scholarly journals Rape crisis services ‘Standing Alone’: Policy-making as problem representation: The response to sexual violence in New Zealand 1983-89

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Heather Lee McDonald
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Social Policy ◽  
Sexual Violence ◽  
Policy Development ◽  
Feminist Activism ◽  
Policy Development Process ◽  
Crisis Services ◽  
The Government ◽  
Adequate Provision ◽  
Rape Education

<p>After more than 30 years of feminist activism in New Zealand the government policy response to sexual violence continues to be highly contested. This thesis draws on archival material (both official and community records) to trace the competing discourses and agendas within the early policy development process. This process involved the pākehā and Māori women’s rights movements seeking to influence the ways in which the problem of rape was represented and responded to by government within the social policy context. Using Bacchi’s “What’s the problem represented to be?” methodology, the analysis of these discourses identifies the silences and assumptions, as well as the privileged government agenda that redefined, individualised and sought to professionalise the services for rape victims/survivors. I explore the perspectives of feminists involved in the movement and how tensions with the state may be seen to be reflected in the policy process, particularly through the emergence of neo-liberalism, the interplay between liberal and radical feminist views and in the highly contested area of rape education and prevention. Further, I consider how the problem of meeting cultural needs through social policy responses stalled, despite seeming state support for such responses through the 1980s and what it may be about the issue of rape itself and its connection to gender inequality that has contributed to a muted government response to the issue of sexual violence. In a postscript I briefly review current policy discourse and comment on how the focus on rehabilitation, the financial instability of services, lack of adequate provision of appropriate services for women and communities continue to be features of the sector today. I argue that a specific focus on rape education and prevention, critical for reducing the incidence of rape, continues to be severely under attended to, and that this in part reflects continued reluctance to address both the nature of rape and the need for wider structural change in addressing it.</p>

scholarly journals Rape crisis services ‘Standing Alone’: Policy-making as problem representation: The response to sexual violence in New Zealand 1983-89

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Heather Lee McDonald
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Social Policy ◽  
Sexual Violence ◽  
Policy Development ◽  
Feminist Activism ◽  
Policy Development Process ◽  
Crisis Services ◽  
The Government ◽  
Adequate Provision ◽  
Rape Education

<p>After more than 30 years of feminist activism in New Zealand the government policy response to sexual violence continues to be highly contested. This thesis draws on archival material (both official and community records) to trace the competing discourses and agendas within the early policy development process. This process involved the pākehā and Māori women’s rights movements seeking to influence the ways in which the problem of rape was represented and responded to by government within the social policy context. Using Bacchi’s “What’s the problem represented to be?” methodology, the analysis of these discourses identifies the silences and assumptions, as well as the privileged government agenda that redefined, individualised and sought to professionalise the services for rape victims/survivors. I explore the perspectives of feminists involved in the movement and how tensions with the state may be seen to be reflected in the policy process, particularly through the emergence of neo-liberalism, the interplay between liberal and radical feminist views and in the highly contested area of rape education and prevention. Further, I consider how the problem of meeting cultural needs through social policy responses stalled, despite seeming state support for such responses through the 1980s and what it may be about the issue of rape itself and its connection to gender inequality that has contributed to a muted government response to the issue of sexual violence. In a postscript I briefly review current policy discourse and comment on how the focus on rehabilitation, the financial instability of services, lack of adequate provision of appropriate services for women and communities continue to be features of the sector today. I argue that a specific focus on rape education and prevention, critical for reducing the incidence of rape, continues to be severely under attended to, and that this in part reflects continued reluctance to address both the nature of rape and the need for wider structural change in addressing it.</p>

scholarly journals An Integrated Approach to Redistribution: Issues of Policy, Economics and Information

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Mark Prebble
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Policy Development ◽  
Personal Information ◽  
Integrated Approach ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The State ◽  
Philosophical Foundations ◽  
The Government ◽  
The Individual ◽  
The Right

