Steering group roles and responsibilities
The Safer Whanganui Steering Group provides governance, leadership and champions the safe communities model of working. It provides direction and support to the Reference Groups, so that the community may achieve the overarching desired result of A Safe Whanganui for everyone in Whanganui District. A Safe Whanganui is where everyone feels safe to be in, and move around the community, all the time.
Oversight of the broader priority for A Safe Whanganui also requires the Steering Group to lead, support and monitor progress on actions and the achievement of desired results for the seven focus areas.
In summary the Steering Group will be responsible for:
The application for Safe Community accreditation
Wanganui District Council will contract a three month position for 20 hours per week to oversee and complete the accreditation application which is due to the New Zealand Safe Communities Foundation in July 2010.
Establishing the Safer Whanganui Co-ordinator
The Wanganui District Council will be the employer for this role. The Co-ordinator will be responsible for both implementing the work of this Safer Whanganui Safety Plan and for providing the required leadership to further embed the outcome and evidence-based way of working, known as Results Based Accountability (RBA).
Supporting Maintenance of Result Cards and the Safer Whanganui project
The Steering Group will proactively support the Reference Groups in maintaining their respective Result Cards including acquiring, developing or interpreting the relevant data and information within them. This responsibility ensures that the accreditation with the ISC remains current and reflects the iterative nature of RBA where, for example, the action plans within the Result Cards will require updating over time. At a broader level the Steering Group will also be responsible for maintaining the efficacy of the entire Safer Whanganui project which will inevitably evolve over time as, for example, new partners join in.
Implementing the Annual Work Plan and developing a Communications Plan
The Steering Group is working to an Annual Work Plan which includes a regular meeting cycle, use of the RBA meeting agenda and an agreed reporting format for Reference Groups. The Steering Group will develop a Communications Plan to promote Safer Whanganui through local and national media and events, to ensure the wider community is aware of the project and invited to become involved.
Monitoring progress towards the overarching project result
The Steering Group will support and monitor progress towards the overarching desired result - a Safe Whanganui - through the work of its Reference Groups. It will include in its monitoring role assessment of the extent that local funding planning and allocations align with the Safety Plan, over time.
The Steering Group is committed to using the RBA tool in Whanganui. The group will regularly communicate with the Reference Groups to ensure that they understand the contribution they are making to Safer Whanganui and to support them to evaluate the effectiveness of their work by identifying and monitoring performance measures.
Education focus area
The Safer Whanganui Steering Group is also responsible for the Education focus area and corresponding Result Card. It has taken on this responsibility rather than a specific Reference Group as this focus area was seen by the Steering Group as cutting across all the other focus areas thus requiring more oversight.
