Work undertaken

Further information on specific initiatives in the Better Work Action Plan is set out below.

Initiative 4

South Westland Jobs for Nature Outcomes Assessment

The Better Work Leadership Group commissioned Allen + Clarke to undertake an outcomes assessment of the South Westland Jobs for Nature (J4N) project.

South Westland J4N project(external link) — Department of Conservation (DOC)

DOC focused on workforce sharing between the tourism and conservation workforces. The outcomes assessment looked at the social, human, and economic impacts of the South Westland J4N project and the effectiveness of the joint workforce model.

Several positive outcomes are noted in the report, including that the South Westland J4N project:

  • supported workforce and job security
  • retained skilled workers in the area
  • promoted social cohesion
  • enabled businesses in the region to remain economically viable
  • improved the tourism offering of the region
  • benefitted individuals, including their physical, mental, and economic wellbeing, particularly during the COVID-19 period.

The findings in this report will be considered and used to inform any further work on employee-sharing models.

You can access the full report at:

South Westland Jobs for Nature Outcomes Assessment

Initiative 5

Undertake a systems analysis of barriers to employee-sharing models of work

The Better Work Leadership Group commissioned Allen + Clarke to undertake a systems analysis of barriers to employee-sharing models of work. We heard through public consultation there was some confusion around what employee-sharing is and some perceived challenges around this type of model. This research was commissioned to explore those barriers and understand, if barriers exist, whether they are real or perceived, and whether they are regulatory barriers, or inherent features of the industry.

The findings of the report show that employee-sharing has the potential to:

  • provide stable employment
  • share the cost of employee training
  • uplift pay and working conditions
  • increase collaboration across the industry and with other industries
  • lead to a more skilled workforce overall.

The findings in this report will be considered and used to inform any further work on employee-sharing models.

You can access the full report at:

Initiative 8

Digital Boost tourism and hospitality content

Digital Boost is a free, video-based, learn in your own time website that aims to support small businesses across Aotearoa who are looking to digitise their business. 

A suite of videos has been created and added to the Digital Boost platform to inform tourism and hospitality staff and businesses across New Zealand about digital tools that they could use to boost productivity. 

The new tourism and hospitality series contains:

  • 60 videos, including 40 ‘how-to’ videos on using relevant digital tools and apps
  • 20 real world stories about tourism businesses who have transformed their business by using digital tools to increase efficiency and productivity. 

To access this content, visit:

Digital Boost(external link)

Last updated: 23 February 2024