<p>This thesis considers how best to administer redistribution policies. It focuses particularly on the information needed to assess relative circumstances, the implications of the government collecting such information, and processes by which the appropriate information may be assembled and assessed. In New Zealand, as with many other OECD nations, the Government's redistribution policies are administered through a range of different agencies, with duplication in some areas and gaps in others. An integrated approach to redistribution systems may offer a means to improve equity and efficiency. Part One discusses the assessment of relative well-being, and adopts the choice set as the intellectual device for this purpose. The time period for the assessment of income is examined in detail, with the conclusion that a long period should be used except where the individual is constrained to operate under a short time horizon. A new concept of "bankability" is developed as a means of identifying those operating under such constraints. Part Two uses the philosophical foundations of the value of privacy to develop a new statement of the right to privacy, such that everyone should be protected against the requirement to divulge information, unless that information is the "business" of another party. A view on the business of the state depends on one's ideology of the state. Since it is generally accepted in New Zealand in the late twentieth century that the state has a role in redistribution, the state has some right to collect information for that purpose. However, the rights of the state are moderated by the existence of a common law tradition of respect for individuals. A set of criteria for evaluating redistribution systems is devised in Part Three. These criteria, which include consideration of the information to be collected, individual control over personal information, and administrative simplicity, are then used to identify significant weaknesses in the systems currently used in New Zealand. The main problems identified are the collection of inadequate information, duplication, and complex institutional structures; the main virtue of the current systems is that information provided is only used for the purpose for which it was provided. An alternative approach is outlined which would address the problems while retaining the current protection of privacy interests. This thesis is a mix of inter-disciplinary academic enquiry and policy development. Part One is an amalgam of economic and philosophical approaches, Part Two involves philosophy and politics, and Part Three applies the theoretical considerations to issues of public administration.</p>

scholarly journals The Creation and Implementation of Māori Policies

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Paki Manukau
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Social Development ◽  
Policy Development ◽  
Strategic Change ◽  
Chief Executive ◽  
Clear Understanding ◽  
Political Climate ◽  
Cultural Efficacy ◽  
The Government ◽  
Professional Registration

<p><b>Policy that affects Māori is not new. It has existed since the first Europeans arrived in New Zealand. Some have been created where Māori are external to its development. Some have been developed based on engagement with Māori but have been influenced by a Eurocentric perspective. Yet others have been developed by Māori for Māori.</b></p> <p>This thesis presents some of the historical, social, and economic factors that have influenced the need for government and non-government organisations to develop policies that are more responsive to the needs and aspirations of Māori. It will also demonstrate that despite a myriad of policy, legislative, and strategic changes that have progressively shifted towards responsiveness to Māori, not much has been achieved statistically, highlighting a need for policies that are significantly different from that which has already been tried. In the current political climate, we find ourselves in an exciting time where the government is endorsing a more Māori worldview philosophy. One that acknowledges that previous policy, legislative and strategic change, has only been minimally effective. Moreover, one that understands that it is imperative to the wellbeing of Māori and, by extension, the social development of New Zealand to develop new policies that will make a significant and lasting positive change for Māori.</p> <p>This thesis aims to understand why organisations find it necessary to develop Māori responsive policies and how Māori policy is formulated and implemented in the current political climate. The associated aims are to identify commonalities and best practices in the development of Māori policy and understand what Māori policymaking involves.</p> <p>This thesis will analyse two examples of Māori policy development and implementation: one from a government agency, the Ministry of Social Development (MSD) and one from a non-governmental organisation, WellStop. MSD and WellStop have proposed to move beyond the perfunctory use of tīkanga and te reo Māori within their organisations and embark on a journey of engagement to embed a Māori worldview, values and processes across the whole of their organisations from leadership to frontline. For MSD, which is one of the largest government organisations in New Zealand, this is no small feat, and WellStop, while it is a smaller organisation, is an industry leader for their sector in combating harmful sexual behaviour.</p> <p>What underpins the process of developing their Māori responsive policies is vitally important. With this in mind, this thesis includes first-hand accounts from Hohepa Patea, the Principal Māori Advisor for MSD, and Mark King, the Chief Executive Officer for WellStop. Their contribution to this thesis has revealed many commonalities in the development of the Māori policies for both organisations.</p> <p>The findings show that while MSD has been influenced to develop policies that are responsive to Māori due to governmental aspirations to address Māori social and economic conditions reflected in negative statistics, WellStop is influenced by the parameters set by the expectations of government organisations, the standards set by Level 2 accreditation (Ministry of Social Development, 2020 (a)), and professional registration bodies (Social Workers Registration Board, n.d. (1); New Zealand Association of Counsellors - Te Roopu Kaiwhiriwhiri o Aotearoa, n.d. (3)). I will elaborate on the similarities in the stages of development in each organisations’ policies: the use of whakataukī and karakia, whose inspirational words anchor their policies in mātauranga Māori; the establishment of strong Māori leadership, knowledgeable in mātauranga Māori and tīkanga to ensure the policies’ cultural efficacy and to drive the mauri of the policies from the top down; researching each organisations’ previous and current policies that pertain to Māori to understand the past and develop more effective policies; and finally, the merit of utilising tīkanga processes when engaging with Māori staff, whānau, hapū and iwi.</p> <p>What cannot be denied is the influence of Hohepa and Mark’s background knowledge of mātauranga Māori and their heart and drive to see their organisations operate from a Te Ao Māori perspective. Regardless of other influences, they intend to make spaces and places better for Māori whānau who access their services. Hohepa and Mark are clear that embedding a Māori worldview and values across their organisations is the primary focus. One of the most crucial common denominators in both organisations’ policies is a clear understanding of the importance of keeping people front of mind to ensure that the policies are developed with a powerful sense of manaakitanga and kaitiakitanga.</p> <p>He aha te mea nui i tenei Āo? Māku e kī atu.</p> <p>He tangata! He tangata! He tangata!Nā Meri Ngāroto</p>

