PUCM 2 Survey Results 2001-2002

This Report contains the results from a survey of resource management consultants and resource consent applicants carried out during 2001-2002 to gain factual and attitudinal information about the plan implementation processes of respective councils. It drew on the experiences of 277 applicants and consultants representing a diversity of stakeholders, and provided a valuable check on the quality of processes and procedures of councils with respect to plan implementation and compliance

The quality of district plans and their implementation: Towards environmental quality

Since inception of the Resource Management Act 1991 (RMA) the issue of sustainable management has dominated planning practice in New Zealand. Over the past decade, councils have wrestled with converting the concept of sustainable management into policy and practice. Implicit to the requirement that district councils develop plans for managing the environmental effects of the use and development of natural and physical resources is the assumption that good quality plans will result in improved environmental quality. The key question to be addressed in this paper is: Do good plans matter? Measuring the quality of plan implementation is a complex task, and little, if any, attempt has been made in councils to do it. The PUCM research is the first in New Zealand to attempt a quantitative analysis of the links between the quality of plans produced under the RMA and the quality of plan implementation. The purpose of this paper is to describe the methodology that we adopted for the research and to present some preliminary results from studying the implementation of plans through the resource consent process. Overall, we are trying to determine: how best to measure the quality of plan implementation and the effect that district plan quality has on implementation quality; and what factors influence the relationship between plan quality and implementation quality. This paper is structured into three main parts. The first is a description of the methodological approach taken to conduct the research. In the second part, the key preliminary results are presented. Finally the findings and the implications for achieving good environmental outcomes are discussed

Evaluation of iwi and hapū participation in the resource consents processes of six district councils

This working paper analyses the processes adopted by councils for involving hapū/iwi in plan implementation, including the resource consents process. Three topic issues were investigated to assess plan implementation — urban amenity, storm water, and issues of importance to iwi. Questions were asked about the capacity of hapū/iwi to engage in the resource consent process, which resource issues were of concern to them, their relationship with council and consent applicants, and their perception of the consent process. Most resources listed in the questionnaire were of concern to hapū/iwi, with water quality, wāhi tapu and heritage the most commonly cited. In conclusion, we found a general dissatisfaction on the part of hapū/iwi with councils’ performance with respect to both Treaty relationships and consent processing under the RMA. A further contributing factor to the poor relationships found between hapū/iwi and councils, was the lack of clarity over the role of hapū and iwi in resource management. In several districts, diverging responses from hapū/iwi and councils to questions about level of understanding and commitment suggests there is a need for more effective communication. These problems are compounded by the generally low capacity of hapū/iwi to participate in resource consent processes. These findings suggest that there is much to be done to improve relationships and behaviour of these key stakeholder groups in the plan implementation process if key provisions in the RMA related to hapū/iwi interests are to be fulfilled. The differences shown in reciprocal perceptions have serious implications for establishing a sound working partnership between councils and hapū/iwi in their areas. Making clear these discrepancies is a first step towards taking the measures needed for building a better partnership. Further, the capacity of hapū/iwi to participate could be better utilised if there was greater integration between regional and district councils on issues of significance and processes for iwi involvement

District plan implementation under the RMA: Confessions of a resource consent

This report focuses on results from Phase 2 of PUCM - the quality of plan implementation in six district councils selected for their range of plan quality and capacity to plan. Only those results considered to be important for assisting the six councils (and others) to improve implementation of their plans are included in this report. The findings and recommendations, both specific and general, ought to be instructive for other councils, thereby helping to improve their plans and implementation processes. Since hapu/iwi interests formed a key component of the research, the outcomes will help enhance their case for better consideration of their interests when dealing with local government. As well, many of the findings and recommendations relate to matters of governance and capacity building that require Government action, which until done will make it difficult for councils to achieve quality plans and implementation processes

What makes plan implementation successful? An evaluation of local plans and implementation practices in New Zealand

Failure to implement plans has long been considered a significant barrier to effective planning. We examine two conceptions of success in plan implementation (conformance and performance), the effects of the implementation practices of planning agencies, and the capacity of agencies and permit applicants to bring about success. A key lesson from our New-Zealand-based evaluation is that implementation is somewhat weak. Another key point is that, if implementation is defined and measured in terms of conformance, plans and planners have an important influence on implementation success. Alternatively, if implementation is defined and measured in terms of performance, plans and planners are less influential in implementation. These lessons have broad implications for the theory and practice of plan implementation.

What drives plan implementation? Plans, planning agencies and developers

This article investigates the determinants of plan implementation by applying a recently-developed Plan Implementation Evaluation methodology. The lack of methodology to assess the implementation of plans has so far precluded any systematic analysis of the determinants of the implementation of local environmental plans. The article focuses on the implementation of plans in New Zealand. The key factors of implementation are: the quality of the plan; the capacity and commitment of land developers to implement plans; the capacity and commitment of the staff and leadership of planning agencies to implement plans; and the interactions between developers and the agency. The analysis is based on 353 permits implementing six local environmental plans in New Zealand, and on surveys of the developers who obtained the permits and of the planning agencies that granted the permits. The analysis finds that plan implementation is mainly driven by the resources of the planning agencies and by the quality of the plans, rather than by the characteristics of developers. Investments in plan writing and agency and staff capacity building thus improve the implementation of plans in the long-run.

Durkheim, Vygotsky e o currículo do futuro Durkheim, Vigotsky and the curriculum

Este artigo reporta-se às bases epistemológicas do currículo do futuro. Inicia examinando os debates em curso sobre o impacto das mudanças curriculares na economia global. A parte principal do texto refere-se à explicação e comparação de duas teorias sociais do conhecimento - a de Emile Durkheim e a do psicólogo russo Lev Vygotsky, focalizando particularmente a questão das origens do conhecimento e a relação entre o conhecimento cotidiano e o conhecimento teórico. O autor argumenta que a abordagem genético-histórica adotada por Vygotsky precisa ser combinada com a ênfase durkheimiana na realidade social do conhecimento. Finalmente, conclui com algumas observações acerca das implicações da comparação para a teoria de currículo contemporânea.<br>This article is concerned with the epistemological basics of the curriculum of the future. It begins by examining current debates on the impact on the curriculum of changes in the global economy. The major part of the paper is concerned with an explication and comparison of two social theories of knowledge - those of Emile Durkheim and the Russian psychologist Lev Vygotsky, with a particular focus on the concern with the origins of knowledge and the relationship between everyday and theoretical knowledge. It argues that the genetic/historical approach adopted by Vygotsky needs to be combined with Durkheim's focus on the social reality of knowledge itself. It concludes with some observations on the implications of the comparison for contemporary curriculum theory