" The paths to the future are not found but created"

Providing independent, expert advice on public policy issues, strategy & governance to public & private sector entities for over 20 years.

Our reputation for being leaders in specialised fields of central and local government has built us a solid clientele in our home base New Zealand, and a reach into the international arena.
Our philosophy, and our practice, is to work alongside our clients, developing new thinking and producing practical solutions. What we deliver is based on multi-disciplinary skills and the strengths of our New Zealand and international networks.

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Upcoming Book

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New Century Local Government.  Publication funded by the Commonwealth Secretariat. Co-edited by MDL Executive Director Peter McKinlay. The book, to be published in the first half of 2012, will present case studies of innovation in local government from across the Commonwealth.

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What's New?

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On 15 December Peter McKinlay addressed the Sydney Metropolitan Business Forum on challenges for local government reform. View presentation. 

A major new Trans-Tasman report on local government takes a fresh objective look at amalgamations, boundary changes, shared services and regional collaboration. MDL was the New Zealand partner in the project. See media coverage, Australia and New Zealand; contact us for advice on implications for your council or region.

MDL’s Executive Director Peter McKinlay has been elected as an alternate board member for the London-based Commonwealth Local Government Forum at its recent biennial conference. The Forum links together governments, local governments and researchers across the Commonwealth. Read more.

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Current Projects

Options for consolidation in local government, Australia - New Zealand. A project led by the Australian Centre of Excellence for Local Government with McKinlay Douglas Ltd as the New Zealand partner. This is a major review of current research and practice on improving local government performance through structural change including options such as amalgamation and shared services.

Evolution in community governance: building on what works. In partnership with the Australian Centre of Execellence for Local Government we are leading a project on the evolution of community governance in Australia looking particularly at the practice of community planning within local government and through the community banking network of the Bendigo and Adelaide Bank. Peter McKinlay recently presented findings from the project to an ALCELG conference. Read paper and view presentation.


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Must Read

Look here for links to recent international publications to keep up-to-date with what's going on in areas related to our fields of work. Our current favourites are:

Reform in New South Wales August 2011. The Warringah Council, on Sydney’s northern beaches, has released a discussion document to start a dialogue with its communities and neighbouring councils on options for the future of local government.  It’s the first response to the State Government’s destination 2036 initiative for local government across the state.

Open Public Services White Paper July 2011.The UK is looking at a fundamental restructuring of the way citizens access public services, with a shift away from central control to devolution to communities, neighbourhoods and individuals. Is this just small government ideology, or a necessary direction for fiscally constrained governments?

Shared Necessities: The Next Generation of Shared Services February 2011. This report from the New Local Government Network shifts the debate about shared services from the periphery of local government activity to the core, with a compelling argument for a new approach.

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Blog


MDL has been recognised for its thought leadership across a number of sectors.  You can follow our latest thinking by clicking on the blog link below:

Latest Blogs

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Upcoming Events

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McKinlay Douglas helps lead the activities of the Auckland Branch of the New Zealand Institute of Public Administration IPANZ. The focus over the past year has been the future of public policy and public administration in the context of  Auckland's new 'super city' local government. The forthcoming flagship event, in association with principal sponsor Westpac Institutional Bank, is a one-day conference on Tuesday 13 December, on the theme Auckland One Year On: assessing Auckland's performance and looking to its future.For further information email us.




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