Whanganui turned on the sunshine once again as Whakauae welcomed and hosted 23 researchers for the annual hui of the Kia Puāwai Ake Ngā Uri Whakatupu (Kia Puāwai) full research team on 22nd and 23rd October 2024.
Living and working across the motu and overseas, the researchers from across all four Kia Puāwai project teams once again assembled a-tinana for the two-day meeting. The annual hui has become a much-anticipated event to gather as a full team and dedicate time to having focussed kōrero regarding programme progress. This year, buoyed by a number of new staff and an increased number of younger researchers, the two-day hui was a mixture of both hard work and high-energy. Team members were provided with a number of opportunities over and above simply reporting on project progress, including:
- showcasing the progress made across the four projects and identifying significant changes or impacts within each project over the three-year research period;
- engaging in an interactive workshop on the evolving Te Ruru Systems Change model created by Whakauae, while identifying what levers or mechanisms we’re using to effect change;
- participating in a rigorous debate on what constitutes mātauranga Māori including considering the place of artificial intelligence in mātauranga Māori;
- evaluating the Kia Puāwai logic model to assess its ongoing ability to measure the success of the research programme;
- workshopping how mātauranga Māori is being created across all levels of the programme; and
- a reflection session on knowledge translation for impact to facilitate key systems changes that Kia Puāwai projects have intentionally prioritised using the Translation, Uptake and Impact (TUI) model.
The Kia Puāwai research programme is tracking well against our research plans with flexibility to address additional matters and opportunities as they arise. The project teams have responded to the data gathered across projects in creative ways and developed meaningful dissemination back to research participants.
Whanaungatanga is always a highlight of in person events, particularly when many Kia Puāwai hui are held over Zoom. Making time to reconnect with other team members was prioritised by adding fun energiser activities throughout the two-day hui, taking a hikoi along Te Awa Tupua, the Whanganui River, and sharing kai and kōrero.
