Chief Executive Report

2023–2025 NZCB Strategic Plan

In May, the New Zealand Certified Builders (NZCB) Board ratified the 2023-2025 Strategic Plan, which I presented at the Presidents Forum prior to the 2023 NZCB AGM, Conference and Expo. The single page Strategic Plan is a result of a facilitated March strategic planning session with the NZCB Board, NZCB Chief Executive, Halo Guarantees Limited Chief Executive, and guests. The preparation undertaken prior to the strategic planning session, the single page Strategic Plan outcome, and the ambition of the plan itself, represents new territory for NZCB.

Underpinned by the vision, NZCB recognised as New Zealand’s association for professional builders, there are four aspects to the Strategic Plan as summarised below:

1. Member Investment

• Developing a suite of Business 101 and Carpentry Profession courses. The former supports stronger business performance by our members, while the latter provides a career pathway for qualified builders, post completion of their apprenticeship.

• Repositioning the membership classes to include those that are directors, or managers in a Business member’s company, who do not qualify to be an Individual member, though who will benefit from attending new NZCB educational events (which will become restricted to NZCB members). Looking at the Business member category itself, why isn’t this the Company vs. the Individual?

• Providing members with a dashboard where attendance of NZCB events can automatically be recorded, and which members can (ideally) print a record of learning that can be sent to the LBP Board as evidence of having undertaken training.

2. Structure & Systems

• Developing a digital one-stop shop for residential builders with guidance and policy/protocol templates that a builder needs to run their projects or businesses, provided across multiple channels including an app.

• Building an organisational and IT structure that supports delivery of the Strategic Plan.

The result of delivering on the Member Investment and Structural & Systems streams is that residential builders view NZCB as THE Association to belong to.

3. Future Proofing the Organisation

•○ NZCB providing thought leadership and action on key industry issues such as:

–○ Sustainability

–○ Building affordability

–○ Construction technology adoption

–○ Training

• NZCB active with its advocacy.

The result of delivering on the Future Proofing the Organisation stream is that homeowners develop a strong preference for employing a NZCB builder.

4. People & Culture

• NZCB becoming an employer of choice that attracts people with great attitudes, high levels of competency, who are genuinely excited about where NZCB is heading, and understand our work supports thousands of our members and their employees.

• A culture that has everyone on the waka and facing in the right direction, with NZCB viewed as a place where they can grow and extend themselves professionally.

Delivering on our Strategic Plan requires new and additional resourcing, and new ways of operating. It requires investment in NZCB’s IT and HR, which includes realignment of National Support Office roles and structure. We are well advanced in both areas already, with one very visible change being the creation of a new Education & Events team that will be an essential addition to support the significant new focus on member training.

Another change is the development of an Executive Leadership Team that existing and incoming managers will be members of. This new model will allow managers and I to focus on organisationwide issues and future direction. The HR realignment that underpins the new structure will create the capacity for managers to operate in this manner. This new approach will align the National Support Office to the strategy-led direction the NZCB Board has adopted for the Association.

Malcolm Fleming NZCB Chief Executive