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MfE update on the RMA Practitioner Shortage

Workshops on shortage

  • Research paper
  • Confirmed national shortage of RMA professionals across NZ, both in city and provincial locations.
  • Focus on understanding the causes and sharing ideas for short and longer term solutions.

Workshop participants

  • Local Government
  • Central Government
  • Planning Consultancies
  • Tertiary Education
  • Recruitment Consultancies
  • NZPI, RMLA, NZIS
  • LGNZ, SOLGM

Impact of the shortage on practice

  • Appropriate, timely and responsive outcomes.
  • Flow-on effect on business capability.
  • Delays cause frustration of public which increases negativity of RMA work.
  • Lack of capacity for new laws / regulations.
  • Profile impacted.
  • Stress for staff and additional work managing workflow backlogs.

Why is there a problem?

3 key factors:

  1. Not enough qualified people entering or attracted to the RMA professions
  2. People leaving the professions
  3. Increased workload for practitioners - more RMA practitioner positions

Long term problem reflected in UK, Australia and potentially other countries

Moving forward

  • 3 key areas of focus
    • Recruitment and retention
    • Reducing demand
    • Training and education
  • Strategy has been developed and circulated to participants

Recruitment and retention initiatives underway

  • NZPI and LGNZ liaising with DOL to get planners onto the Occupational Shortage List.
  • MfE have been liaising with SOLGM about updating all council CEOs about the shortage.
  • MfE sharing information about retention/good employer initiatives via QP, Planning Quarterly, etc.

Education and training initiatives underway

  • BRANZ team looking at more training courses.
  • Collating material for school presentations and having this available on QP/MfE website.
  • We are hoping to assist with updating the Kiwi Careers Webpage.
  • Encouraging school students to study in RMA professions.

Reducing demand initiatives underway

  • Combined plans.
  • More councils using planning technicians.
  • Simplifying district and regional plans
  • National Environmental Standards.

What can professional bodies do?

  • Establish whether your profession is affected by a shortage of RMA professionals.
  • If you need guidance on researching the extent of any shortage - let us know.
  • Create opportunities to educate the public and the media on RMA matters, in order to encourage positive RMA reporting.
  • Sharing good RMA experiences
  • Establish a mentoring network within RMA professions. Professional bodies are well placed to assist with this.
  • Promotion of the RMA and RMA professions is needed within schools - working party?

Possible future MfE Initiative

  • Stocktake of RMA practitioners in New Zealand:
    • Qualifications
    • Employers
    • Experience

Finally:

  • Resolving the RMA practitioner shortage requires your support and leadership.
  • MfE would like to hear your ideas!

Last updated: 16 January 2009