Dr Sea Rotmann, HTR Task Leader (NZ) recently concluded a facilitation / co-design project, funded by the Electricity Retailers Association NZ (ERANZ) to bring together NZ industry, community & frontline providers, and researchers to address the huge issue of energy hardship in Aotearoa NZ.
Over a little more than 5 months, two co-design hui [workshops] were held in Te Whanganui-a-Tara / Wellington, which were summarised in two reports. The first, with the contribution of almost 45 experts from our industry, community and research sectors, discussed the need for greater collaboration, delving deeply into the many challenges stakeholders are facing, and honing in on the main functions such a network should have: advocacy / coordination; training / education; research / evaluation; and programme delivery.
The second report, co-developed by a subset of the original hui attendees, outlines more detailed deliverables, designed a straw man of what an “Energy Wellbeing Network” (working title: “Community Network Initiative”, or CNI) with a national coordination hub supporting regional and local communities of practice could look like, and highlighted potential co-funders and clients, and the benefits they would gain from supporting this initiative.
Both reports are summarised into one publication, which has been published as part of Phase 2 Subtask 5 (Co-Design of Engagement Strategies for Chosen Priority Audiences) research of the Hard-to-Reach Energy Users Task. It is particularly important and urgent to develop better coordination of the many siloed energy hardship programmes, efforts and initiatives. This approach, co-designed and agreed upon by a large variety of experts in different sectors and organisations, is a great case study of what this could look like in practice.
Hopefully, co-funding can be found to actually set the network up, with a national coordination hub and regional centres of practice / excellence, where energy advice is closely connected to frontline navigators from the health and social service sectors (similar to NEA’s excellent “Warm Homes, Healthy Futures” programme in the UK).
