Eke Taumata work being undertaken by the People Branch

6

All new Chief Fire Officer appointments should be for a term of five years, with rights of renewal.  Renewal should be subject to a review that considers past performance including role modelling the desired culture, leadership and people management.

Project planning underway – tentative implementation July 2024.

7

The Volunteer Executive Officer course should be revised to significantly increase its focus on behaviour management and people leadership and FENZ should roll out the course to cover all Chief Fire Officers.

Programme review underway– tentative implementation October 2024

9

There should be one stand-alone Standards of Conduct that applies to all FENZ personnel (the Code).  The Code should set out clear standards of expected behaviour and conduct.

Stocktake and benchmarking work underway – tentative implementation August 2024

10

There should be a “zero-tolerance” policy in relation to bullying and harassment at FENZ, incorporating the following elements:

• Investigation of all formal complaints of bullying or harassment
• Dismissal of personnel found by an investigation to have committed bullying or harassment
• Referral of allegations of criminal offending to New Zealand Police.

Stocktake and benchmarking work underway – tentative implementation May 2024

11

Where a volunteer is found to have committed bullying or harassment or any other form of serious misconduct, FENZ should not only remove their status as a person authorised to respond to emergencies on behalf of the agency, but also work to ensure that they can no longer be a member of any volunteer fire brigade

12

There should be consistent and uniform criminal conviction vetting for all FENZ personnel.

Stocktake and benchmarking work underway – tentative implementation May 2024

13

FENZ's updated policy on standing down personnel who are charged with criminal offending should be finalised and drawn to the attention of all leaders.

Stocktake and benchmarking work underway – tentative implementation May 2024.

17

The FENZ workforce needs to reflect the make-up and diversity of the general population of New Zealand within the next 10 years.  To achieve this FENZ should put in place a comprehensive plan within the next 12 months for improving the diversity of its workforce. That plan will include:

• Setting specific targets for recruitment, in particular targets to address the underrepresentation of women at all levels of the organisation with the goal to make material progress within 3 years.
• Implementing a policy of diverse representation on selection panels for recruitment and promotion, this could be implemented immediately.
• Identifying requirements that are acting as barriers to retention and progression of women and implementing a programme to remove these.
• Identifying requirements that are acting as barriers to retention and progression of minority and diverse populations (including Asian, Pasifika and rainbow) and implementing a programme of work to remove these.
• Implementing the Respect and Inclusion workshops across the country.

Underway as part of Kia Toipoto – tentative implementation from April 2024

18

The selection and promotion criteria for all leaders in both career and volunteer roles within FENZ should explicitly include people management and team leadership experience and capability.

Initial scoping work underway alongside recommendation 6 – tentative implementation June 2024.

19

As a priority FENZ should ensure that people leaders and managers receive comprehensive training on how to deal with inappropriate behaviours, facilitating difficult conversations, and leading effective teams. This training should:

• Be delivered face-to-face wherever possible.
• Be supported by a readily available package of online resources that can be used to refresh memories as difficult situations arise.
• Set clear expectations around implementing the outcomes of complaint investigations.
•  Be a requirement for personnel with significant people management responsibilities as part of their Personal Development Plans, with credit for completion.

Initial scoping work underway – tentative implementation October 2024.