MCGUINNESS INSTITUTE MEDIA RELEASE – 5 FEBRUARY 2015

Work Programme 2015

The McGuinness Institute releases its 2015 work programme.

The McGuinness Institute’s 2015 work programme contains its planned projects, publications and events for the year. Chief Executive Wendy McGuinness has written a letter (dated 5 February) to all members of parliament outlining highlights of the Institute’s work in 2014 and sharing the Institute’s work programme for 2015 (illustrated below).

McGuinness explains that the programme is based on eight observations made at the end of 2014:

1. New Zealand is at risk of developing into two countries – the regions and the cities.

2. As the population gravitates to the cities, the poor risk being pushed to the outskirts.

3. The idea that ‘character’ should be taught in schools.

4. Civics education must be addressed.

5. Ocean policy, by necessity, must be revisited and integrated.

6. Ebola was the wild card for 2014.

7. The cyber-attack on Sony was the weak signal for 2014.

8. The world is more integrated and connected than ever before.

On 25 February the Institute will host a discussion on what makes a government department strategy a good strategy. Here we rank 136 existing government department strategies against a scorecard that we have developed with other interested parties. This forms part of our ongoing StrategyNZ project. The subsequent report will be released in June.

On 26 March the Institute will launch the One Ocean report. This has been a major piece of work that investigates the role of the oceans in New Zealand’s culture, economy and natural environment and explores possible solutions to the challenges currently facing the management of human activities in our marine space.

The World Futures Conference in San Francisco is to be held in July, with three Institute staff members attending. The conference is organised by the World Future Society and will look at how futurists not only predict the future but help to shape it too.

We will continue our work on talent with the TalentNZ: Grow talent edition journal being published in November. The TalentNZ project aims to create an informed, focused and networked group of young New Zealanders able to engage effectively with government and the communities in which they live.

The book Nation Voices: 40 premiers and prime ministers speak to New Zealand will be published at the end of the year. This book follows on from our earlier book Nation Dates: Significant events that have shaped the nation of New Zealand (2012).

Learn more about the 2015 work programme in the letter we have sent to the Prime Minister (attached).

Invitations to a discussion on the ranking of current government department strategies and the launch of the One Ocean report are also attached.

[ENDS]

About the McGuinness Institute: The McGuinness Institute is a non-partisan think tank working towards a sustainable future, contributing strategic foresight through evidence-based research and policy analysis. We endeavour to undertake research that is independent, innovative and relevant in an educational, professional and ethical manner.

Links of interest: McGuinness Institute 2015 work programme: http://www.mcguinnessinstitute.org/Site/About/2015_Work_Programme.aspx

McGuinness Institute letters: http://www.mcguinnessinstitute.org/Site/Publications/Letters.aspx

TalentNZ website http://talentnz.org/

StrategyNZ project page http://www.mcguinnessinstitute.org/Site/Projects/NSDS_national_strategy/NSDS_national_strategy.aspx

McGuinness Institute blog http://mcguinnessinstituteblog.org/

World Future Society website http://www.wfs.org/

Full release with timeline: McGuinness_Institute_Media_Release_5_February_2015.pdf
Letter to PM: McGuinness_Institute_copy_of_letter_to_Prime_Minister_5_February.pdf

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