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New Community-Futures Masterclass Learn The 3 Insights For Success Now!
My Story Isn't About Me And My History,
But You and Your Future
ABOUT US
I Have Faith
In Local Democracy
I believe in communities' governance.
I believe in empowered decision-making.
I believe in local and regional strength.
I believe in collaborative partnerships for growth.
- 20 Years of Council Consulting: Brought to the framework
- Enabling Councillor Success: Getting the roles right
- Dynamic and Fun! Simplify the complex, easy to apply
Local passion and global journey
Following my father who was a Community Education Officer in South West Scotland, I became Ayr Youth Council Chairperson at 15, where I also attended the first British Youth Parliament in London in 1985.
At 18 I studied Politics and Management at Glasgow University because I really wanted a sustainable career in local community service.
In my early 20s I was trying to understand the system to figure out where and how I could fit in. Despite my early experiences, I wasn’t able to contribute to local wellbeing and empowerment, let alone make life better for communities who were suffering from big decisions being made elsewhere that had big consequences locally.
I felt terrible because I had a passion and desire for local service - and lots of theory - but no community service onramp. I felt like I could see the vision for community benefit without any means to achieve it.
I finally got a community service opportunity with the Iona Community where I also met my now wife, Susan, who was from New Zealand. We got engaged and I left for Wellington in 1996.
Journey to New Zealand and PhD
When I arrived in New Zealand I started as a Lay Ecumenical Chaplain at Victoria University of Wellington, where I began to explore local communities in Aotearoa, seeing connections to Tangata Whenua: The People of the Land.
I wanted to understand the similarities and differences between Scotland through The Iona Community, and the Maori journey in New Zealand through Te Wananga O Raukawa, comparing the effects of remote often centralised decison-making on local communities.
I documented this journey as a PhD called 'Indigenous Organising in Global Contexts'. This theory shows how local leaders enable communities to build better local outcomes in the face of fragmenting globalist practices.
Published in The Sage Handbook of New Approaches to Management and Organisations, the thesis shows how community empowerment led by local leaders can change outcomes in both a British and New Zealand context.
After my PhD I had served and studied two communities but still had a deep desire to continue to serve and support local democracy.
Serving councils locally, nationally and
internationally
My big breakthrough came when I was contracted to Wellington City Council's strategy, planning and performance teams.
I finally saw how local democracy works in practice. I could understand the role of both council governance and management. I learned from very experienced councillors and executive about the skills of engagement, as well as technical ways of building great governance oversight and reporting.
I learned that it wasn't just about my own passion for service, or big theory, but it was equally about understanding how to engage effectively. Building soft skills to engage and communicate, as well as understanding expectations of the different roles.
My next breakthrough came when I was asked to bring these insights to many councils across New Zealand and internationally by leading EquiP, the Centre of Excellence, by Local Government New Zealand. For 10 years I consulted across councils, including in Suva City Fiji, Japan, India and South Africa, as well as leading a national roading asset management programme, and delivering many council consulting projects across New Zealand.
I built one and three hour workshops, then one and two day strategic retreats for governance and management. I went round metro provincial and rural councils in New Zealand helping set up their Triennium for success using two day retreats.
Despite the success of these workshops, I realised that both governance and management needed a better mode of delivery. I had successfully set up a digital learning platform and was leading great retreats and workshops, but even these weren't meeting the tailored needs of local councils, nationally or internationally.
A new targeted approach
I ended up getting so frustrated that when EquiP ended I decided to develop a more targeted approach by taking everything I had learned and taught and distilling it into an easy to use framework that is specific to councils' needs. I could even make it right sized for metro, provincial and rural councils, and help councils beyond New Zealand again, too.
I also thought if I could create something that would make it possible to help governance and management to engage better and give them tools and education on each specific aspect of their role, they'd be better served.
After 8 months of developing the content, testing it on councils and clients and incorporating their feedback, I created the Community-Futures Framework. I can now sustainably serve local councils by providing specific tailored guidance, tools and learning to help local councils, communities and staff.
After creating the Community-Futures Framework, I was finally able to build a sustainable pathway for local council service for myself and those who are looking for real life guidance and support. I’ve also been able to provide follow up implementation guidance, just when its really needed.
I can now share these tools and insights that have been proven to work, while building a community to share insights and successes with each other.
And in the end, all of this means I’m now able to fulfil my passion to sustainably serve local democracy so that if you have a passion to serve your local community or council you can easily access the insights to unleash your own vision for your community's future.
Find out how you can invest in your community's future today
Tailored to metro, provincial and rural councils, the Community-Futures Programme helps you to access the insights and guidance to build local success for you, your council and your community
Governance Accelerator
Navigate complex community council and staff engagement
CEO Accelerator
Advise governance and lead staff reporting and delivery
SLT Accelerator
Support governance with evidence and your CEO with confident delivery
