Wednesday, September 1, 2010

CCOs Able To Run Themselves

In all of the criticism of Auckland's current local government regime there was a popular line that Auckland already had a heap of CCOs (I think 45 was the number mentioned), and that was (a) a good reason to have CCOs, and (b) a good reason to have fewer CCOs.

This week we learned who Central Government has appointed to those fewer, but bigger CCOs. As I went through the names a recurring thought came to me. It was that many of the names are the very people who should have stood for election to Auckland Council. They have the skills, experience and political nous - many of them - to make a contribution on Council - but they had neither the inclination, nor the time, to seek a popular mandate.

That thought also made me look at the people I know who are on CCOs now (like ARTA - the Auckland Regional Transport Authority, the Waitakere CCO that has over seen New Lynn, and Manukau's land development CCO). These appointees are experts in their fields. They are there to implement the policies of their respective governing councils. They are the last people to think of standing for council. It's not their strength. They work to a a strategic policy set by elected councillors, working with officers. These policies come through Statements of Intent and the like, but the key point I make here, is that these CCO director skills are often drawn from business life and they are on CCOs to implement council policies in an efficient and workmanlike way.

They are not there to set or determine Council policy. That is not their experience, nor their expertise, though Board Members may learn some of those skills with time. They were not appointed, nor needed, for their policy development or policy governance skills. They were appointed because of their skills at implementation, and acting cost-effectively.

In contrast, what I see in common among many of the great and the good appointments to Auckland's big and new CCOs is a lot of governance experience, a lot of political experience, and quite a lot of political reward. What I don't see is the kind of experience that was common among Auckland's previous CCO's - implementation skills and relevant on-the-ground experience.

By way of example. Sea + City is generally seen as a success. Certainly my experience of it has been of a learning organisation that has responded to pressures and public will responsibly and with integrity. The S + C Board is well populated with relevant implementation skills and experience - urban planning, design, waterfront industry - and suchlike. But those skills and that experience has been passed over for the new Waterfront Development Agency CCO. Oh dear yes. This Board is a terminated board. The new WDA apppointees have fallen over themselves to get appointed. The S+C experience and workmanlike approach has not met the cut for selection. Everybody loves the waterfront. Such fun. Man oh man.

And because these CCOs are going to be chaired by, and populated by many who have their own governance and political opinions about how things should be done - rather than being appointed for relevant technical expertise - the question has to be asked: do these CCOs need a Council at all?

Surely. With such appointees they can run themselves. They certainly have the individuals appointed there who would like to run them themselves. Without interference.

The danger is that the nature of these CCO beasts is that they are set up for a fight with Council. The reasonable expectation of these CCOs is that their directors have been appointed because they know best. And that they are there to protect the future of Auckland from the risk of Council decisions that go against the grain of "we who know best". The tragedy of democracy.

The people vote for who they want on Council at this local election, but those councillors will have little control over those who will really run Auckland, and who have been appointed to do just that, by Rodney Hide and Central Government.

No comments:

Wednesday, September 1, 2010

CCOs Able To Run Themselves

In all of the criticism of Auckland's current local government regime there was a popular line that Auckland already had a heap of CCOs (I think 45 was the number mentioned), and that was (a) a good reason to have CCOs, and (b) a good reason to have fewer CCOs.

This week we learned who Central Government has appointed to those fewer, but bigger CCOs. As I went through the names a recurring thought came to me. It was that many of the names are the very people who should have stood for election to Auckland Council. They have the skills, experience and political nous - many of them - to make a contribution on Council - but they had neither the inclination, nor the time, to seek a popular mandate.

That thought also made me look at the people I know who are on CCOs now (like ARTA - the Auckland Regional Transport Authority, the Waitakere CCO that has over seen New Lynn, and Manukau's land development CCO). These appointees are experts in their fields. They are there to implement the policies of their respective governing councils. They are the last people to think of standing for council. It's not their strength. They work to a a strategic policy set by elected councillors, working with officers. These policies come through Statements of Intent and the like, but the key point I make here, is that these CCO director skills are often drawn from business life and they are on CCOs to implement council policies in an efficient and workmanlike way.

They are not there to set or determine Council policy. That is not their experience, nor their expertise, though Board Members may learn some of those skills with time. They were not appointed, nor needed, for their policy development or policy governance skills. They were appointed because of their skills at implementation, and acting cost-effectively.

In contrast, what I see in common among many of the great and the good appointments to Auckland's big and new CCOs is a lot of governance experience, a lot of political experience, and quite a lot of political reward. What I don't see is the kind of experience that was common among Auckland's previous CCO's - implementation skills and relevant on-the-ground experience.

By way of example. Sea + City is generally seen as a success. Certainly my experience of it has been of a learning organisation that has responded to pressures and public will responsibly and with integrity. The S + C Board is well populated with relevant implementation skills and experience - urban planning, design, waterfront industry - and suchlike. But those skills and that experience has been passed over for the new Waterfront Development Agency CCO. Oh dear yes. This Board is a terminated board. The new WDA apppointees have fallen over themselves to get appointed. The S+C experience and workmanlike approach has not met the cut for selection. Everybody loves the waterfront. Such fun. Man oh man.

And because these CCOs are going to be chaired by, and populated by many who have their own governance and political opinions about how things should be done - rather than being appointed for relevant technical expertise - the question has to be asked: do these CCOs need a Council at all?

Surely. With such appointees they can run themselves. They certainly have the individuals appointed there who would like to run them themselves. Without interference.

The danger is that the nature of these CCO beasts is that they are set up for a fight with Council. The reasonable expectation of these CCOs is that their directors have been appointed because they know best. And that they are there to protect the future of Auckland from the risk of Council decisions that go against the grain of "we who know best". The tragedy of democracy.

The people vote for who they want on Council at this local election, but those councillors will have little control over those who will really run Auckland, and who have been appointed to do just that, by Rodney Hide and Central Government.

No comments: