Involving the disability sector in your work
This section describes how to involve the disability sector in the business of government, and what are key elements in a successful relationship.
A meaningful partnership
Achieving the vision of the New Zealand Disability Strategy means ensuring disabled people, their families, and their representative organisations have a meaningful partnership with government, communities and support agencies - a partnership based on respect and equality. Involving disabled people in the work of government through consultation, information gathering and two-way communication are critical components of this partnership. Disabled people, internationally and nationally, articulate this concept as ‘Nothing about us, without us’.
Consultation and communication methods need to be designed according to the policy context. In all contexts, consider how best to identify and include the perspectives of the disability community. The consultation process will help you with other components of this tool, such as understanding the context of disability issues and identifying opportunities and barriers.
Don’t assume that non-disabled people, such as service provider organisations, can talk on behalf of disabled people. There is no satisfactory substitution for communicating directly with disabled people and their representative groups. Their expertise in living with the experience of disability every day is critical and can not be surmised or constructed by non-disabled people, however well intentioned.
Relationships between government and the community-voluntary sector
In December 2001 the Prime Minister announced the government’s intention to build strong and respectful relationships with the community.
The government’s statement of intent outlines the commitment of government departments to improve:
- participation in decision making
- government funding to community organisations
- strengthening the community sector.
These commitments reflect the underlying principles of the relationship between government and community-voluntary sector that:
- enable mutual interests to be achieved through co-operation
- respect the independence of community, voluntary and iwi/Māori organisations
- recognise and respect the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi
- demonstrate effective two-way communication
- involve leadership within the community sector and from government ministers
- acknowledge and support the positive role played by umbrella, national and strategic collective bodies
- embrace innovation and creativity
- respect and recognise cultural diversity
- are founded on public accountability and appropriately flexible good practice.
More information
- Statement of Government Intentions for an Improved Community–Government Relationship
- Office for the Community and Voluntary Sector – works alongside departments who are developing policy that impacts on the community and voluntary sector
- Good Practice Participate – provides advice to departments on engaging successfully with community, voluntary, iwi and Māori organisations when decisions are being made or input being sought
- Good Practice Funding – provides advice for improving government agency funding practice, with a focus on government funding of non-government organisations.