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The Māori Potential Approach provides Te Puni Kōkiri with a disciplined framework and set of guiding principles to give effect to its strategic outcome of Māori succeeding as Māori. It is a forward looking, innovative approach that seeks to accelerate Māori from intergenerational dependency to being high performing contributors to the New Zealand economy and society.
The Māori Potential Approach sharpens the policy focus on Māori people being the key catalyst for achieving exceptional life quality for themselves, their whānau and their other communities of interest. It affirms that Māori have the capability, initiative and aspiration to make choices for themselves, and seeks opportunities for Māori to make choices in ways that support their cultural identity and contribute to exceptional life quality.
The ultimate aim of the Māori Potential Approach is to better position Māori to build and leverage off their collective resources, knowledge, skills and leadership capability to improve their overall life quality.
Together, the Māori Potential Guiding Principles and Framework provide for a consistent transparent and coordinated approach to the Māori Affairs portfolio and Māori public policy.
The Māori Potential Guiding Principles are intended to guide the development and implementation of Māori public policy in ways that reflect the strengths and aspirations of Māori people and to maximise opportunities for Māori to realise this potential.
The Guiding Principles are:
Māori Potential - This principle affirms that Māori are diverse, aspirational people with a distinctive culture and value system.
This principle highlights that Māori are a diverse people with significant potential as an indigenous people, strong in culture, as a New Zealand population and as global citizens. It recognises that all Māori have positive potential, regardless of age, gender, location or socio-economic status and that their potential as individuals and/or collectives may be unleashed and realised in dynamic ways.
This principle guides Te Puni Kōkiri in supporting Māori to identify their strengths and potential and develop and facilitate opportunities to maximise this potential in ways that contribute to sustainable success.
Culturally Distinct - This principle recognises the Māori community and their indigenous culture as a net contributor to the identity, wellbeing and enrichment of wider society.
This principle recognises that Māori communities are both part of, and net contributors to, the wider society in which they participate. It distinguishes Māori as the first people of Aotearoa/New Zealand and acknowledges the positive contributions they enrich their communities with, as an indigenous people, and as contemporary citizens of New Zealand and the world.
This principle guides Te Puni Kōkiri to support the creation of an environment and facilitation of opportunities with, and for, Māori to sustain and leverage off their indigenous identity and culture in ways that contribute to their own wellbeing and that of the communities of which they are a part.
Māori Capability - This principle affirms the capability, initiative and aspiration of Māori to make choices for themselves.
This principle guides investment in Māori to bring about change in their life circumstances and their environments. It suggests that by changing the way people view themselves and their power to act on their own behalf, they inevitably change their interaction with and the reaction of the communities or activities they are involved with. This principle advocates that while strengthening organisational and infrastructural capacity is important, it is equally important to build the capability of people and their sense of their choices and power to act.
This principle guides Te Puni Kōkiri to support and facilitate opportunities for investment in Māori people themselves that builds upon their own capability and initiative to be catalysts for change in their own lives.
The Māori Potential Framework is an outcomes-based tool for identifying where and how to support the realisation of Māori potential. It provides a frame of reference that helps expose priorities for intervention, and measure, track and report the sustainable development of Māori over time.
The outcome state of realised potential described within the framework is Te Ira Tangata which refers to the Māori person and the full realisation of their spiritual, emotional, psychological and physical wellbeing. As wellbeing ultimately depends on people having a sense of choice or control over their lives, the framework describes the state of Te Ira Tangata as one in which Māori are exercising confident and responsible choices about the quality of life they experience.
The Framework identifies three key enablers that are fundamental to Māori achieving improved life quality and realising their potential. These are:
Building of Knowledge and Skills (Mātauranga)
This area acknowledges the importance of knowledge to building confidence and identity, growing skills and talents and generating innovation and creativity. Knowledge and skills are considered as a key enabler of Māori potential as they underpin choice and the power to act to improve life quality. As identified in ‘The Social Report 2005’, knowledge and skills enhance people’s ability to meet their basic needs, widen the range of options open to them in every sphere of life, and enable them to influence the direction their lives take.
Strengthening of Leadership and Decision-making (Whakamana)
This area recognises that Māori success relies on their capacity to lead, influence and make positive choices for themselves and others. It acknowledges that the capability and opportunity for Māori to make decisions for themselves, to act in self-determining ways and to actively influence decisions that affect their lives, is integral to individual/collective wellbeing.
This area can incorporate all forms of leadership and decision making, from governance, management and leadership of a collective through to an individual exercising responsible choice for the benefits of themselves and others.
Development and Use of Resources (Rawa)
This area recognises the importance of ensuring Māori can access the necessary resources at the right time and place in order to meet their basic needs and take advantage of opportunities to use, develop and retain their resources in ways that will improve their quality of life.
Resources may include: financial resources (e.g. income, assets), natural resources (e.g. land, water, plants) or physical resources (e.g. food, clothing, housing, technology, buildings and other infrastructure) and all other resources required to meet needs and provide opportunities for Māori cultural, social and economic development.
