Engagement

Civics Education

Civics education is about fostering a sense of belonging and encouraging people to understand their rights and duties, including their obligations to respect the law, and the more formal processes of civic life, such as how laws are made and how voting works. It also encompasses engagement with local and central government and opportunities to participate in decision-making processes.

Ultimately, it seeks to empower people to be informed, engaged and active in their communities, democratic processes and society.

Civics education examples

Materials shared by Auckland Council:

• Introduction-Auckland council, and teacher student resources
• Co-governance-relationship-Māori, and teacher student resources
• Civic-participation, and teacher student resources
• Elections-representation, and teacher student resources

"What does your council do?" type videos:

• Dunedin City Council: Introducing your City Council – YouTube

• Hamilton City Council: What does Council do? – YouTube

• Palmerston North City Council: Welcome to Palmerston North City Council – YouTube

Graphic:

• Illustration of local authority responsibilities: LG_Illustration_HighRes.pdf (lgnz.co.nz)

• Local Government New Zealand – Vote 2022: LGNZ Youth-Voting-Teachers-Guide-Te-Reo-Māori and LGNZ Youth-Voting Teachers-Guide

• Electoral Commission: Teaching voting at schools

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Community Enablement and Wellbeing

Community enablement and wellbeing is about creating environments where people can thrive, both individually and collectively. It involves addressing various needs and fostering a sense of belonging and shared responsibility.

Community enablement

Community enablement examples

• A webinar to help support councils to develop the skills and practice of community enablement. You will hear international and local examples of how councils can enable and facilitate strong community groupings, tap easily into community networks and knowledge, support co-design and co-production and help build inclusive communities: watch here

• Megan Courtney from Inspiring Communities examines localism in Aotearoa through a community-led lens in A Focus on the How not the Who – Victoria University of Wellington

• Inspiring Communities (https://inspiringcommunities.org.nz) provide a raft of tools and resources to help support collaborative, community-led action, helping everyone (central and local government, iwi, non-government organisations, and communities) work together to solve complex issues and shift Aotearoa towards a sustainable future

• The Southern Institute shares resources on how Te Tokotoru can help activate a wider ecology of wellbeing, and the key shifts it represents as a holistic approach to prevention: https://tepunaaonui.govt.nz/assets/Resources/TeTokotoru_October_InnovationBrief_2021.pdf

Anchor institutions

• This webinar is a good introduction to how a council can position itself as an anchor institution. Matthew Baqueriza-Jackson is a well-respected international expert on community wealth building and social procurement: watch here

Community wellbeing

Community wellbeing examples

• Future for Local Government – Unlocking the potential: https://www.futureforlocalgovernment.govt.nz/assets/Unlocking-the-Potential-of-Local-Government-Wellbeing-Ecology-OCT-2022.pdf

• Mahere Hauora – Western Bay of Plenty wellbeing plan: https://www.westernbay.govt.nz/repository/libraries/id:25p4fe6mo17q9stw0v5w/hierarchy/council/plans-and-strategies/Longtermplan2021-2031/Final_LTP_2021-2031/Chapter%20Two/Wellbeing%20Plan%202021-2031.pdf

Social wellbeing examples

• Te Awa Kairangi Kai collective: https://www.takk.org.nz/

• Its Flaxmere’s time: https://www.hastingsdc.govt.nz/assets/Document-Library/Community-Plans/Flaxmere/Flaxmere-Commuinity-Plan-2022-2025.pdf

• Kainga Tupu – Tauranga City Council collaborating to tackle homelessness: https://www.tauranga.govt.nz/community/community-services/homelessness

Cultural wellbeing examples

• Te Ara Atea – The heart of Rolleston’s town centre

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Community-led Development

Community-led development is a way of working with communities – acknowledging and building on local strengths, fostering collaborative leadership, and creating a shared vision for the future state, while empowering community lead development processes.

Community-led development examples

• Bank of Ideas (Great Newsletter): Bank Of Ideas | Community Consultancy

• Inspiring Communities (Good Newsletter): Inspiring Communities | Supporting Community-Led Development

• Community Matters: https://www.communitymatters.govt.nz/community-led-development-principles/

Programme examples

• Christchurch City Council Community-led Development: https://ccc.govt.nz/culture-and-community/community-led-development

• Rangitikei – ‘Making This Place Home’: https://www.rangitikei.govt.nz/files/general/Other/RDC-Community-led-Development-Guide-2021-A4-Doc.pdf

• Mangakino Community-led Development Story: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wg1whvgmNnM

Evaluation examples

• Department of Internal Affairs Community-led Development Programme, Summary of Evaluation Findings

• Effective Community-level change: What makes community-level initiatives effective and how can central government best support them?

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Deliberative Democracy

Deliberative democracy is about ensuring the public has the opportunity to participate in decision making and that any decisions reached are done so through fair and reasonable discussion and debate.

