The Department of Internal Affairs

Te Tari Taiwhenua | Department of Internal Affairs

Building a safe, prosperous and respected nation



 

Resource material › Our Policy Advice Areas › Community Development Policy

Community and Voluntary Sector

The Department provides cross-sector policy development and advice to the Minister for the Community and Voluntary Sector and to government on the community and voluntary sector at the national policy level.

Areas that the Department works on include:

Digital literacy and youth research

Digital technology is reshaping how New Zealanders communicate, work and interact. Earlier this year, the Minister for the Community and Voluntary Sector wanted to better understand how community organisations use and develop digital literacy. The Department commissioned Allen & Clarke to undertake exploratory research focused on the youth experience of digital literacy.

The research looked at how community organisations contribute to the development of young people’s digital literacy, and how digital literacy supports young people to gain confidence and improve their work opportunities. The research found that digital literacy initiatives use a range of tailored approaches to engage youth, that community programmes have positive effects beyond digital skills (such as building increased confidence overall), and that initiatives often rely on a few volunteers to deliver services. The full research report can be found in the link below. Digital Literacy and Young People - Key findings and implications, 31 July 2018 - Allen and Clarke - click on image for PDF (849KB)

Social Enterprise

Delivery Phase of the Social Enterprise Sector Development Programme – 2018

On 23 April 2018, the Department of Internal Affairs entered into a contract with the Ākina Foundation for the delivery of the Social Enterprise Sector Development Programme over the next three years.

Research into the contribution of the social enterprise sector to the New Zealand economy

May 2019: Business and Economic Research Limited (BERL) has completed the final phase of the 3-phase social enterprise study. The study ran in parallel to the ongoing Social Enterprise Sector Development Programme (the Programme) being delivered in partnership with the Ākina Foundation. See below for an infographic of the key results from the study and a link to the full report.

The study provides a baseline estimate of the number of social enterprises in New Zealand to assess the future impact of the Programme, and an estimate of the social enterprises’ economic and social/environmental contributions.

It analysed data through StatsNZ’s Integrated Data Infrastructure (IDI) from government databases, such as the Inland Revenue Department’s tax data, the Annual Enterprise Survey, and the Longitudinal Business Database (LBD).

The study highlights that:
  • some social enterprises may not self-identify, this could be due to a lack of awareness;
  • some business models (such as trusts and charities) share characteristics with social enterprises, making it difficult to distinguish between them;
  • official databases do not currently record whether businesses have a social or environmental mission, or the size of the impact a business has on social or environmental outcomes.
BERL estimates that the official government databases only capture information for about 50% of social enterprises. Developing consistent industry classifications across the databases will assist in identification of social enterprises

The study demonstrates the need for the measurement to be standardised across the social enterprise sector to gather more precise data to further inform the state and impact of the sector in New Zealand. As well as this focus, the Programme will work to inform existing Government surveys, and define “social enterprise” and “community enterprise”.

Infographic – Results of the BERL study: Making Sense of the Numbers (.pdf) 87kb

Infographic – Results of the BERL study: Making Sense of the Numbers, click on image for PDF (87KB)

Read the full report:

 June 2018: The Department of Internal Affairs contracted with Business and Economic Research Limited (BERL) to conduct research into the contribution of the social enterprise sector to the New Zealand economy. This three-phase study is running parallel to the Social Enterprise Sector Development Programme (above).

The aim of the study is to provide a baseline population to assess the future impact of the Programme.

Phases 1 and 2 have been completed. These phases identified key characteristics of social enterprises and tested the methodology to be used in the phase 3 of the study. The final results of the study will be released towards the end of 2018.

Procurement of a Strategic Partner for Social Enterprise Market Development

On 22 November 2017 the Department of Internal Affairs has partnered with Ākina Foundation to develop a programme focused on expanding the country’s social enterprise market.

Social Enterprise Cross Parliament Summit (July 2017)

Government response to Social Enterprise and Social Finance (December 2016)

Social Enterprise and Social Finance - A Path to Growth - 2016


Social Enterprise and Social Finance: A Path to Growth (PDF, 2.2MB)
A Report to the Minister for the Community and Voluntary Sector
This report has been written by a nine member Strategic Group, convened by the Department of Internal Affairs. The report was released by the Minister for the Community and Voluntary Sector at a Parliament event on 11 October 2016. The report proposes a range of actions to grow social enterprise and social finance in New Zealand.

Champions of Change: Doing Business Differently (PDF, 980KB)
Ten social enterprise case studies
This is a collection of ten social enterprise case studies, developed as a companion document to Social Enterprise and Social Finance: A Path to Growth, authored by the Strategic Group on Social Enterprise and Social Finance, convened by the Department of Internal Affairs.

Social Enterprise and Social Finance: A Path to Growth
View or download the A3 one-page summary (PDF, 337KB)
This is a summary of the report Social Enterprise and Social Finance: A Path to Growth.

Growing Social Enterprise: Progress and Next Steps (May 2015)

Government position statement supporting social enterprise (February 2014)

This Government position statement acknowledges the value of the growing social enterprise sector and supports collaborative action to ensure social enterprises meet their full potential.

Legal Structures for Social Enterprise (June 2013)

Non-profit sector research

The Study of the New Zealand Non-Profit Sector 2004-2008. This project measured and described the role that non-profit organisations play in society and the economy

Guidance on engaging with community organisations

Seminar introducing the Code of Funding Practice, December 2010

Volunteering and giving

General information

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