Winner of:
Excellence in Organisation and People Development Award

 Whangārei’s Organisational Strategy

The Whangārei Organisational Strategy is a ground-up development to build a more inclusive, cohesive and effective organisation. The strategy had been driven (somewhat unusually) by the second and third tier managers across the organisation. 

The Judges said: The success of any organisational strategy project lies in embedding it in the day-to-day operation of councils. Getting the second and third tier managers to drive strategy development is an innovative means of generating buy-in at managerial level. We were also struck that the cross-departmental whanau groups have ‘stuck’ after that strategy went live. We look forward to hearing more of the progress of this initiative in coming years. 

See more award winning entries

Excellence in Māori-Council Partnerships - Te Tohu Waka Hourua (the Double Canoe)

Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei Reserves Board – Ko te Pūkakī: 2040

Auckland Council
The Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei Reserves Board is a co-governance partnership with Auckland Council, jointly managing reserve whenua. With equal representation, it enables shared decision-making, resourcing, and accountability. Through iwi-led delivery,
Award Year: 2026
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Excellence in Māori-Council Partnerships - Te Tohu Waka Hourua (the Double Canoe)

Joint Land Ownership – the Right Thing to Do

Tauranga City Council
Te Manawataki o Te Papa – the Heartbeat of Te Papa – is a transformative redevelopment of Tauranga’s Civic Precinct, which will reinvigorate its city centre and make it the
Award Year: 2023
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Excellence in Organisation and People Development

Reimaginging Work

Whakatāne District Council
Whakatāne District Council has reimagined work. What began as a building refurbishment in response to required earthquake strengthening work resulted in a seismic shift in how we work. We realised
Award Year: 2024
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