Good practice in action: Reduce reporting requirements

A second example is conservation work funded through the Department of Conservation (Biodiversity Funds section). The QEII National Trust applies in each funding round to the Biodiversity Fund on behalf of landowners who have covenanted their properties through the Trust. This allows environmental enhancement and protection projects to be undertaken with costs shared between the Trust, the Biodiversity Fund, and the landowners. Many conservation projects have been successfully completed since 2002 under this model.

Queen Elizabeth the Second (QE II) National Trust Biodiversity Funds grant support

Key contract features included:

Reducing reporting requirements - The Biodiversity Fund respects the role of the QEII Trust and of the work of its regional offices in monitoring the covenants and managing relationships with landowners. All Biodiversity Fund payments require either a progress report or final report before payment is made. The Biodiversity Fund team has worked closely with the QEII Trust to reduce reporting requirements so that the Fund now requires only brief updates on such matters as money granted, money spent, balance remaining, and any comment or issues to be noted.

Through one final report by the QEII Trust (for all projects numbering up to 25 throughout New Zealand under one grant) all reporting requirements are met. This includes before and after photos of the work, copies of invoices and monitoring data, collated as specified for each project in the Deed of Grant of Funds. This information is available through the QEII Trust at any time if requested by the Biodiversity Fund during the term of the Deed of Grant.

This process has greatly reduced paperwork, time, and costs for each party.