Monday, 15 October 2007

Te Puni Kōkiri (Ministry of Māori Development) is supporting a new high profile public sector excellence award to recognise excellence in Government-Māori relationships.

The Institute of Public Administration of New Zealand (IPANZ) has teamed up with lead sponsor Gen-i to create a new Awards programme celebrating and rewarding public sector excellence, which was unveiled at Te Papa Museum in Wellington today. 

One of the five major awards revealed at the official launch was the Te Puni Kōkiri Award for Excellence in Government-Māori Relationships.

Te Puni Kōkiri Chief Executive Leith Comer says the awards highlight the significant contribution of the wider public sector in meeting the needs of New Zealand and New Zealanders.

“We are absolutely delighted to be a part of this high profile initiative,” says Mr Comer. “The fit with our mission of realising Māori potential is a strong one, as these awards promote standards of excellence, innovation, sustainability and encourage continuous improvements in services to New Zealanders and public sector management.

“The relationship envisaged under the Treaty of Waitangi is implemented today in the complex and diverse range of relationships that exists between Māori and the Crown.

“The best of these relationships provide the conduit through which Māori can contribute to policy and planning processes in the areas that affect them, and also ensures that government can meet its own objectives and outcomes. 

“Each Government-Māori relationship is unique, and should recognise the complexity and diversity of the parties to it,” says Mr Comer. 

The IPANZ Gen-i Public Sector Excellence Awards are intended to be an annual event. Nomination forms, guidelines and a checklist are available for download from www.ipanz.org.nz or www.gen-i.co.nz. Entries close on December 14, 2007.