Strengthening governance within local government

LGNZ and IoD announce partnership to strengthen governance within the local government sector

The President of Local Government New Zealand, Lawrence Yule, and the Waikato Branch Chair of the Institute of Directors in New Zealand (IoD), Margaret Devlin, today signed a Heads of Agreement paving the way for elected council members to receive IoD-recognised training as part of their on-going professional development.

Signed in front of an audience of more than 500 at the LGNZ conference in Hamilton, the agreement begins a new era in professional development opportunities for the sector, Mr Yule said.

Ms Devlin said the agreement and the IoD’s commitment to best practice governance would strengthen the current training offered by LGNZ and provide a focus on leadership and strategy. Through the partnership, Mayors and fellow councillors will be incentivised to build on their current skill set and strengthen their collective governance abilities using the IoD’s Better Boards appraisal tool.

“Although the local government sector has much to be proud of, our conference this year has a focus on new initiatives to improve sector performance. Effective governance is a key component of local government effectiveness and today’s announcement supports that,” Mr Yule said.

“This new partnership means the IoD will be part of building the strength and quality of governance in local government. The IoD is excited to be involved with LGNZ and we look forward to the synergies that are likely to come from the relationship,” Ms Devlin said.

The new LGNZ/IoD offering will begin in the first quarter of 2014.

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