22 August 2010

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What's happening?

Is this a merger/amalgamation of NZAAHD and NYWNA?

What will the new organisation do?

Why are NZAAHD and NYWNA creating a new organisation?

What does a ‘Treaty-based' organisation mean?

When was the decision made, and who made it?

Who's on the transition committee?

When will the new organisation be launched?

What's the rush?

How will the work get done in time?

Where's the money coming from to create the new organisation?

How will local branches and regional networks be affected?

What will happen to my membership of NZAAHD and/or NYWNA?

How have you consulted with members and stakeholders?

How can I be involved from now on?

More FAQs coming up

1. What's happening?

NZ Aotearoa Adolescent Health and Development (NZAAHD) and the National Youth Workers Network Aotearoa (NYWNA) are spearheading the creation of a new national youth sector organisation.

In the development of this joint venture, we've been guided by the whakatauki :

Na tau rourou, na taku rourou, kia ora ai te iwi.

With my food basket, and your food basket, we will feed the people.

The kaupapa of the new organisation is:

Mo te oranga o nga rangatahi me nga kaitiaki e mahi ana mo ratou

For the wellbeing of rangatahi and all the people who support them

2. Is this a merger/amalgamation of NZAAHD and NYWNA?

No. This will be a brand new organisation that builds on our collective histories, knowledge and resources along with the know-how and experience of other sector agencies who want to contribute. When it's up and running, NZAAHD and NYWNA will both disband. Until then, we will continue to carry on with our operational work plans and commitments to staff.

3. What will the new organisation do?

The new organisation's focus is the youth sector and the people who work in it. It will be Treaty-based, inclusive of all cultures, and work in partnership with the public, private and tangata whenua/community sectors.

We are still discussing its roles and priorities, and what they mean in practice.  Key roles are likely to include:

• Leadership to enhance the sector, increase its visibility, ensure leadership sustainability, and strengthen capability at community and regional levels.
• Quality assurance to foster the training and development of people who work with young people, maintain organisations' quality processes and sector standards, and ensure compliance and accountability for youth work practice through a Code of Ethics and continuum of qualifications from entry level to senior practitioners.
• Information and research, including a coordination role on issues affecting young people and the people who work with them.
• Advocacy to ensure that the youth sector has a strong, well-informed, united voice.
• Supporting services for members, branches and caucuses of the new organisation.

4. Why are NZAAHD and NYWNA creating a new organisation?

Over the last 18 months, challenges have come from the membership, the wider sector and the government about leadership and capability in the youth sector. NZAAHD, NYWNA and many other youth organisations have identified the need to bring the sector together, provide a stronger voice on youth issues, and improve the training and development of people who work with young people.

Now is the right time to make a change. We want to be proactive and ensure that the sector determines its own future, rather than wait and have change imposed on us from outside.

NZAAHD and NYWNA have always fostered inter-connections and whakawhanaungatanga. About a third of NZAAHD members also belong to NYWNA. Coming together feels like a natural partnership. A new organisation will help us to make the best use of our resources, reduce duplication and competition for funding, and break down silos to achieve the best possible results for young people and the people who work with them.

NZAAHD's Maori caucus Te Wahanga and NYWNA's Te Rōpū have also met and come up with recommendations for a new organisation that will be Treaty-based.

5. What does a ‘Treaty-based' organisation mean?

A Treaty-based organisation is one where the organisation as a whole demonstrates collective commitment to the Treaty and kaupapa Maori rather than having a designated Maori position or committee. While Maori need to be seen in leadership roles throughout the organisation, there don't need to be specific numbers of Maori at governance level as long as the board as a whole takes responsibility for the Treaty, and tikanga/kaupapa Maori are among the required skill set.

Te Wahanga Maori and Te Rōpū have recommended Maori leadership at three levels:

• Patron of high status who will accord mana to the organisation by their very involvement.
• Kaumatua (male or female) who is versed in te reo me ona tikanga to provide cultural advice to the board, though not a member.
• Kaihautu who is versed in kaupapa Maori to sit alongside the chairperson of the board, provide political advice to the board, cultural advice for staff and convene the Maori caucus. The kaihautu and other members of the caucus will have rangatiratanga over some Maori elements of the organisation's work.

6. When was the decision made, and who made it?

NZAAHD and NYWNA have been having informal conversations for some time about ways to better coordinate common activities and strategically align the sector for the benefit of young people.

In November 2009, a hui of 60 youth workers in Wellington gave the NYWNA board a mandate to do whatever was necessary to preserve and promote its work in the face of funding cuts.

In March 2010, the NZAAHD national hui discussed three possible partnership frameworks with NYWNA and agreed it was time to look at a new leadership model. A working group was set up to develop the model and get feedback from members and key stakeholders.

