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Louise, Senior Policy Adviser

LOUISE, SENIOR POLICY ADVISER

Working for and with the community

Passionate about social policy, Louise took a leap of faith and hasn't looked back. She is helping communities become sustainable, grow and flourish.

Watch Louise's video about life in New Plymouth and work at the Council on YouTube. 

How many local government organisations have you worked for?

Lots! Since graduating from university 14 years ago I’ve only worked for local and central government organisations. New Plymouth District Council is the only organisation I’ve worked for in New Zealand, I moved here from the UK in 2003.

Describe your job.

I was recruited to support the implementation of the changes required by the Local Government Act 2002. This act provides the general framework and powers under which local authorities operate and was a fundamental change from the existing legislation (Local Government Act 1974). In the UK I had recently worked on implementing their 1999 Local Government Act.

The purpose of the Act is to enable effective democratic decision-making and to promote the social, economic, environmental, and cultural well-being of communities, now and in the future. So one of my first jobs was to work with the community and come up with our guiding “Community Outcomes” which form the basis for our Community Plans – basically everything we do.

• Community Outcomes

Now, I work with community groups, individuals and strategic partners to develop policies that encourage community development. This includes anything from healthy housing through to addressing community safety concerns. Because of the collaborative approach working with multi-disciplinary groups, my role is to manage and facilitate the process.

This is generally an anonymous role – not for someone who likes the limelight! I basically develop a piece of work and then give it to someone else to implement.

What’s your background?

I grew up in a very socially active household. My parents were trade union representatives, they ran youth clubs and were always very community minded and politically active. Because of my social conscience I’m driven by a desire to do work that improves the quality of life for people. I chose to work in the public sector because I truly believe there is value in working for and with the community.

Coming to New Plymouth was a leap of faith. I saw an ad in the paper and thought “I can do that” so I applied. I believe in fate and that everything has a reason – while it might not make sense at the time! I got offered a job at the Council, I was interested to see how local government operates in a different country so we decided to take the opportunity.

Social policy is something I’ve always been passionate about. I’m also interested in environmental issues and sustainability. It’s about people looking after each other and where we live. I would struggle working in an environment where money was the driver.

I like knowing that I helped make something happen, some positive change. Working for local government, you can actually deliver real changes to communities. Return to top

What skills and qualifications do you need?

I have a BA Hons, Politics with Sociology from the University of Wolberhampton and an MA in Environmental Policy from the Open University. I also have a number of other certificates and post graduate diplomas including a Diploma in Environment Health and I’m currently studying towards a Post Graduate Certificate in Community Action Planning (which could lead to a Masters in Health Sciences).

While there’s not a specific degree required for my role I think that you do need to have studied something with a policy focus. This could be politics, planning, environmental studies, health sciences, research. You need to be able to understand how people and the environment interact, have research and evaluation skills, project planning, writing, and process management skills.

For me, the most critical success with everything I do is about being able to manage relations at all different levels. Being able to empathise with the project and connect with the people involved but at the same time not letting it over take your life!

What opportunity is there for progression in your role?

The next logical step would be to manage a policy team. However, in this role you gain such a broad depth of knowledge, you become a ‘Jack of all trades’. This means that I could take these skills and move into a service delivery role.

What do you like most about your job?

I have a young family and the Council has given me the opportunity to work flexible hours part-time. I spend half of my time in the office and the other half working from home. It means I can work in the evenings after the kids have gone to bed so that I can spend quality time with them during the day.

This working arrangement works because my current manager has faith and trust in me to deliver a quality product that I said I would and I really value that trust and respect. There is also a genuine interest and support for my professional development here.

I also enjoy the relationships and partnerships that I’ve created in the community and the interaction I have with such a wide variety of people on a daily basis. I’ve met some really interesting people from all walks of life that I probably never would have had the opportunity to if it wasn’t for this job. I love the fact that I can work with them and help them realise their visions for their community.

In this job I really do help communities become sustainable, grow and flourish. And I love that.

Having moved to New Plymouth I’ve realised that councils are good organisations all over the world. NPDC offers some great staff programmes (e.g. healthy staff, ongoing study etc) as well as recognising the importance of family. It means I can have my cake and eat it too!
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