Mātauranga Māori, ngā Tūmanakohanga Māori me Te Tiriti | Mātauranga Māori, Māori Aspirations and Te Tiriti

MBIE wants to achieve equitable representation of Māori in the RSI system, with Māori being represented in line with their population share across research areas and role types. We want to avoid Māori being limited to roles where they are solely providing cultural expertise. To understand how RSI organisations are helping to achieve this vision, we asked them what they do to support their Māori cultural capability and staff, and about any policies or programmes that help staff understand and give effect to MBIE's VM policy. Many organisations outlined specific actions that they take to support their Māori and non-Māori workforce and the VM policy. These actions were broad and covered:

• engagement and partnership with Māori
• encouraging Māori participation and enhancing the representativeness of Māori employees
• running Māori researcher support programmes to enhance their research capacity
• organising VM workshops, training and events
• engaging with Mātauranga Māori and training staff about it.

Most of the policies, programmes, and actions outlined were concentrated at CRIs and universities, as well as some IROs, which may reflect the difference in question sets for each organisation type.*

*MBIE asked Businesses “Does your business have knowledge of MBIE's Vision Mātauranga Capability Fund?” but asked Research Organisations and Tertiary Education Institutions to “Please outline any policies/practices in your organisation that help staff understand and give effect to MBIE’s Vision Mātauranga policy”.

How are organisations supporting Māori staff to flourish in the RSI system and how are they supporting MBIE’s Vision Mātauranga policy?

Different types of support for Māori staff and VM were identified across most CRIs and TEIs. In contrast, most business respondents did not outline specific support for Māori staff and VM.

The responses to questions about supporting Māori cultural capability and VM often converged on building organisational Māori capability, partnering with Māori, and embracing Mātauranga/Mātauraka Māori, which indicates that organisations may believe these are interrelated and mutually interdependent. Several organisations mentioned one in their response to the question about the other.

Beyond their general EDI policies, organisations have provided the following types of support for Māori researchers and MBIE’s VM policy.

Whai wāhi me ngā rangapūtanga ki te Māori | Engagement and partnership with Māori

Organisations highlighted their engagement and collaborations with iwi, hapū, and Māori communities to build connections and partnership in research. This can help to enhance staff’s Māori cultural capability, and also provide collaboration opportunities to build research capacity.

“We prioritise research that works in partnership with Māori/iwi/hapū [sic]. An important component of this is building long-term, high-trust, sustaining relationships with iwi partners. This allows opportunity to work together to undertake research but also to support capability and capacity building.” – Other

"All plans, projects, events have a kaupapa so they are framed within a Māori framework. For example, our partnership with Ngāti Kuri is guided by a cultural safety document, Puu Kaiao. This document was co-developed by Ngāti Kuri and Auckland Museum and is updated for each research project that is undertaken together. This document is also the structure used to bring in partners to the collaboration." – Other

However, respondents to the Workforce Survey of Individuals highlighted the need for more engagement with iwi and Māori communities (see page 30 of report on Workforce Survey of Individuals).

Whakahaere awheawhe, whakangungu me ngā hui mō te matawhānui mātauranga | Organising Vision Mātauranga-related workshops, training and events

Many organisations reported that MBIE’s VM policy has led them to organise different workshops, training, and events to enhance their employees’ Māori cultural capability and encourage researchers to relate their research to Māori.

“We have a focus to increase internal knowledge and skills which is provided to staff through a range of workshops and courses. We provide courses and workshops covering te reo Māori lessons, Te Tiriti workshops and ‘Wall Walk’, an interactive workshop designed to raise collective awareness of key events in New Zealand’s bicultural relations history. Staff are also encouraged to participate in waiata and karakia meetings when these are run during the year.” – CRI

“Targeted workshops and seminars – We also facilitate workshops and seminars for staff which cover key topics such as Vision Mātauranga, Te Reo Māori, effective engagement, partnering with Māori, working at the interface of knowledge systems.” – CRI

However, respondents to the Workforce Survey of Individuals believe the RSI sector should increase cultural training for non-Māori members of the RSI workforce (see page 30 of report on Workforce Survey of Individuals). Additional training and general awareness and appreciation for te ao Māori, including tikanga, mātauranga Māori, and correct pronunciation of te reo, were seen as important.

Te whakatenatena i te whai wāhi a te Māori me te whakarei ake i te whakakanohitanga o ngā kaimahi Māori | Encouraging Māori participation and enhancing the representativeness of Māori employees

There are several programmes and strategies within RSI organisations that encourage Māori staff participation, inclusion and belonging in the workforce, for example, involving Māori employees in developing funding proposals.

Many respondent organisations also highlighted their work to increase the representation of Māori employees in their organisation and support the voice of Māori in the workforce. In particular, several organisations have created senior Māori leadership roles to represent the community and provide support about the VM policy and Māori research.

“NIWA has a National Centre of Māori Environmental Research with a dedicated team of Māori researchers, whose vision is to work in partnership with others to enable complementary knowledge systems to support kaitiakitanga and provide environmental research excellence that enhances the social, environmental and economic aspirations of whānau, hapū and iwi, Māori (sic) communities and Māori (sic) business.” – CRI

“IRANZ members have identified 2 integrated steps to significantly increase Māori participation in our workforces: We will engage with rangatahi in this values-based career matching project to assist them map their core values in a te ao Māori context to potential STEMM careers, and to choose subject options which will support that choice. We want to assist rangatahi better understand IRANZ partners as future employers.” – IRO

However, respondents to the Workforce Survey of Individuals indicated that their preferred way to improve diversity and inclusion for Māori would be to increase the effort in the sector to recruit Māori researchers to increase the overall representation of Māori across different research areas, roles and levels of seniority (see page 31 of report on Workforce Survey of Individuals). Respondents to the Workforce Survey of Individuals also highlighted a desire to see the sector doing more to support and encourage Māori into leadership roles.