"In addition to improving the level of discussion and accounting for the most arguments, more-inclusive deliberative processes are fairer because more people have their views considered. Whether or not a citizen’s view is present in the outcome, it has at least been figured into the debate by fellow citizen deliberators." (Jennifer L Eagan, Deliberative Democracy (2016), In Encyclopedia Britannica, https://www.britannica.com/topic/deliberative-democracy, accessed 28 April 2025).

Deliberative democracy engagement examples

We have complied several deliberative democracy engagement examples which include a range of how to guides, along with several stories about how deliberative democracy has transformed participants understanding of democracy, and also strengthened local democracy.

You can download the Deliberative Democracy Engagement Examples here

Research and reports on citizen assemblies and jury's examples

The Watercare Citizens' Assembly, Future for Government report and The Southern Initiative provide further examples of deliberative democracy in action, where engagement is paramount in being able to make a real difference, which means also addressing equitablity issues to ensure everyone has the tools to be able to thrive.

You can download these examples, along with several examples from other Counties here

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Effective Engagement with Māori

Resources to support effective engage with Māori (developed by Te Arawhiti and now hosted by Te Puni Kōkiri)

• Crown engagement with Māori framework 
• Guidelines for engagement with Māori 
• Crown engagement with Māori – engagement strategy
• Crown engagement with Māori – participant feedback form
• Crown engagement with Māori – agency self-assessment

Capability building

• Te Ao Māori for Professionals – a space where you can join a growing group of professionals who have committed to developing their culture

• Poutawa Māori Education & Development – comprehensive services including both individual and group reo Māori sessions, professional development and a raft of free learning resources

Know your council's settlement commitments and iwi, hapū interests

• Te Tari Whakatau – The Office of Treaty Settlements and Takutai Moana provides treaty settlement information, guidance and support

• Te Haeata – Settlement Portal is a searchable record of Treaty of Waitangi settlement commitments, intended to make commitments more visible and accessible to post-settlement governance entities and agencies responsible for commitments

• Te Kāhui Māngai (Directory of Iwi and Māori Organisations) is a useful tool for anyone to find out basic information about iwi, hapū and marae

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Engagement Resources

• International Association for Public Participation (IAP2): https://iap2.org.au/resources/

• Auckland Council's guide to involving communities in our projects and decisions: Engagement Guidelines 2022

• Citizenlab: Inclusion in e-democracy 

• Check out their "but is it codesign?" test. It's helpful for understanding when codesign is being used as a buzz word: Beyond sticky notes

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Engaging with Diverse Communities

Pacific
https://www.mpp.govt.nz/publications-resources/resources/yavu/

Disabled people
https://www.odi.govt.nz/disability-toolkit/engaging-with-the-disability-community/

Ethnic communities
https://www.ethniccommunities.govt.nz/resources-2/guides-and-how-tos/ethnicity-matters-a-guide-to-working-with-ethnic-communities/

Rainbow communities
Auckland Council – Rainbow Communities Engagement Guidelines 

Children and Youth

There are many resources available to help in your engagement with children and youth, including case studies, engagement methods and frameworks, as well as those that are focused on the benefits of the engagement, and project planning tools etc.

You can download the Engaging with Diverse Communities – Children and Youth Resources list here

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Taituarā Excellence Awards Winners 

Te Tohu Waka Hourua

2022 winner: Ngāti Tūrangitukua and Taupō District Council Partnership
https://taituara.org.nz/Story?Action=View&Story_id=397 

Information about the other 2022 entries for this award category are available here

Digital Local Government

2022 winner: Hastings District Council – Virtual Digital Twin Asset Management
https://taituara.org.nz/Story?Action=View&Story_id=404

Information about the other 2022 entries for this award category are available here

Placemaking

Hastings District Council – It’s Flaxmere’s Time
https://taituara.org.nz/Story?Action=View&Story_id=403

Information about the other 2022 entries for this award category are available here

Organisation and People

2022 winner: Far North District Council – ‘Great Workplaces’
https://taituara.org.nz/Story?Action=View&Story_id=405

Information about the other 2022 entries for this award category are available here

Environmental Leadership

2022 winner: Wairoa District Council 'Toi te whenua, Manaaki ki te whenua'
https://taituara.org.nz/Story?Action=View&Story_id=400

Information about the other 2022 entries for this award category are available here

2021 winner: Eke Panuku Development Auckland
https://taituara.org.nz/Story?Action=View&Story_id=297

Collaborative Government

Auckland Wynyard Edge Alliance
https://taituara.org.nz/Story?Action=View&Story_id=406

Information about the other 2022 entries for this award category are available here

Community Relations, Community Engagement

2022 winner: Te Hiku o te Ika Revitalisation Project
https://taituara.org.nz/2022-Datacom-Award-for-Transforming-Service-Delivery/2022-Minister-of-Local-Government-Award-for-Council-Community-Relations

Information about the other 2022 entries for this award category are available here

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