Where to for collaboration in land and water policy development in Aotearoa NZ? Guidance for authorising agencies

For the past decade, collaboration has been the preferred method of devising land and water policy in Aotearoa NZ to achieve agreed outcomes. However, the use of collaboration in policymaking is at a crossroads, as some argue it is unrealistic to expect stakeholders and tangata whenua with competing interests to work in partnership on contentious policy issues. To help clarify the future direction of collaboration, this paper provides policy agencies with prompts to reflect ex ante on the advantages and disadvantages of pursuing collaboration. We identify situations that are potentially less suited to collaboration owing to factors that are challenging to overcome through process design. Four issues that affect the success of collaborations are identified: the nature of the policy problem, the personal and collective qualities of those involved, power relationships, and the collaborative process.