about the community resource kit
background
Community and voluntary organisations need good quality support and information so they can focus their effort on delivering services and contributing to their communities.
In response to information and resource gaps identified by representatives from community and government agencies, the Department of Internal Affairs and Ministry of Social Development have jointly updated the existing Community Development Resource Kit and produced this new kit - the Community Resource Kit.
Input was received from the community and voluntary sector, local government and various subject matter experts in the development of the kit (see "Acknowledgements"). Various sources of information were also used and these are acknowledged in each section.
what this kit is not
The Community Resource Kit is not about community development nor is it intended to be the primary resource on setting up and running a small community and voluntary organisation. It seeks to address the gap in information that existed and brings together a broad range of information into one comprehensive kit.
what's special about this kit?
This kit has been designed to:
- update and add to the information in the Community Development Resource Kit
- complement other resources such as Managing Well, Keeping it Legal E Ai Ki Te Ture and information available on CommunityNet Aotearoa
- be easily accessible
- be easy to read and find your way around
- have separate sections for easy photocopying and distribution.
who is this kit for?
The updated kit seeks to ensure current information on setting up and running groups is freely available to anyone who needs it, including:
- staff, board members and trustees of small community and voluntary organisations, especially those just setting up or going through some kind of change such as re-establishing systems or employing staff for the first time
- advisors, community workers, resource people and others supporting these groups such as community law centres, volunteer centres, national umbrella groups.
news and updates:
To get news of updates to the Kit, send an email to:
kitupdates-request@lists.community.net.nz with subscribe as the subject line.
Updated content will be published on www.community.net.nz/how-toguides/crk/.
what's the layout of the kit?
The kit is divided into 12 separate sections that have been written to stand alone or to be read as a complete unit. The dividers in the printed copies clearly show where the sections start and finish and every page is individually and clearly named so that you can return them to the right place if you remove them for photocopying.
Each section follows the same general format:
- table of contents
- detailed section information
- where to go for more information
- definitions of words (if needed).
In addition to samples, tables, flowcharts, diagrams and boxed lists, two commonly occurring images are:
- Tips or important "take home" messages. These look like this:
- Checklists of various things to think about and tick off. These look like this:
Checklist
-
Checklist item
-
Checklist item
- Boxed instruction sequences. These give short instruction sequences for doing a sub-task.
To do a xxxxx:
1. Instruction one.
2. Instruction two.
Figure 1: Template
for further information
As well as printed copies, the Community Resource Kit will be available on CD and online at www.community.net.nz. Any future updates to the kit and details of where to obtain further copies of it will also be posted on this website.
acknowledgements
A number of people, to whom we owe our sincere thanks, contributed to the development of the Community Resource Kit as writers or reviewers, including:
Bryan Wilshire (Lifeline Auckland), Debbie Bax (Community Accounts Mentoring Service), Georgina Johnson (Tokomaru Bay Community Group), Helen Price (Auckland City Council), Kate Drury (contract editor), Kirri Lynn (Ministry of Economic Development), Lindsay Jeffs (Christchurch Small Business Enterprise Centre), Mary-Jane Rivers (Unitec), Natasha McDougall (Funding Information Service), Robert Brewis (Social Services Waikato), Rosie King (Sport and Recreation New Zealand), Sarah O’Flaherty (Nelson Community Support Service), Tina Reid (New Zealand Federation of Voluntary Welfare Organisations), Deborah Walker, Angela Van Dam, Carol Cunningham and Richard Niven of the Charities Commission and Kathryn Rawlins of the Inland Revenue Department.
Department of Internal Affairs staff: Belinda Vial, Bill Dashfield, Caroline Robertson, Chriss Hamilton, Garry Lay and Kate Bradlow.
Ministry of Social Development staff: Kathryn Paton, Lynn Malcolm, Michelle Tayler, Ngaire Burley, Paul Prestidge and Stephen Blyth.
disclaimer
The Department of Internal Affairs and Ministry of Social Development (the publishers) have used their best endeavours to ensure that the information in this kit is correct and current at the time of publication. However, the publishers take no responsibility for any error, omission or defect which may have occurred during its production. The listing of a resource or organisation within this kit does not imply or express any endorsement of a business or service by the publishers. Readers are reminded that the contents of this kit do not constitute legal advice and therefore should not be relied on for that purpose.