Our Work

Our work is primarily public policy, strategy and governance. We are at our best with projects that need expertise across the public, private and voluntary/community sectors. In a typical project we apply a mix of theoretical knowledge and practical understanding of how things work. We are known for our empathy for our clients’ objectives and for our skills in identifying and developing key stakeholder relationships.

Increasingly, one of our great strengths is our international connections, and our ability to draw on leading edge developments from around the world.

We use our strengths not just in conventional project work for clients but increasingly to act as the informed 'second opinion' for organisations facing major strategic change both within New Zealand and offshore.

Our technical expertise covers:    

• A broad-based understanding of public policy, including familiarity with current national and international trends.
• Experience-based knowledge of central and local government and the utilities, social services and arts, culture and recreation sectors.
• Comprehensive knowledge of organisational structures and options for existing and emerging organisations, especially at the governance level.
• Expertise in strategic planning, policy development and strategic and organisational review.

We have worked with a very wide range of clients including central government departments, crown entities and state owned enterprises; individual local authorities and local government at the national level (both in New Zealand and offshore); community trusts; and private sector entities with a need for expert advice about the interactions of public policy with their activities.

From our website you will see a strong emphasis on local government. This reflects both our nationally and internationally recognised experience in the local government arena, and the increasing importance of local governance in the design, targeting and delivery of taxpayer funded services - central/local partnerships are increasingly important if you want good results.

Our assignments range from specialised, promptly delivered advice on specific issues through to complex, managed projects. Over the more than 20 years we have been in business we have earned a reputation for delivering results on time and within budget. It matters to us that what we deliver always meets, and usually exceeds, the client’s expectations.

There are some key themes which run through all of our work. They include:

• Policy innovation
• Strategy
• Governance design
• Public management
• Partnership and contracting.

Some of the more recent projects we have undertaken are:

• A report for the Treasury reflecting on the respective roles of central and local government in the delivery of social services.
• Advice to the Eastland Community Trust on the establishment of a charitable trust to promote economic development in the Gisborne region. 
• A report for the NSW Independent Local Government Review Panel, the Local Government Association of South Australia’s ‘Local Excellence’ Expert Panel and Local Government New Zealand on Community-Level Governance: What provision should be made and/or mandated in local government legislation? 
• Acting as the New Zealand rapporteur/researcher for an international project reviewing the practice of and potential for the creation of trusts or foundations for community benefit as part of privatisation initiatives. See here for more detail.
• Co-editing a book titled New Century Local Government published by the Commonwealth Secretariat. For more, see our home page.
• Advising a peak local government organisation in Australia on how to build capability within its sector in community or neighbourhood governance.
• Advising a peak local government organisation in Australia on how to build capability within its sector in community or neighbourhood governance. 

Much of our work is able to be made public. See the resources section of our website for a comprehensive sample.