Māori die younger than other citizens of New Zealand, experiencing poorer health and poorer health care before doing so. The recent reform of the New Zealand health sector, the disestablishment of District Health Boards (DHB’s) and establishment of Te Whatu Ora (Health New Zealand) and Te Aka Whai Ora (the Māori Health Authority) occurred, in part, because of a recognition that persistent inequities in health outcomes by ethnicity were untenable. Te Aka Whai Ora’s mandate is to ensure the health system works well for Māori and equitable health outcomes for Māori are achieved. The issues of leadership and governance in, and of, the health system, and how decisions are made are fundamental ones for Māori, if equity of health outcomes is to be achieved.
Rapua Te Ara Rangatira is about understanding what is required to develop and support excellence in iwi leadership, governance and decision-making. We contend that if we strengthen our governance, decision-making and leadership skills, abilities and processes at the iwi and hapū level, this will have positive, flow-on effects into other systems (e.g. the health sector), at a time when strong Māori leadership is critical to achieving positive outcomes for Māori.
He aha te rangahau nei e hirahira ai (why is this research important?)
The Rapua Te Ara Rangatira research project explores the following topics:
- What Māori knowledge is required to shift system responses to enable better health outcomes for Māori?
- How can kaupapa Māori and tikanga inform leadership, governance, and decision-making models?
- How can contemporary and emergent leadership, governance and decision-making models that have evolved through Treaty of Waitangi Claims processes, and in response to Covid-19, advance Māori health outcomes.
The findings from Rapua Te Ara Rangatira will guide the design of a bespoke “fit-for-purpose” model of iwi leadership, governance and decision-making, to enable Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Hauiti to achieve their aspirations of enhancing Ngāti Hauiti wellbeing.
Kua ea (wins)
- We collaborated with Ngāti Hauiti leaders to develop the study and presented it to Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Hauiti who received and endorsement the project.
- We supported a Ngā Pae o Te Māramatanga Summer Studentship 2022-2023 to undertake a piece of work analysing the discourse regarding Pae Ora in the print media resulting in a technical report.
- We have commissioned a literature review on contemporary Māori leadership, governance and decision-making models. This review will help us better understand leadership needs facing the health system as it tries to reduce Māori health inequities as well as links between iwi governance bodies and the mainstream health system.
- We have interviewed a total of 22 iwi leaders, governors and managers from throughout the rohe of Mōkai Pātea-nui-tonu and Te Ranga Tupua (Whanganui, Rangitīkei, Ruapehu, and South Taranaki). The interviews have provided a wealth of data, information and whakataukī available for analysis.
Ko te huarahi ki mua (what's next?)
Wānanga are planned to be held with rōpū comprising local leaders and governors from Te Ranga Mōkai Pātea and Te Ranga Tupua. The aim is to explore the themes that have been derived from the 22 interviews (especially as they relate to the health sector) and also to seek expert views on what the bespoke model may look like.
Once the wānanga are completed the next phase is to develop the model based on the analysis of the primary data from the interviews coupled with the findings from our literature review. The model will then be trialled by Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Hauiti throughout 2024, with iterative review by the Whakauae research team as the model is implemented. The final version of the model, which will incorporate the findings from the iterative review, will be offered to Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Hauiti for endorsement. Subsequent implementation of the model will support the Rūnanga to achieve their aspirations of wellbeing for their people.