Ngā tūranga pūmau hei whakawhanake i te raukaha Māori i roto i te ohu mahi | Dedicated positions to develop Māori capability in organisations

Several organisations outlined that they have dedicated positions to develop their Māori capability. Across organisations generally, the focus and scope of these roles vary. CRIs and universities generally seem to have positions that are more focussed on developing employees’ Māori capability. Independent and other types of research organisation seem to have roles with a focus on both internal Māori capability and engagement with Māori partners and stakeholders.

Across organisations, responses indicate that these dedicated Māori capability roles/units are relatively new.

“We established a new business unit at the senior leadership team level. The Māori Impact Unit focuses on our Māori impact strategy, He Pūtaiao, He Tāngata, and provides leadership and support across ESR to show us the way to achieve greater benefits for and encourage engagement with and from tāngata whenua.” – CRI

“Supporting and growing Māori cultural capability is a key focus of the Office of the Pro Vice Chancellor…The University’s Kaikōkiri Rautaki Māori and Kaiārahi, Human Resources are currently developing a Māori staffing plan which includes a focus on Māori cultural capability as part of the growth, development of our academic workforce.” – University

“Cawthron has established Te Kāhui Āio which currently comprises established and emerging Māori and indigenous researchers who work alongside whānau, hapū, Iwi, Māori enterprises and Pasifika to assist them to meet their kaitiakitanga and developmental aspirations through kaupapa Māori and multi-disciplinary research.” – IRO

These initiatives are supported by findings from the Workforce Survey of Individuals where respondents called for the RSI sector to increase cultural training for non-Māori members of the RSI workforce (see page 30 of report on Workforce Survey of Individuals). However, respondents also highlighted a desire to see the sector doing more to recruit Māori researchers to increase the overall representation of Māori across different research areas, roles and levels of seniority, rather than just in Māori-specific roles providing cultural expertise.

Tautoko mō te matawhānui mātauranga | Support for Vision Mātauranga

Several organisations claimed that they have policies and practices focused on helping staff to understand and give effect to MBIE's VM policy. As mentioned above, some organisations have introduced dedicated roles and units to support the building of Māori capability, some of which also address VM. Those that outlined specific support for VM generally claimed they instituted this support so that VM is considered authentically and genuinely given effect to.

“People capability and support for Vision Māturanga is enabled through a number of groups with specific responsibilities. [For example] the Pou Takawenga group is made up of science staff who have significant experience working with Māori in research. The group reviews research proposals and provides advice on Māori engagement and the effect to which the bid could deliver to Vision Māturanga.” – CRI

To further support and give effect to Vision Mātauranga and adopt the principles of Ruika, a new ‘Vision Matauraka at Lincoln’ Committee was established in 2020.” – University

Te tūhono i te matawhānui mātauranga me te whakapiki i te kaha ahurea Māori o te ohu mahi whānui | Connecting Vision Mātauranga and raising general workforce Māori cultural capability

As mentioned above, the content of answers to questions about supporting Māori cultural capability and VM overlapped, which may indicate that organisations believe these are related. Several organisations explicitly made a link between growing Māori cultural capability and policies/programmes in their organisation that help staff understand and give effect to MBIE's VM policy. This may indicate that MBIE’s communications and expectations about VM may need to be clarified and explained better.

“THW-VUW is dedicated to creating and maintaining policies and programmes that give effect to Te Tiriti o Waitangi, Māori outcomes, and te reo Māori. There is no policy or programme focused specifically on MBIE’s Vision Mātauranga policy. However, the Rangahau Māori team, within the Research Office, is currently leading a project to develop a strategic plan focused to support THW-VUW researcher’s engagement with rangahau Māori (Māori research practices), mātauranga Māori (Māori knowledge), taonga Māori (Māori resources), iwi Māori (Māori peoples), tikanga Māori (Māori protocol) and kaupapa Māori (Māori led research).” – University in answer to question about MBIE's Vision Mātauranga policy

“Targeted workshops and seminars – We also facilitate workshops and seminars for staff which cover key topics such as Vision Matauranga, Te Reo Māori, effective engagement, partnering with Māori, working at the interface of knowledge systems etc.” – CRI in answer to question about Māori cultural capability

Te whai wāhi ki te mātauranga Māori me te whakangungu kaimahi ki te mātauranga Māori | Engaging with mātauranga Māori and training staff about mātauranga Māori

More than engaging with general Māori cultural capability training, various universities and CRIs have also invested in their workforces’ understanding of Mātauranga Māori, including how to engage with it appropriately. Organisations are at different stages of capability and programme development.

“Various initiatives have been established to build our staff’s understanding, engagement and capability in te ao Māori, including our professional development programme Te Hāpai, our internal grant the Mātauranga Māori Research Fund and dedicated support for rangahau Māori, mātauranga Māori and kaupapa Māori research in the Research Office.” – University

“He Wai Māpuna is enabling our iwi partners to define and lead programmes of work that will benefit their whānau, hapū and .... Harnessing both mātauranga Māori and Western science, He Wai Māpuna is demonstrating how dual knowledges can positively impact Aotearoa New Zealand communities. Central to our programme is strong, enduring relationships with Māori. By placing a key focus on the relationship, this programme supports all parties to develop their capability…” – CRI

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