18 May 2010

Feedback on the Social Policy Forum Discussion Document

Kia Ora

Feedback on the Social Policy Forum Discussion Document is due this Friday May 21st.

For a copy of the discussion document see www.beehive.govt.nz/release/feedback+sought+auckland+social+policy+forum

Making your voice and thoughts count is important!

What follows is a list of key bullet points that you may wish to include in your submission. These come directly from workshop discussions at the Act Locally, Work Regionally Forum on April 28^th 2010. A more detailed Auckland Community Development Alliance submission will also be circulated on Wednesday. Let's make our community voice count!

You can email your feedback directly to socialpolicyforum@msd.govt.nz

Denise Bijoux

On behalf of the Auckland Community Development Alliance Establishment Group

Feedback to the Government's Discussion Document on the Auckland Social Policy Forum

Key Summary Points Made at "Act Local, Work Regional" Forum

• A well designed and well resourced Auckland Social Policy Forum (SPF), advisory group and associated Auckland Council social wellbeing committee together will provide an important new focus on social development and wellbeing in Auckland.
• We encourage the Forum to focus beyond social issues and problem fixing (deficit models) to also address social development and wellbeing across all of Auckland's diverse communities. We would also encourage the Forum to recognise social inequality as a key driver of social outcomes, and thus a key priority in terms of developing strategic social policy responses in Auckland.
• We strongly recommend that key functions of brokering, facilitating and convening are included as fundamental activities of the Forum and its supporting mechanisms. We also wish to see central government priorities aligning with those of the Auckland Council and communities- not the other way around.
• The Forum's success will be strengthened if it is co-created, rather than imposed. Success will also be contingent upon effective collaborative relationships being built with communities and community groups, across the various departments of both the Auckland Council (including CCOs) and central government. We encourage the Minister and her officials to engage directly with regional communities to creatively explore the most appropriate and effective processes and mechanisms for community engagement and participation in the Social Policy Forum process.
• As communities we wish to be part of the Social Policy Forum process and participate as partners around decision making tables - with multiple and direct links, preferably through a group of community sector representatives on both the Social Policy Forum and the Advisory Group. Communities and community organisations have in-depth knowledge about the strengths and talents within their communities, wisdom and evidence about what lies behind key social issues, and practical strategies for bridging social policy and implementation. It is particularly important to resource communities to develop the capacity and capability to become active partners in the SPF process.
• Community representatives will need to have the ability to collaborate and advocate. Community representatives will also require mechanisms for feedback and support to sit around them, just like local and central government have. Here too, resourcing must follow responsibility. At the community level currently, these regional mechanisms don't yet exist, so they will need time and resourcing to be created by and for the sector - and with local and central government support.
• We also strongly recommend the inclusion of other Government Ministers with key social wellbeing portfolios - especially Health, Education, Police, and Housing. The inclusion of these Ministers is critical to the success of co-ordinated social wellbeing dialogue, planning and resource allocation for Auckland.
• We would like to see the Auckland Social Policy Forum champion the inclusion of social principles into the vision, policy and action plans of all local and central Government arrangements. Social development principles and values of Social Policy Forum should be developed too. These are key in shaping _how_ the Forum will achieve its objectives. We recommend inclusive, collaborative and strengths-based approaches based on independent, practice-informed advice. Also key are reciprocity, transparency, shared accountability and genuine engagement.
• It is critical that the Forum is sufficiently resourced and connected to enable delivery on its principles, objectives and strategic direction. We also advocate for an upfront resourcing commitment for the significant backroom functions and processes that will be required to support the Forum to develop action at multiple levels. This needs to include creative mechanisms and resourcing to better enable communities to work both locally and regionally, and to facilitate local-regional and national collaboration and coordination to achieve better social outcomes in Auckland.
• As is for the Auckland Council, we support the development of ten year aspirational plan for the Social Policy Forum. This will help provide continuity across political terms, and provide a framework for long term social thinking and planning within and across communities, local government and central government. It is important to develop an inclusive process for the development of such a plan, to underpin it with sound social development principles, to regularly review progress and learn/change/adapt as required to ensure the Forum and its work is still effective and relevant.
• We would also encourage Forum monitoring, measuring and assessment processes to include consideration of relationships and communication/collaboration mechanisms as well as outcomes/outputs and performance measures. The Forum should also develop multiple ways of communicating back to stakeholders and communities. eg. newsletters, online forums, summits, blogs etc.
• We would like to see a process of Forum appointments that emphasise skills, demonstrated competence and understanding of social wellbeing issues and approaches, a range of social interests and priorities, as well as broad geographical and demographic representation.
• We also wish to see the Maori Statutory Board and Pacific and Ethnic Advisory Panels represented at the Forum table. We would also like to see population groups such as those living with disability, and young people meaningfully engaged in the Forum process. We also wish to see the philanthropic sector included on the Advisory Group as they currently play a key role in supporting innovative community led action to achieve greater social wellbeing outcomes.
• Specific processes will need to be set up to enable a two way dialogue and information sharing between Local Boards and their communities in order for Local Boards to be an effective mechanism for communicating local social issues/opportunities and developing strategic solutions. We remain unconvinced that Local Boards will provide an effective mode of funding social development. Rather we strongly recommend funding mechanisms that distribute on a population basis with adjustment for demographic issues and need.

Naku noa

On behalf of the ACDA Team

Mandy Spencer
Centre Administrator
COMMUNITY WAITAKERE
PO Box 21-068
Henderson 0650
Phone: 09 838 7903
Fax:   09 838 7206
Email: mandy@communitywaitakere.org.nz