Legislating for Best Practice HRM: The New Zealand Approach

2007 ◽  
Vol 36 (3) ◽  
pp. 183-196 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fiona Edgar ◽  
Alan Geare
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Public Sector ◽  
Policy Development ◽  
Best Practice ◽  
Employment Practices ◽  
State Sector ◽  
The Public ◽  
Formal Policy ◽  
The Government ◽  
Development Practice

In New Zealand, the government has mandated for employers in the public sector to be “good employers” (§ 56, State Sector Act 1988). According to the directive, a “good employer” is one who engages in best practice HRM. Thus, a unique opportunity exists to see if best practice HRM can be achieved through regulation. This paper explores this by examining how the good employer directive has influenced HRM policy development, practice and outcomes in the public sector. This study finds a directive to engage in best practice HRM positively impacts on formal policy adoption and the number of practices operating in public sector workplaces and some positive outcomes for EEO are also identified. Public sector employers attribute these outcomes to the directive. This would suggest regulation in the area of HRM could be effective in producing desirable employment practices.

scholarly journals Looking a Gift Horse in the Mouth: Examining Labour's "20 Hours Free" Early Childhood Education Policy

2007 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maureen Woodhams
Keyword(s):  
Early Childhood ◽  
Early Childhood Education ◽  
Education Policy ◽  
Policy Development ◽  
Theoretical Perspective ◽  
Coalition Government ◽  
Third Way ◽  
Childhood Education ◽  
Policy Development Process ◽  
The Government

In 2007 the Labour-led coalition government introduced a provision of 20 hours free early childhood education in teacher-led services for all three- and four-year old children. This policy was linked to the goal of increasing participation in the government's strategic plan for early childhood education, by removing cost as a barrier to children's participation in approved services. This article begins by outlining the context in which this policy was developed. As a Third Way administration, the Labour-led coalition government has particular beliefs and goals for the country, but also operates in an environment where compromises on policy are necessary. The language of the policy is then examined to highlight the discourses which it privileges. Where certain practices or behaviours are promoted by those in power as normal or “common sense” they obscure alternative choices and are a means of managing public behaviour. While the policy development process involves multiple contributors, the government, by its position, has a unique ability to affect which discourses are privileged. Finally, the policy itself is critically examined from a theoretical perspective. The article concludes by suggesting that the policy, while positioned by the Minister as an education policy, is as much about conditioning parents to place their young children in out-of-home care so that they themselves can participate in the workforce.

