IPANZ E-Update - 16 March 2021

Two things happened this week which made me think. We booked the new Productivity Commissioner, Ganesh Nana, to talk to our IPANZ members (see upcoming events for details), and we started our membership renewal process.

IPANZ has a high level of productivity. We produce multiple products for our members, and our team consists of just 2.5 FTE staff. We provide training courses and resources, we run around 30 free lunchtime and evening events covering a range of topics annually, we distribute our popular three weekly e-update, post numerous items across our social media platforms and publish a quarterly journal, all this plus providing friendly and efficient customer service and financial management for all membership services. IPANZ members get a great deal, your subscription is used to create benefits for you, it is not spent on overheads!

It also made me grateful to our terrific Board all giving their services voluntarily and to the many partners and friends in the public service, universities, individuals and other agencies who engage with, speak and write for IPANZ with immense generosity. Thank you all.

LATEST NEWS

Liz MacPherson, IPANZ President writes a message in every Public Sector Journal

We want to remind all our members, that every employee working in all our member agencies is by default an IPANZ member. Individuals can access our Journal by logging into our website, or if they haven't used our website before, by creating a log in to our website. It is a benefit for members only. Please use it.

This message was written by Liz at the beginning of our December Journal which had a focus on stewardship. Look out for the next Journal on March 25^th.

Hate Speech - Morally Reprehensible or Unlawful?

The Human Rights Commission has published a resource which you can access here - Kōrero Whakamauāhara: Hate Speech. It includes definitions of hate speech and considers the different legal approaches to hate speech in New Zealand and internationally.

It is intended as a resource to help New Zealanders have an informed, inclusive and respectful discussion about the complex and contentious issue of hate speech. Worth a read.

Realising the Value of Futures and Foresight

This introduces you to some of the key ideas in a report published by the RSA (Royal Society for Arts) in the UK, funded by PERU (Policy Evaluation Research Unit and Metropolis. The RSA says “We invite you to be part of this change. Join our community”. This is a good invitation for IPANZ members. We have placed a two page summary on our website and within this is a link to the entire document.

The report contains examples from around the world that bring the ideas to life along with far-reaching and radical recommendations for policy and decision-makers and organisations across society. These recommendations might help facilitate and accelerate a transition towards a longer-term perspective. So important for governments, public servants and citizens.

A New Force in American Politics, relevant for the world

In this article from The Atlantic, the authors analysed in depth the demographics and political allegiances of the 193 people who were charged in relation to the capital riots. “The Capital riot reveals a new force in American politics – not merely a mix of right-wing organisations, but a broader mass political movement that has violence at its core…”

"Risk Belongs to Everyone" Do New Zealanders Understand Risk and Resilience

This article, published in the Spinoff sets us a challenge – do we have a state-of-the-art risk management system? These authors are doubtful. They do however acknowledge the good work being done, by central and local government.

The talk specifically of the four Rs of emergency management, the last two being response and recovery which has served us well. They argue that the emphasis should move more strongly to reduction and readiness and a greater investment in resilience measures.

And they make the point that risk belongs to everyone. “It is not up to central and local government to find all the solutions”. But who should be helping individuals and communities in New Zealand develop a more nuanced understanding of risk?

Find out more about H2R here

UPCOMING EVENTS

Looking Back, Looking Forward - Pandemic Management - Wellington, 25 March, 12.00-1.00pm

There are still a few spaces available to hear epidemiologist Michael Baker share this thoughts about New Zealand's management of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the readiness of our system for what might come next.

Michael talk about a range of things, including his decision-making processes, how we got to the elimination strategy, managing uncertainty and risk, and the ideal role of scientists in relation to the public service. Was the health sector and public service prepared? Have we the resilience for the next challenge? What are the key lessons to learn from both our successes and failures?
Register here

Productivity and The Public Sector - Wellington, 12 April, 12.00-1.00pm

Dr Ganesh Nana took up the role of the Chair of the Productivity Commission in February. Building on the knowledge, evidence, and work of the Commission over its first 10 years, Ganesh’s vision for the Commission is to further promote public understanding of productivity-related matters. Ganesh sees productivity as aligned to the responsibility we all have as kaitiaki of the valuable taonga we enjoy in Aotearoa. He believes productivity and wellbeing must be viewed together, not separately.

In this session, you will hear what this means in practice for the public service.

Register here

Parliament in Practice - Wellington, 7 May, 9.15am-3.20pm

If you are new to the Public Sector and wanting to learn more about how the whole system works, our Parliament in Practice seminar is an ideal learning opportunity for you.

The seminar, run within the Beehive, is designed for all members, departmental and crown entity staff, local government and NGOs. It provides an introductory overview of the roles and functions of Parliament and explores the legislative, select committee and cabinet processes, and considers strategies for working effectively with Ministers. It also includes a tour of Parliament.

Read more and register here

Find out more about The Johnson Group here

WHAT WE'RE READING

Involving Citizens in the Policy Making Cycle

IPANZ has encountered a range of views, from enthusiasm to scepticism, on the value of deliberative processes to enable citizens to contribute to policy development. The big questions are “when” would you use it, and “how” to ensure success?

We reference on our website a comprehensive empirical and comparative study for you from the OECD. By clicking on this link you will find on one page, the guidance on “when” to use deliberative processes. And, to get a glimpse at “how”, we would commend looking at the first page of the executive summary of the OECD document where the good practice principles for deliberative processes are listed.

Public servants will need to understand how and when to conduct deliberative processes with citizens if we are to honour the principle of open government in the Public Sector Act.

STAY IN-TOUCH WITH US

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