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Ministry of Social Development deal
A new Memorandum of Understanding
(MOU) between Christchurch City Council
and the Ministry of Social Development will
improve collaboration between central
government and local government. As a result they agree to work more closely
on common issues with the aim of getting
better social outcomes for Christchurch. Officials from the Ministry last year met with
the Council to talk about a better group
effort between central government agencies
in Christchurch and between those agencies
and local government, non-government
organisations and Maori. The Council suggested, and the Ministry
officials agreed, that a pilot collaboration
project be done. The MOU is the first agreement of its type
in New Zealand. It was signed last month by
Councillor Ingrid Stonhill and Ross Judge, the
Ministry’s Strategic Social Policy Group
general manager. The pilot collaboration project fits the
Ministry’s interest in getting better social
policy outcomes for New Zealanders
generally, and the Council’s interest in
improving the health and well-being of the
citizens of Christchurch. The pilot aims to get definite improvements
in the delivery of social services, improved coordination
and collaboration, and improved
social outcomes of the people in
Christchurch. “We have many common goals,” says
Councillor Stonhill, “so it makes sense to
identify areas that we can work together to
achieve them. The Council will be considered
within the Ministry’s planning framework and
vice versa, so that initiatives can complement
each other and leverage off each other. “We can undertake local initiatives
consistent with central government’s in
certain areas, for example employment and
education, and achieve a better outcome for
all agencies and our community” she says. The project is expected to build on and
support existing collaborations and networks
in the city, such as the Social Policy
Interagency Network, Strengthening Families
Committee, Safer Christchurch and Healthy
Christchurch. A joint work plan, to guide the project’s
activity, is to be completed and agreed
between the parties by the end of this year. |