Council wins Performance Excellence Study Award
Council wins Performance Excellence Study
Award Christchurch City Council has won a prestigious 2006
Performance Excellence Study Award in the local government
sector. The awards, sponsored by the Ministry for the
Environment, the Department of Internal Affairs, Business
Excellence New Zealand and Local Government New Zealand,
recognise business achievement and performance against the
international criteria developed by Malcolm Baldrige.
Christchurch City Council participated in the awards to gain
an external assessment of how well the organisation is
managed. Business Excellence New Zealand spokesman Errol
Slyfied says the Christchurch City Council can be
justifiably proud of its achievement over the past three
years. "It is unusual for an organisation to receive an
award in its first year of entering the awards. However the
Council has earned the accolade. It is a highly competent,
mature organisation with many strengths, including
sophisticated leadership and a clear focus on customer
interests,'' he says "The development of organisation-wide
competencies, including advanced analysis, integration and
learning and alignment, indicates organisational ability
which is sought by higher performing organisations
internationally." Christchurch City Council is the only
Council to win an award in the PESA local government sector
this year. The Council was assessed along with other
leading public and private sector organisations.
"The
results reflect extremely well on both the skilled managers
and their staff at the Council. It is an organisation in
great heart, totally committed to best business practice,"
he says Council Chief Executive Lesley McTurk says that
over the last three years a structured sequence of change
had been introduced at Council while the delivery of its
services has been maintained. These new business frameworks
and practices have improved the delivery of services and
this award reflects the quality of changes
undertaken. "This is the first step in our goal to achieve
world class status by 2008 and the external measurement of
our performance is an early confirmation that we are on the
right track," she says. Christchurch Mayor Garry Moore
said that three years ago the Council recognised the need to
change the staff organisation so that it was better
positioned to meet the community's expectations. "We
appointed a Chief Executive capable of leading the changes
required. The Performance Excellence Study Award further
demonstrates that this city is being managed by an extremely
competent staff organisation. "The award is an excellent
result at all levels of the organisation. We are extremely
proud of this achievement," Mr Moore says. ENDS
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