3.4 Engagement
Intermediate outcome 5: New Zealanders increasingly engage in conservation
The aim is to deepen New Zealanders' awareness and understanding of the benefits and value of conservation, and their support for it, including, but not limited to, the work of the Department. This will help build a national view of conservation as essential to New Zealand's future wellbeing, rather than simply 'nice to have'. As a result, the decisions and actions of New Zealanders, collectively and individually, will clearly reflect the significance of conservation to the nation's economic, social, cultural and environmental future.
The Department will work alongside others in the common cause of conservation. Synergies will be sought, information and expertise shared, and learning will be two way. Others will see the Department as an open and enabling organisation that works collaboratively in the best interests of conservation.
The overall result is enhanced protection of New Zealand's natural, historic and cultural heritage, so that people can enjoy and benefit from it.
As New Zealanders develop greater awareness of conservation, they will gain a deeper understanding of the fundamental benefits and value it provides to New Zealand as a whole, including its economy22. This will, in turn, enhance support for the ongoing protection of New Zealand's natural, historic and cultural heritage, allowing future generations to also enjoy those benefits and value.
Promoting awareness and understanding of, and support for, conservation contributes to the New Zealand Biodiversity Strategy.
The Department will focus on the following areas:
- Promoting the full value and benefits of conservation to all New Zealanders.
- Promoting the full value and benefits of conservation to the individuals and organisations with the greatest actual (or potential) contribution to, and/or influence on, conservation.
- Working with tangata whenua to achieve conservation gains.
- Working with targeted stakeholders to achieve conservation gains.
The outputs through which the Department works towards the achievement of this intermediate outcome are set out in Figure 1 in section 3.1.
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Measuring the extent to which the Department's actions are successful in creating the desired future state requires indicators that test changes in New Zealanders' attitudes to conservation, the ways they take conservation values into account in their decisions and actions, and the ways others see the Department as working alongside them in the interests of conservation.
During 2008-2009, the Department will confirm the indicators to be used in 2009 and beyond, set baselines and targets, and trial data collection methods.
In the meantime, the following indicators will be continued from the Statement of Intent 2007-2010.
Change in New Zealanders' understanding of important conservation issues
The impact of the Department's efforts to increase awareness of conservation is tracked through quantitative surveys that show trends from year to year in New Zealanders' understanding of important conservation issues.
This indicator was reported for the first time in the Annual Report for the year ended 30 June 2006, and is reported annually.
Change in the quality of the Department's engagement with key associates
Surveys of key associates provide feedback on the overall performance of the Department from the stakeholders' perspective. This indicator was reported for the first time in the Annual Report for the year ended 30 June 2006, and is reported annually.
Change in the satisfaction of tangata whenua with the Department's activities to assist them to maintain their cultural relationships with taonga
Surveys of tangata whenua provide feedback on the overall performance of the Department from the stakeholders' perspective. This indicator was reported for the first time in the Annual Report for the year ended 30 June 2006, and is reported annually.
22. See sections 2.1.1 and 2.2.3 for an outline of the economic, social, cultural and environmental benefits from conservation.
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