July 2009

An internal culture change at Taupo District Council has generated the environment for a neighbourhood based approach to working more effectively alongside community aspirations and leadership. The change process is strongly supported politically and managerially.  It has attracted staff's active engagement and moved the organisation away from a rules based approach and towards values and aspirational targets, within a culture of trust. Rather than a focus on "did I follow the rules?", the new culture focuses more on "being the best we can". The key measurements within that culture has become:

• What have I done? Did I help? Did I get the work done?
• If not, why not? And what action can I take on those issues?

Within this new culture, early preparations for Council long term planning included an invitation to Council staff and Managers to develop concepts together that they thought would really make a difference in Taupo.

Around this time the Karen Aim murder had created enormous community concern that such things could go on in Taupo, and there was an awareness of the need to find ways to generate more connectedness locally. As Anne McLeod (Deputy Chief Executive of Taupo District Council) stated "We knew that we needed to pay attention to building social capital through community development".

The "Living Streets" programme came out of this process. It drew on approaches adopted for a while in some of Taupo's larger rural communities such as Mangakino. The idea behind it is for Council to 'work together' internally and with people in neighbourhoods, and see what can be changed positively. The core elements of the internal culture change by Council are brought 'outside' through this approach, and it is an example of Council striving to work with neighbourhoods and other partners within a consistent culture of trust.

One approach is Council supporting interested staff to establish a presence within identified communities. Through face to face relationships within the neighbourhood, they start learning about the key issues and problems local people are concerned about. They work with the local people, with other Council staff, and with other organisations where appropriate, to help "fix" the problems. And they support and nurture emerging local leadership.

Through another approach, a series of community based events were held at small neighbourhood reserves, with the goal of encouraging neighbours to meet each other, and to "have a chat". In some instances this has been the catalyst for further local initiatives already. In others it has helped build Council relationships with people in local neighbourhoods, so that Council knows who to go to if issues or opportunities emerge.

Taupo's Ten Year Plan has a strong neighbourhood focus. Entitled "Our Neighbourhood, Our Future", the four strategic directions it identifies are:

• Working together
• Growth and economic development
• Strong, safe and healthy communities, and
• Sustainable environment

(See the Taupo District Council website for links to this, and much more!)

The concept that Taupo is the "home" to its residents is conveyed strongly by the CE Rob Williams. "We've recently been doing some thinking about the town centre of Taupo. In a way, all the suburbs and neighbourhoods of Taupo are the bedrooms and living rooms of our community, and the town centre is our "lounge"- the place we all get together, greet our guests, and party."

Village Well, experts in 'place making', worked with Taupo folk to design and carry out conversations with local people to help shape the plans for spaces and meeting places they want in the CBD, to help rekindle their sense of civic heart and pride about Taupo's town centre (see case study in the Village Well newsletter).

When asked about the key things that have changed because of the Council's new "inside out" approach, Chief Executive Rob William's answer was enthusiastic.

"We're changing the way we do our business! It's all about knowing our local communities, and working with them face to face to deal with the problems they experience, and create new possibilities together." The key question for us as staff and management has changed. Instead of rules and "meeting levels of service" being the drivers (and at times barriers), the key question we ask ourselves is What can I do for my community? This is new, and it won't always go well! We have to accept that sometimes things will go wrong, and be supportive when that happens. We are trying to build a yes oriented culture both inside and outside the Council. Through this new way of working we are growing social and community leaders for Taupo's neighbourhoods and organisations."

Article prepared by Barbara MacLennan, based on an interview with Taupo District Council CE Rob Williams and Deputy CE Anne McLeod, and material supplied.

July 2009