In April, the working group scoped a project to define a sector-driven vision for leadership and develop a lead youth sector organisation. As part of its engagement with key stakeholders, NZAAHD formally approached NYWNA, and the two boards agreed that their organisations would work together.

In May 2010, a working group of 12 people from both organisations met in Auckland to look at possible models, values and structure of a new organisation. From this meeting, a smaller group of 7 people, led by NZAAHD president Trissel Mayor and NYWNA chairperson Rod Baxter, (now known as ‘the transition committee') was given a mandate to continue this work.

7. Who's on the transition committee?

The transition committee have been selected for their expertise, experience, connections and commitment to NZAAHD, NYWNA and the youth sector.

They are:

• Trissel Mayor: NZAAHD president, director of the Palmerston North Youth One Stop Shop.
• Rod Baxter: NYWNA chairperson, youth worker for the Wellington Boys and Girls Institute.
• Ruru Hona: NYWNA kaumatua, board member and member of Te Rōpū , its Maori caucus.
• John Harrington: NYWNA board member and former director, now working with the Canterbury Youth Worker's Collective.
• Hilary Sumpter: NZAAHD national council member, YWCA Auckland chief executive.
• Kirsten Smith: service manager of Evolve Youth Service, Wellington, former NZAAHD national executive officer.
• Rebecca Blaikie (as adviser): Office of the Children's Commissioner adviser, NZAAHD national council member and previous contractor to National Youth Workers Network.
• Sarah Chapman (as new NZAAHD national executive officer).

Trissel and Rod are the primary spokespeople for the transition committee.

8. When will the new organisation be launched?

The new organisation will be launched at the Involve conference in Auckland in November 2010.  There will be a period of transition during which NZAAHD and NYWNA will continue to exist. Special general meetings will be held to wind them up. Dates for these meetings have not yet been set, but we will let members know as soon as possible.

9. What's the rush?

Both NZAAHD and NYWNA have felt the effects of the changing economic and political environment.  We must react quickly to meet the needs of the youth sector and ensure a strong organisation is in place that will enable the sector to be forward-thinking, robust and valued.

We feel a strong sense of urgency around the need for change. We want to be proactive so that the kete of knowledge and experience accumulated by our organisations and the wider sector are taken into the future in a positive, sustainable way.

We're trying to achieve a balance between waiting till everyone is ready for change and getting on with the job. At the Auckland stakeholder meeting in July, participants acknowledged the tension between not wanting us to make decisions before we consult with them but at the same time wanting more clarity about the new organisation when we do consult. We're doing our best to manage the ‘dance' between these two positions.

And finally, we have set our sights on Involve in November. It is the perfect place to launch the new organisation and embed support for it. We don't want to miss this unique gathering of 800 people who work with young people, especially knowing it will be two years until the next conference.

10. How will the work get done in time?

While the timeframe is tight, we believe it is achievable.  We've engaged Petra van den Munckhof and Pip Desmond to help us create the new organisation. Their tasks include gaining independent feedback from youth sector stakeholders; pulling together a strategic direction; developing a business plan, legal structure and constitution, funding strategy, policies and procedures for the new organisation; and ensuring decisions are communicated effectively to members and the wider sector.

Petra's work history spans the education, tangata whenua and community sectors. A former teacher, she's been manager of the Newtown Union Health Service and co ordinator/te kaihautu for Health Care Aotearoa, a national advocacy and quality support organisation in primary health care. She's a tutor on the UNITEC Not-for-Profit Management Programme and has worked alongside young people to establish Evolve, a youth health service in Wellington, where she still has a governance role.

Pip is a freelance writer and oral historian. Her experience as a youth worker in a work cooperative for young gang women in Wellington in the late 1970s is recorded in her book, Trust: A True Story of Women and Gangs, which recently won the 2010 NZ Post Best First Book of Non-Fiction.  Pip has worked most of her life in the tangata whenua and community sector. From 2000-2005, she was former Labour Minister Ruth Dyson's parliamentary press secretary and political adviser.

Together, we believe Petra's and Pip's facilitation, management, governance, political and communications skills, along with their community sector experience, will enable us to get the job done in the required time.

11. Where's the money coming from to create the new organisation?

NZAAHD has committed some of its reserves to the change process. We have also received funding from the Working Together More Fund administered by the JR McKenzie Trust, Tindall Foundation, Todd Foundation and Wayne Francis Charitable Trust.

Petra and Pip are drawing up a funding strategy for the new organisation.  Over the next few months, we will be talking to the government, existing and potential funders, and other youth sector organisations about how they might support us.

12. How will local branches and regional networks be affected?

Grassroots connections, relationships and networks have always been a huge strength of NZAAHD, NYWNA and the youth sector as a whole. While the details have yet to be decided, the new organisation will continue to have robust regional structures that will underpin its work and ensure it stays strongly connected to communities. Our goal is greater collaboration at all levels. At the same time, we acknowledge the process will evolve in a variety of ways and at different speeds in different communities.

