Tariana Turia announced today that the Government is committed to strengthening its community relationships and would like to do this through an agreement with the sector by the end of next year.

A Cabinet paper released yesterday stated that the agreement would include a programme of action to strengthen government engagement with citizens and communities.

The paper notes that the relationship agreement could also include a joint vision for working together, respective roles and responsibilities and commitments from both sides.

"This is an opportunity to define the relationship that the sector and government wish to have, based on mutual respect and trust. It will focus government agencies' attention on areas where further effort is needed to strengthen relationships to achieve common goals," Minister Turia said.

The Government will discuss, with the sector, the relationship agreement at a National Community-Government forum in Wellington on November 11.

The government is also considering the development of:

• a set of principles to guide effective community engagement


• a code of practice to guide government agencies when funding community organisations


• regionally-delivered seminars on good practice in community engagement.

The programme of action is in response to a report by the Association of Non-Governmental Organisations of Aotearoa (ANGOA) and a report by the Building Better Government Engagement reference group.

These two reports will also be discussed at the forum being organised by the Office for the Community and Voluntary Sector in conjunction with a Steering Group of community representatives.