The Government is addressing how it engages with people and communities, so they can have a stronger voice in the design, development and implementation of policies and programmes that affect them. This is a recommendation of the Royal Commission report (Recommendation 38), and a desire we’ve heard from survivors, whānau, witnesses and other communities across the country.
In response to this recommendation the Policy Project within the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet was commissioned to develop a new Policy Community Engagement Tool. The Tool draws on the Policy Project's Community Engagement Guidance and references the International Association of Public Participation's resources. The Tool provides hands-on guidance for policy teams and their agencies on how to conduct inclusive, respectful, and meaningful community engagement.
The first edition of the Tool was launched in January 2022 and was piloted with agencies involved in the Government’s response to the Royal Commission’s Report. Following a year-long pilot, the Tool has been updated to incorporate feedback from engagement participants and agencies using the Tool. The second edition was re-published in October 2023.