13. What will happen to my membership of NZAAHD and/or NYWNA?

We see membership as a core guiding structure of the new organisation. As with regional structures, key decisions have yet to be made. We will be seeking your input and will keep you updated about developments (see below as to how you can be involved).

14. How have you consulted with members and stakeholders?

Between June and August 2010, N ZAAHD and NYWNA held three stakeholder meetings in Wellington, Auckland and Christchurch to get feedback from our members, supporters, funders and the wider youth sector. Between 30 and 40 people attended each meeting. Overall, participants were positive and excited about the new organisation, and had lots of questions and suggestions. Feedback from the meetings is available here:

Christchurch meeting
Auckland Meeting

15. How can I be involved from now on?

(a) Transition committee meetings: Members of NZAAHD and NYWNA may attend the five transition committee meetings planned between now and November.  These will all be held in Wellington. The dates are 26 August, 10 September, 17 September, 20 October and 3 November. Please contact Trissel ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ) or Rod ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ) if you want to attend, so you can be fully briefed on matters to be discussed.

(b) Regional input: Support - including attendance by transition committee members at local meetings - is available for branch coordinators who want to discuss the changes at a regional level and feed them into the decision-making process.

(c) Kanohi ki te kanohi: All members of the transition committee are available to share information and get feedback on the process. Petra and Pip are also meeting with key stakeholders, including funders, supporters and colleagues, to ensure their insights are included in the change process.

(d) Trissel and Rod, as the key spokespeople,  welcome your individual questions and comments. Their contact details are This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it and This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

(e) Email updates: Regular updates about the new organisation, including transition committee minutes and decisions, will be emailed to all members of NZAAHD and NYWNA, and other interested parties. Sign up to receive these emails here.

(f) NZAAHD website forum: A forum has been set up on the NZAAHD website. All information about the new organisation will be posted there and regularly updated. We welcome your feedback on all issues identified in the FAQs. There are instructions on how to use the forum here.

16 More FAQs coming up

We know there are more questions to answer and we will continue to add new FAQs in the coming weeks.  The next round will focus on feedback from members and stakeholders, along with more specific information about the new organisation, including proposals around:

• governance structure
• role of local networks, branches
• role of caucuses
• membership structure
• role of young people.

NZAAHD/NYWNA Christchurch stakeholder meeting

Community House, 141 Hereford St, Christchurch, 13 August 2010

Welcome, karakia and whanaungatanga

General summary

About 30 people attended the NZAAHD/NYWNA stakeholder meeting in Christchurch on 13 August. People were generally positive and excited about the opportunity presented by a new organisation. They felt it is a natural partnership, will break down silos in the sector, and bring people together. It makes sense financially, and creates an opportunity to keep institutional knowledge alive while staying focused on the future. It will enhance the professional development of youth workers, and lead to better, research, shared knowledge and advocacy.  A united, coordinated voice will resonate more clearly with colleagues, the sector, funders and government.

Mandate for change

Three members of the transition committee commented on NYWNA's and NZAAHD's mandate for change and why the new organisation will be launched at Involve in November 2010.

Rod Baxter (NYWNA): NYWNA has been vulnerable for 18 months and has a mandate from its members to do whatever is necessary to survive.  In line with the whakatauki: Na tau rourou, na taku rourou, kia ora ai te iwi (with my food basket and your food basket, we will feed the people), partnership with NZAAHD is the best way to connect the youth worker community, raise the standard of youth work practice, and get better recognition for youth work and youth workers. The two organisations have to walk a fine line between taking enough time to get the process right but not so long that they lose the opportunity.

Trissel Mayor (NZAAHD): NZAAHD has made a proactive decision to form a new organisation to strengthen connections in the youth sector, build capacity, improve services for young people, and provide leadership. NZAAHD also has ongoing issues about being financially sustainable. Creating a new organisation with NYWNA is the best way to secure the future and provide leadership in a way that works for the sector.

Ruru Hona (Te Roopu): Te Roopu was formed in 2006 to hold NYWNA true to the principles of the Treaty. In July, it met with NZAAHD's Maori caucus, Te Wahanga, to agree on the kaupapa, name and governance structure of the new organisation.

• The kaupapa, which will take the place of an organisational vision, is "Mo te oranga o nga rangatahi me nga kaitiaki e mahi ana mo ratou" "For the wellbeing of rangatahi and all the people who support them".
• The name will be revealed at Involve following due process with those involved.
• Governance is not about numbers, it's about the mana of Te Tiriti. The Treaty is inclusive, and everyone has to carry the mantle. For that reason, there will be no specific Maori seats on the new board but a Kaihautu will work alongside the chairperson.

