Te Pūtahitanga o Te Waipounamu: Wave 9
Project Background
This evaluation focused on the ninth wave of commissioning involving 23 whānau-led initiatives contracted in August 2019. The data for this evaluation was collected between March and April 2020, 10-months into the contracting period and during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown in New Zealand. The purpose of this evaluation was to understand how the commissioned Wave 9 initiatives are contributing to achieving the goals of Whānau Ora and the impact this has for whānau. This evaluation was constructed around three key research questions
1. What is the impact of the Wave 9 direct whānau commissioning?
2. What can we learn about the mātauranga that is developed under direct commissioning and the implications for Intellectual Property Rights?
3. How did the COVID-19 pandemic impact on whānau entities and what was their response?
What we did
Te Pūtahitanga o Te Waipounamu capability development model intends to build the ability of whānau to respond positively to the challenges and opportunities within their lives. The whānau commissioning model is designed to be economically efficient and capable of generating long-term transformative change. The evaluation planned to support this kaupapa by building capability through evaluation; specifically ensuring whānau were at the centre of the evaluation, that the data was returned to the participants so that whānau can exercise control over their own narrative. Twenty three initiatives were interviewed by 4 researchers. In this evaluation researchers focused on the creation and management of intellectual property, and the impact of the COVID19 pandemic on whānau activity and aspirations.
Outcome
There has been significant activity and impact in the Wave 9 commissioning round. The evaluation demonstrates most of the initiatives met and exceeded their contractual outcomes, despite the disruption of the pandemic. The impact of the activity for whānau in Te Waipounamu is significant, data collected from the initiatives indicates more than 2760 whānau individuals participated in the commissioned activity. For some entity’s numbers have been restricted by the pandemic, for others online platforms have provided the opportunity to extend their reach.
Under conditions of the COVID-19 crisis the whānau entities had to innovate and adapt quickly to the changing environment. The whānau entities mobilised a localised response that supported social cohesion, innovation, and information sharing. A flexible commissioning approach from Te Pūtahitanga o Te Waipounamu enabled the response.
Across the 23 initiatives perceptions of Intellectual Property were variable. Some entities had applied for trademarking, others were interested in doing so, and some felt that Intellectual Property Rights conflicted with cultural concepts of collective ownership and responsibility. The evaluation found that some whānau entities needed support to build capability and understand the full implications of Intellectual Property laws in Aotearoa.
Find more information about Te Pūtahitanga and their innovative work at here
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The timing of this evaluation provided a unique opportunity to pivot and look at how whānau were impacted by the pandemic and how the entities responded. For the first time in history, rates of transmission were lower for Māori than non-Māori, despite significant health inequity and perceived vulnerability. The Māori community response described in this evaluation has in some way contributed to these positive outcomes.
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Find out how we can help you
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.
