Overview
ComVoices is a Wellington based network of national community and voluntary sector organisations. It was established so that sector organisations would have a more powerful voice at Government level and in the community.
ComVoices aims to:
- Harness collective influence to effect positive policy change
- Develop collaborative and practical strategies to address Sector issues
- Raise awareness through collective submissions, events and media.
What we want to achieve
Create public understanding that recognises the value of the sector to community wellbeing and to civil society and through this gain greater support for the sector and the communities we serve.
Provide a collaborative platform so that members can promote the development of a policy and regulatory environment that is supportive of sector organisations and their communities and can provide effective responses to Government on emerging issues.
Our approach
- Building stakeholder understanding of sector issues and providing the opportunity to develop and implement collaborative and practical strategies to address our issues
- Building sector understanding and providing a forum for learning and sharing information
- Co-ordinating sector engagement to represent organisations at a policy and decision making level
- Promoting the long-term welfare and sustainability of the sector through a sense of partnership
- Working in partnership with stakeholders to improve the sharing of knowledge and intelligence within the sector and with Government
What we do
- ComVoices meets monthly to share sector intelligence so that it can develop strategies and tactics to address emerging issues
- Meet with Ministers and other politicians to discuss issues affecting the sector and to influence current and future policy development (view here)
- Meet with public service leadership so that effective and mutually useful working relationships are developed and maintained (view here)
- Promote the value that community and voluntary sector organisations add to New Zealand’s economic and social well being
- Conduct a State of the Sector Survey Snapshot every three years that shows how the sector is tracking. This is distributed widely to all politicians and political parties, local governments, DHB’s, the media and business influencers. (view here)
- Run an issues campaign in general elections through a a pre-election briefing Community Counts that summarises key sector issues that Government and political parties need to address. (view here)
- Share issues that are impacting on the community and voluntary sector with wider audiences through regular weekly blogs (link), media releases (link) and sector meetings.
- Speak out publicly in support of the sector. (view here)
- Host Parliamentary breakfasts and other events addressed by international speakers on issues relevant to the NGO and voluntary sector and to the political sector. Attendees include Ministers, MPs, government agency staff and sector personnel. (view here))