Organisational model

Rod shared a possible model for the new organisation that has clusters of membership under three streams: youth work, youth health and youth development.

There was a lot of discussion about the Treaty-based model and how the kete will be woven. It was pointed out that a lot of trust is needed if no specific seats are allocated for Maori on the board. The transition committee will need to carefully consider the new constitution, recruitment etc to enable that trust to be built.

Other groups are also anxious about representation, especially Pacific members of NZAAHD who currently have two seats on their board. Trissel noted that conversations are ongoing, and the new organisation will have a number of caucuses representing different interests. Caucuses will happen organically and will run through all streams.

Small group discussions

People broke into small groups to discuss the following questions:

• What do you like about the new organisation? What does it make possible?
• What limits does it create?
• How can these limits be overcome?
• What questions still need answering?
• What ongoing communication works best for you?

Things people like/tips for the new organisation

• The need for a peak, professional body is driven by the sector and this process, rather than being imposed.
• A functioning and sustainable village/community.
• Refreshing, get rid of what hasn't worked and bring forward what has.
• Consider how inclusive we can be of the whole sector (including those with political ties).
• Define what the youth sector is through branding and name.
• Connecting people and communities is a good focus.
• Have a balance of private and public funding. Public funding should be across ministries.
• Branches and networks need to be really functional because this is where strength will come from.
• To counteract loss of membership or people not feeling involved, seek re-commitment to the new organisation after Involve.
• Consider using language around workforce development because this is what the three streams - youth health, youth work, youth development - represent.
• We should all become members of the new organisation and then move into different streams to get specific needs met. Our commonality is that we all work with young people.

Key questions

• What is the recipe for this organisation?
• How will the membership structure work? Can you belong to more than one stream? How will that look? What will that mean?
• What would it feel like for the Canterbury Youth Workers Collective to disband and become a new branch of the organisation? The Christchurch branch of NZAAHD? Joint meetings were suggested as a way to look at progressing this. There was some group discussion about the grief involved, which takes many forms.
• What is the rationale behind choosing the three streams? Members should be part of that discussion because they have to decide where they fit in the organisation. This is an opportunity to create some new language. Who are the 800 people coming to Involve? Do they fit within those three streams?
• Anni cautioned against losing the history, power and knowledge of two organisations that have both had an important place in the youth sector. Rod suggested that symbols of both organisation's achievements should be taken to Involve and handed over for further safe-keeping at the launch of the new organisation.

Ruru closed with a karakia at 3.30pm.

Related: Auckland stakeholder meeting summary

Kia ora koutou

This project excites us both for its opportunity to work alongside the innovative and courageous leaders of NZAAHD and NYWNA as they develop a new national organisation that will promote and support the well-being of young people of Aotearoa and those who work with them.

Petra Van den Munckhof

Ko Petra van den Munckhof toku ingoa, Kei te Whanganui a Tara ahau, e noho ana, inaianei.

I work collaboratively towards making a difference in the tangata whenua community and voluntary sector, utilising my skills and attributes to meet the challenges to advocate and deliver effective outcomes for those most often disadvantaged, thus promoting an inclusive society where "the gap" is closed and everyone can achieve their potential.

My work history spans the Education and Tangata Whenua and Community and Voluntary Sector. More recently I have managed the Newtown Union Health Services, had a Co ordinator/Te Kaihautu role for Health Care Aotearoa (a national advocacy and quality support organisation in primary health care), been a tutor on the UNITEC NFP Management Programme and worked alongside young people as part of the establishment for Evolve, a youth health service in Wellington, where I currently have a governance role.

I work collaboratively with others in and across the sector(s) and bring a mix of facilitation, management and governance expertise at a community and national sector level in the Aotearoa context.

Pip Desmond

Kia ora. My name is Pip. I was born in Dunedin and have lived in Wellington most of my life. I'm a freelance writer and oral historian. My passion is to empower people and organisations by giving them a voice and telling their stories.

I've worked most of my life in the community and tangata whenua sector, both as a volunteer and paid worker. In my early twenties, I spent three years as a member of a work cooperative for young gang women in Wellington. This experience, along with the life stories of 11 of the women, is recorded in my book, Trust: A True Story of Women and Gangs, published by Random House last year. Trust recently won the 2010 Best First Book of Non-Fiction in the NZ Post Book Awards.

My work history also includes eight years with the NZ Federation of Voluntary Welfare Organisations as the editor of its magazine Dialogue, and six years as Labour MP Ruth Dyson's parliamentary press secretary and political adviser. My communication and political skills are very complementary to Petra's facilitation, management and governance expertise. Together we will do everything we can to help NZAAHD and NYWNA set up a successful new organisation for rangatahi and the people who work with them.