scholarly journals Child protection and interagency collaboration

2006 ◽  
Vol 2 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ann Walker
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Child Protection ◽  
Policy Development ◽  
Public Management ◽  
Interagency Collaboration ◽  
State Sector ◽  
New Ways Of Working ◽  
The Government ◽  
Strengthening Families

Improving interagency collaboration can be regarded as one of the most important public management challenges for governments in the 21st century, in New Zealand and in other countries. Since the election of a Labour-led government in New Zealand in 1999, a second wave of state sector reforms has been introduced. At the heart of these reforms is the desire by the government to adopt new ways of working – in partnerships with communities, and in a joined-up way across government sectors. Such approaches have been heralded as a panacea for the endemic fragmentation and ‘siloisation’ that is attributed to the first wave of state sector reforms started in the mid-1980s. The underlying philosophy of these ‘new’ approaches to policy development and implementation seems commonsensical. This article looks at the Strengthening Families Strategy as a case study of interagency collaboration in the field of child welfare and protection.

scholarly journals The Creation and Implementation of Māori Policies

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Paki Manukau
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Social Development ◽  
Policy Development ◽  
Strategic Change ◽  
Chief Executive ◽  
Clear Understanding ◽  
Political Climate ◽  
Cultural Efficacy ◽  
The Government ◽  
Professional Registration

<p><b>Policy that affects Māori is not new. It has existed since the first Europeans arrived in New Zealand. Some have been created where Māori are external to its development. Some have been developed based on engagement with Māori but have been influenced by a Eurocentric perspective. Yet others have been developed by Māori for Māori.</b></p> <p>This thesis presents some of the historical, social, and economic factors that have influenced the need for government and non-government organisations to develop policies that are more responsive to the needs and aspirations of Māori. It will also demonstrate that despite a myriad of policy, legislative, and strategic changes that have progressively shifted towards responsiveness to Māori, not much has been achieved statistically, highlighting a need for policies that are significantly different from that which has already been tried. In the current political climate, we find ourselves in an exciting time where the government is endorsing a more Māori worldview philosophy. One that acknowledges that previous policy, legislative and strategic change, has only been minimally effective. Moreover, one that understands that it is imperative to the wellbeing of Māori and, by extension, the social development of New Zealand to develop new policies that will make a significant and lasting positive change for Māori.</p> <p>This thesis aims to understand why organisations find it necessary to develop Māori responsive policies and how Māori policy is formulated and implemented in the current political climate. The associated aims are to identify commonalities and best practices in the development of Māori policy and understand what Māori policymaking involves.</p> <p>This thesis will analyse two examples of Māori policy development and implementation: one from a government agency, the Ministry of Social Development (MSD) and one from a non-governmental organisation, WellStop. MSD and WellStop have proposed to move beyond the perfunctory use of tīkanga and te reo Māori within their organisations and embark on a journey of engagement to embed a Māori worldview, values and processes across the whole of their organisations from leadership to frontline. For MSD, which is one of the largest government organisations in New Zealand, this is no small feat, and WellStop, while it is a smaller organisation, is an industry leader for their sector in combating harmful sexual behaviour.</p> <p>What underpins the process of developing their Māori responsive policies is vitally important. With this in mind, this thesis includes first-hand accounts from Hohepa Patea, the Principal Māori Advisor for MSD, and Mark King, the Chief Executive Officer for WellStop. Their contribution to this thesis has revealed many commonalities in the development of the Māori policies for both organisations.</p> <p>The findings show that while MSD has been influenced to develop policies that are responsive to Māori due to governmental aspirations to address Māori social and economic conditions reflected in negative statistics, WellStop is influenced by the parameters set by the expectations of government organisations, the standards set by Level 2 accreditation (Ministry of Social Development, 2020 (a)), and professional registration bodies (Social Workers Registration Board, n.d. (1); New Zealand Association of Counsellors - Te Roopu Kaiwhiriwhiri o Aotearoa, n.d. (3)). I will elaborate on the similarities in the stages of development in each organisations’ policies: the use of whakataukī and karakia, whose inspirational words anchor their policies in mātauranga Māori; the establishment of strong Māori leadership, knowledgeable in mātauranga Māori and tīkanga to ensure the policies’ cultural efficacy and to drive the mauri of the policies from the top down; researching each organisations’ previous and current policies that pertain to Māori to understand the past and develop more effective policies; and finally, the merit of utilising tīkanga processes when engaging with Māori staff, whānau, hapū and iwi.</p> <p>What cannot be denied is the influence of Hohepa and Mark’s background knowledge of mātauranga Māori and their heart and drive to see their organisations operate from a Te Ao Māori perspective. Regardless of other influences, they intend to make spaces and places better for Māori whānau who access their services. Hohepa and Mark are clear that embedding a Māori worldview and values across their organisations is the primary focus. One of the most crucial common denominators in both organisations’ policies is a clear understanding of the importance of keeping people front of mind to ensure that the policies are developed with a powerful sense of manaakitanga and kaitiakitanga.</p> <p>He aha te mea nui i tenei Āo? Māku e kī atu.</p> <p>He tangata! He tangata! He tangata!Nā Meri Ngāroto</p>

