Blog
Notes on local government issues
Resources to help you complete your Long Term Plan
What a year for local government! Cyclones and floods have created havoc for infrastructure budgets, U-turns have been signalled for the Affordable Water and RMA reforms, and rates rises are unacceptable for many in the community. Now we need to reflect these issues...
Case studies for councils and consultants
Case studies help us to apply theoretical ideas to real life. They are a great way to: celebrate successful projects, and the people who contributed to them share repeatable solutions with other professionals for the benefit of New Zealand as a whole retain valuable...
How to write an executive summary
Can you just write an executive summary? If you’ve just finished your asset management plan or infrastructure strategy this request may not exactly be music to your ears! That’s because writing an executive summary for an asset management plan or any other large...
Ideas for your next consultation document
Here are some ideas for you to consider when developing your next consultation document.They are sourced from nine of the best LTP consultation documents in 2021, according to the judges of the 2021 Taituarā Great Consultation Documents Competition....
Seven great questions to ask in workshops and 1:1 meetings
I write to figure out what I think. It has taken me a while to include strategy sessions as part of my services because I don’t come up with big ideas on the spot, during live workshops. However, completing the Strategy as a Service training for writers (offered by...
How to free up time for strategic thinking (and actions)
The following exercise is well worth trying if you constantly feel rushed, and unable to find enough time to do the things that will make the most difference over the long term. It has become one of my favourite tools when helping council staff with process...
How to use Whole Brain Thinking to be successful at work
Whole Brain Thinking is a great tool which you can use when: preparing a community engagement plan writing a strategy, plan or report planning a meeting making a presentation figuring out why you're annoyed with someone! Whole Brain Thinking was developed by Ned...
How to complete your activity management plan on time
The three-year review period for activity management plans sure comes around quickly! Do you recognise the folllowing scenario? You’re sitting in an open plan office with an activity management plan (AMP) to review in the next three months. You’re feeling a bit...
Community engagement on climate change
Here are some inspiring examples of councils engaging with their communities about climate change, from the New Zealand Coastal Society’s Special Publication 5. (The image above is from the cover of this publication.) Auckland Auckland is developing a series of...