Connexional Office Team Gather to Plan, Perform and Share
Jointly facilitated by Peter van Hout, MCNZ Financial Services Manager, with the assistance of Hamish Ott, an external organisational facilitator, the day had been months in the planning phase. This was evident in slickly rehearsed presentations as staff showcased their job responsibilities in a series of creative skits.
Shared Mahi
Following a karakia and an outline of the day’s objectives, teams presented an overview of the scope of their roles, including the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and risks inherent in their work. Fund administrators Lyn Waring, Debbie Sykes, Rae Maxted and Stacey Milne kicked off a lively presentation with a range of colourful hats stacked on their heads, representative of the variety of tasks, funds and interactions they manage in a typical day.
Accountants Peter van Hout, Jane Pinney, Elaine Knegt, Sarah Andrews, Bruce Johnson and Catherine Petaia provided an overview of their extensive task list. Their work encompasses tax matters, payroll, finance, government and compliance issues, climate initiatives, audit obligations, information technology and ongoing training, support and networking with numerous people involved - directly and indirectly - in the 50-plus entities they serve.
Property, insurance and health and safety representatives Wendy Anderson, Geogia Stent and Trudy Downes brought humour to their presentation with masks on paddles supporting a comedic script that incorporated the best - and the worst - of their day-to-day work. Maintaining the safety and wellbeing of the people engaged by and the properties owned by MCNZ, and mitigating risk is challenging. Supporting a client base that includes more than 200 entities - Connexional personnel and external consultants and providers – and managing a portfolio that includes 840 +/-properties demands specialised skills, diplomacy, patience and persistence.
Steven Walker, Executive Officer of the Methodist Trust Association and analyst Hugo McLennan, provided an insight into the risks, responsibilities and acumen required to manage church funds. Beyond the volatility of the investment market, and the diversity and demands of investors, evaluating investment options to ensure they meet church socially responsible investment policies, is a constant challenge in a global marketplace where reporting standards and practices vary enormously.
The administration team passed around a packet of chocolate cookies to demonstrate a key component of their mahi; hospitality. In addition to ensuring the Connexional Office provides a welcoming environment for staff and visitors, Lucille Havenga and Melissa Norris meet and greet guests, respond to queries, organise Conference, oversee office administration, support the work of the General Secretary, manage the website and communications, arrange travel and undertake numerous “other duties as required” during a typical work day.
A pre-recorded audiovisual presentation from Jennie Hood – currently based in the Cook Islands doing a volunteer project for the University of South Pacific retrieving, collating and restoring research papers – gave an overview of the scale and diversity of work done by her and Katherine Doig.
The two highly qualified practitioners manage key partnerships with Te Taha Māori, Wesley Historical Society, Kinder Library, pest control services, Connexional personnel, historians and more. In their part time capacity, manage these relationships in conjunction with sorting and cataloging a backlog of archives, and dealing with internal and external enquiries.
Taonga in the Workforce
It was evident from the presentations that the Connexional Office staff have great capability and capacity for the work they do. Their combined expertise, coupled with a collegial approach to their respective activities enables the team of 18 highly motivated professionals to successfully manage a broad scope of work, in a culturally aware and inclusive way. Tara acknowledged, “The capacity to operate in a bicultural way is huge.”
As the day unfolded, break-out groups discussed key themes for strategic and operational planning and identified Connexional Office values aligned with MCNZ guiding principles. The concepts of aroha, maanakitanga and kaitiakitanga were key to the discussions and deeply embedded in many examples of priorities and practices shared and undertaken by the Connexional Office team.
A little more work is required to finalise a draft document that will be tabled for the Board of Administration to consider at its next meeting. Given the many reviews underway at present, it is timely for the Board of Administration to review key strategies, actions, goals and performance measures. It is important that the mission and objectives of the Board reflect current and changing situations. Rather than taking a ‘business as usual ‘ approach, the process, composition and function of the Board of Administration must reflect its leadership and governance role.
In her closing karakia, Tara Tautari gave thanks for the aroha, gifts and graces shared during the day and for the wisdom and ideas that resided in the room.