Evaluation for Kia Ora Hauroa
Project Background
Kia Ora Hauora was established in 2009 in response to national and global shortages in the health workforce and the need to increase the number of Māori health professionals. Aligned with He Korowai Oranga, the Māori Health Strategy, the programme plays a vital role in building Māori workforce capability and capacity. It is delivered through four DHB-led regional hubs—Northern, Midlands, Central and Te Waipounamu—and ongoing funding has supported continuous improvement and strengthened Māori recruitment and retention in health career pathways.
A key goal is to increase Māori employment across District Health Boards by 2025, with an estimated need for 6,500 new Māori health workers over seven years. Ihi Research conducted an evaluation to assess the effectiveness, impact and value of Kia Ora Hauora, with the aim of informing ongoing programme development. The evaluation applied a kaupapa Māori approach using an exploratory sequential mixed-method design, incorporating both qualitative and quantitative data. A peer-reviewed literature review on best practices for recruiting Māori and other Indigenous students into tertiary health programmes provided the analytical framework.
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We’ll work with you to find out what’s working, where investment could be put to best use or how to improve anything not going to plan. We can help you define success and set tangible, measurable goals. And we talk in real language so you can understand and engage with the findings. We engage with the community to conduct community research and consultations for private companies, trusts, government agencies, NGOs and more. But we have a special interest in research that has a purpose - to better society and teach lessons. We aim to help those we work with build capacity to enact positive change.