scholarly journals "Strangers in the House": The Maori Language in Government and the Maori Language in Parliament 1840-1900

2001 ◽  
Vol 32 (3) ◽  
pp. 865
Author(s):  
Phil Parkinson
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
House Of Representatives ◽  
Parliamentary Debates ◽  
Legislative Council ◽  
Treaty Of Waitangi ◽  
The Government ◽  
Adequate Provision ◽  
The Right

The Treaty of Waitangi conferred upon Her Majesty's new subjects "all the rights andprivileges of British subjects" and that included, in theory, the right to be represented in the infantgovernment. In practice, however, the right of Maori to vote in elections was not taken seriouslyuntil 1858 and the presence of formally elected members in the House of Representatives was not achieved until August 1868. When they did speak in 1868 the first four Maori members spoke inMaori, and no adequate provision was made for the translation of their words, or for the words ofother members to be translated for them. The proceedings of the House were not printed in Maoriand the Maori members' speeches were not translated except when it suited the government of theday.Over the next few decades after 1868 there was only an irregular compliance with the standingorders of the House of Representatives and the Legislative Council that Bills and Acts be prepared inboth Maori and English for the better information of "Her Majesty's subjects of the Native Race".This study traces the extent of the use of the Maori language in the House and in the Council andpoints to a large number of extant Bills and Acts in Maori as well as to the large number whichhave not survived but which are referred to in the New Zealand parliamentary debates. These little-known texts deserve recognition as expressions of legislation in an indigenous tongue reflectingindigenous concerns but they have usually been disregarded in a European-dominated GeneralAssembly.

Creating a Government Commitment to Well-Being

2020 ◽  
pp. 133-154
Author(s):  
Tim Ng
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Policy Development ◽  
Population Level ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Sustainable Land Use ◽  
Assessment Tools ◽  
Policy Action ◽  
Economic Framework ◽  
Measurement Analysis ◽  
The Government

This chapter describes how the New Zealand Government in 2019 demonstrated its commitment to well-being as a public policy with the release of its Wellbeing Budget. It details how the New Zealand Treasury’s Living Standards Framework (LSF) has guided the Treasury’s policy advice to governments in New Zealand, using the Wellbeing Budget as a key example of the application of the LSF in practice. The LSF is a population-level economic framework with a multidimensional well-being outcomes focus and associated measurement, analysis, and assessment tools. It helps the government to express, analyze, and implement its well-being objectives in the form of concrete policy action. As well as government budget management, the LSF has been applied to strategic fiscal and economic policy development. Priority policy areas for funding and other interventions addressed in the Wellbeing Budget included mental health, family and sexual violence, and sustainable land use. The chapter then looks at the experience of applying LSF tools to various stages of the policy process, including examples of cross-agency collaboration and the resulting policy packages informed by the LSF.

scholarly journals Research and the Policy Development Process: "Measuring the Costs of Injury"

1970 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jaimie Legge
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Policy Development ◽  
Development Process ◽  
Government Agencies ◽  
Work In Progress ◽  
Policy Development Process ◽  
The Impact

This paper discusses the development of a methodology for measuring the costs of injury in New Zealand. This is work in progress, involving a number of researchers and government agencies with a goal of developing useful cost estimations of the impact of injury for policy development.

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