Council agrees response to Communications Audit

Christchurch City Council today agreed on 18 actions in response to the Communication Audit Report received at the end of June 2012.

The Council adopted all of the recommendations of the Community, Recreation and Culture Committee in response to the audit.

Committee Chairman Yani Johanson says the responses agreed today aim to improve the way the Council interacts with the community through genuine engagement and greater transparency.

“We will be judged by the actions we take in response to this audit and I think the resolutions agreed to are a good start.

“This Council has done some positive work over past months to improve the way we communicate, including the establishment of committees, specially focused Earthquake Forums and meetings, improved engagement with some key stakeholders, the signing of the Council Charter including the no surprises section and strengthening the role of Community Boards through the allocation of additional resources. We still need to work hard towards a culture change within the organisation but I believe today gets us heading in the right direction,” Cr Johanson says.

Among the actions agreed by the Council were:

• A workshop for the Council to agree a new vision and recovery priorities for the city. Staff would then work on a communications strategy to inform residents about his vision and priorities.
• Committee chairs have responsibility to speak formally on portfolio matters and the Charter be amended to allow them to speak on issues relevant to the committee terms of reference.
• A working party will review current Communication Policy, Your Council Your Voice resource and the Civics Education Resource.
• Staff to arrange a meeting with Community Boards, CERA, EQC, CCDU, SCIRT, UDS partners and Cancern with the aim of producing a draft action plan on how governance and communications can work more effectively and coherently.
• Staff to prepare a draft engagement strategy, including regular public forums.
• A working party be set up to look at online communications tools.
• Additional regular meetings are requested with key recovery agencies.
• Fortnightly meetings are requested with the Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Minister and Associate Minister.
• Council request the CEO establish a Councillors’ office to provide administrative support and assistance to Councillors.
• The CEO Subcommittee review the CEO’s performance agreement and set KPIs on improving delivery of communications and public engagement.
• Council and Committee workshops are open to the public as a default and are only held in public excluded where a good justification exists.

 

The full report to Council, including the detailed recommendations of the Committee, is available online. Click here to read the report.

The full report and staff recommendations can be downloaded here:

CCC Communications Report [PDF 1MB]
CCC Communications Audit Research Report [PDF 1MB]
Communications Review Committee Report [PDF 143 KB]