Innovative Partnership Receives Award

Mediacom-Release-Opus

Innovative Partnership Receives First Rotary Business Ethics
Award

The Rotary Club of Wellington's inaugural Business Ethics Award
was recently presented to Opus International Consultants (Opus) in
recognition of the organisation's innovative and effective
involvement with eight schools in Porirua East since May 1999.

The Opus-ICAN partnership sees Opus providing professional
advice to the `cluster' schools in areas such as property
management, maintenance planning, tendering and procurement advice.
A property hotline has been established providing schools with
unbiased advice from Opus' specialist property consultants. Opus
staff are also involved at a personal level, with a number of staff
regularly attending in their own time the cluster's homework centre
to act as mentors and positive role models.

The inaugural Award was a Rotary Club of Wellington initiative,
in collaboration with New Zealand Businesses for Social
Responsibility and the New Zealand Centre for Business Ethics. Tony
Hassad, Chairman of the Club's Vocational Service Committee, says
the Award was introduced to encourage and foster high ethical
standards in businesses and the professions. It is intended to
extend the award nationwide in the future through the network of
Rotary Clubs.

In making the Award, Mr Hassad said that the Opus project stood
out for its integrity, social vision and alignment with the
competition criteria. "The project demonstrated a clear purpose, the
principles of partnership were well thought through, there is
substantial action, and there has been effective performance
measurement of the outcomes."

In accepting the Award, Tim Priddy, Opus' General Manager
Marketing, said that Opus was very pleased to have received the
Award against such strong competition. "I feel very pleased that the
Rotary Club of Wellington has recognised our involvement in the ICAN
initiative with this Award. However, for us the most important
reward is knowing that we have made a positive difference in the
Porirua Community.

Ashley Blair, Principal of Cannons Creek School and Chairman of
the ICAN cluster is delighted that Opus' work with ICAN has been
recognised in this way. "Opus' involvement has delivered real and
significant operational and educational benefits. This has helped
generate a new enthusiasm, excitement and optimism within the
cluster - among staff and pupils. Earlier in the year, Opus
draughting staff and architects worked with pupils from the eight
schools to develop their ideas for an ICAN logo. The next day over
half of a class involved in the session said they wanted to be an
architect," he says.

Opus was formerly the design arm of the Ministry of Works and
Development which was corporatised in 1989 and purchased in 1996 by
Kinta Kellas, part of the Renong Group from Malaysia. The company
remains focussed on the New Zealand market and has a staff of more
than 1200 operating from 33 offices around the country. Permanent
international offices are located in Australia, Malaysia and
England.

The other finalists, Wellington firms Tall Poppies Consulting and
SYSDOC Group, were also congratulated for their commitment to
ethical business practice.

1.The eight ICAN schools are Brandon Intermediate, Cannons Creek
School, Glenview School, Mareroa School, Natone Park School, Russell
School, Porirua College and Porirua East School.
2.ICAN stands for Improving Co-operative Achievement Networks
Opus International Consultants -

ENDS

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