SOCIAL POLICY:

Western Southland social needs assessment

Client:
Presbyterian Support Southland, with funding support from the Lotteries Commission of NZ Community Sector Research Fund
Date:
2009
Objectives:
i) to investigate issues of social service delivery in Western Southland with particular focus on families with young children (up to 14 years) and the elderly
ii) identify services, resources including funding streams, and organisational capacity barriers
iii) recommend responses in collaboration with agencies and organisations.
Major activities:
Demographic analysis and community profiling;
Survey of service providers;
Interviews and focus groups;
Community workshops
Outputs:
Contract report, “Going the extra mile … meeting future social needs in Western Southland”, published by Presbyterian Support Southland, with supplementary information available on line at - http://www.ps.org.nz/Site/Southland/Resources/Default.aspx
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Review of Timaru Schools Network

Client:
Timaru District Council
Date:
2003
Objectives:
To prepare a scoping identification of the key issues for the district’s communities and the potential social impacts of the re-structuring proposals developed by the Ministry of Education.
Major activities:
- analysis of census population projections;
- analysis of trends in sectoral employment and property sales;
- key informant interviews with a range of people involved in schools, communities expected to experience school closures, and businesses in the district
Outputs:
Report to the Client (December 2003)
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Communities of Interest on Banks Peninsula

Client:
Local Government Commission
Date:
2004-2005
Objectives:
  1. To update a review of Communities of Interest produced in 1998 to reflect the current situation.
  2. To consider in particular any linkages between communities of interest in Banks Peninsula District and neighbouring districts.
  3. To include any additional perspectives on the issue of communities of interest on Banks Peninsula considered appropriate.
Major Activities:
Key informant interviews with residents in various settlements; analyse census statistics and quantitative data from other agencies such as Ministry of Education and the Canterbury District Health Board.
Outputs:
Report to the Local Government Commission.
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Information Requirements of the Legal Profession

Client:
New Zealand Law Society
Date:
1993-1994
Objectives:
  1. Identify issues for developing the future strategy for information services to the legal profession.
  2. Assess the information needs across the whole legal profession, both now and in the foreseeable future.
  3. Evaluate how well the present library-based information system caters to these needs.
  4. Make recommendations on a future strategy covering aspects of structure, function, implementation and cost.
Major Activities:
Scoping interviews, focus groups and workshops to identify issues;
Design, implementation and analysis of a survey of the legal profession;
Identifying feasible changes, costing options;
Strategic planning workshops to assess and refine recommended feasible changes.
Outputs:
Preparation of Milestone Reports covering the scoping and survey activities, and the recommended strategy.

Strategy proposals incorporating:
Description of the present circumstances
A future scenario - vision, goals, achievable objectives
Network of facilities
Training requirements
Provision of legal research assistance
Provision of advice on information technology
Governing and management structures at national and district levels.
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Soft systems approach and its application within social assessment

Client:
NZ Foundation for Research Science and Technology (through Institute for Social Research and Development).
Date:
1991-1993
Objectives:
The first phase of this research was a review of systems theory and the application of soft-systems methodologies to social assessment. The second phase involved a case study of soft-systems theory and its applicability in social assessment of policy changes, particularly reform of the New Zealand health system.
Major Activities:
Literature reviews, workshops and research team activities trialling and developing soft systems techniques, and case studies. Soft-systems techniques used included the formation of root definitions including CATWOE analysis, preparation of conceptual frameworks and design of feasible changes.
Outputs:
Two reports: Systems theory and social assessment: opportunities for mutual development, and Social assessment and soft systems methodologies in action.

Systems theory and social assessment - is this marriage helpful for social assessment practitioners? Joint paper presented at the annual meetings of the Association for Impact Assessment, World Bank, Washington, D.C.

Unpublished manual of procedures for soft-systems application in social assessment and experience of Taylor Baines and key associates in application of the techniques.
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Review of outcomes of CYPS activities in Care and Protection

Client:
Chief Economist, Department of Social Welfare.
Date:
1995
Objectives:
Update a 1993 literature review on long-term outcomes of care and protection action. Identify what CYPS staff believe to be the outcomes of their Care and Protection programmes. Identify what independent experts believe to be the outcomes of those programmes.
Major Activities:
Interviews, small group/focus group meetings and workshops.
Outputs:
Contract report.
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