CHRISTCHURCH CITY COUNCIL
To: Chief Reporter / Council Reporter
From: David Gee - Journalist
Media statement 20 December 1999
Christchurch Council Man Gets UK Job
A unique appointment will mean the Christchurch City Council's investigations commissioner, Don Hampton, working in the
United Kingdom for three months next year.
It is believed to be the first time a New Zealander has been appointed, on secondment, to the UK Government's Cabinet
Office's Citizens' Charter Unit. Mr Hampton will be working as an assessor for the highly successful Citizens
Charter-Charter Mark programme, which recognises excellence in the public sector service delivery area. He will work
there from June to August next year. Mr Hampton is a former executive member of the New Zealand Society of Local
Government Managers and says the appointment is an achievement for his profession and the Christchurch City Council. The
Citizens Charter was started by British Prime Minister, Maggie Thatcher, and requires all public sector organisations to
meet guarantees of top-rate service delivery. It was carried on by Mrs Thatcher's successor, John Major, and is now
known Charter Mark. It is awarded by the British Prime Minister and demonstrates that excellence has been achieved.
During his three months in Britain, Mr Hampton will work on assessments for the charter. He says he will be exposed to
the best business practices in the United Kingdom and this will have spin-offs for the City Council. Five years ago,
when in the UK on Solgm business, he studied the charter system and, as part of that, visited the Cabinet office. He
later saw a call for assessors and applied. Mr Hampton flew over for an interview in February this year as well as
undertaking assessment exercises. He left on a Friday and was back on a Wednesday.
Further information (and to arrange interviews) call Don Hampton on: 371 1544 or 025 324 450.