Climate Change Commission's 2021 report includes a number of recommendations for central and local government to work together on reducing New Zealand's greenhouse gas emissions. These improvements to legislation, funding, and public engagement will be...
Audit New Zealand advice on LTP consultation documents and community engagement
Over the next couple of months New Zealand councils will be releasing their Long Term Plan (LTP) consultation documents, so it’s timely to review Audit New Zealand’s advice on how to make these documents as effective as possible. In ‘Long-term plans: Our audits of...
How to write an interesting consultation document
One of the challenges of writing a concise, interesting resource management or Long Term Plan consultation document is that the starting point is a much larger, more detailed source of information. Councils need to transform the key elements of detailed analysis into...