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The following section discusses the extent to which outcomes three and four of the SMG programme high level outcomes have been achieved.
As stated in section 1.7 Limitations of the evaluation, in the absence of information from other government agencies, the following discussion is based on assessments made by the evaluators. The discussion examines, to the extent possible, the achievement of Outcomes 3 and 4, namely:
The evaluation found that organisations strengthened their governance and management capabilities through the SMG programme, as well as through their own efforts, leading to the growth of strong Māori organisations.
“We are in a damned good place after SMG. I could walk out the door knowing that the operational part of the organisation is extremely safe. We have staff who are in a very safe position, operational reviews have started to happen and we have policies and procedures in place. We also took the advice and have a finance committee in place now with membership from the board, treasurer, myself (CEO) and bookkeeper. The SMG process has certainly helped, coupled with a good relationship built with the community.” (SMG organisation)
The SMG programme enabled organisations to critically assess their strengths and weaknesses to gain a better understanding of their organisation and how to achieve organisational goals (through implementing appropriate strategies).
“For the most, the report confirmed weaknesses and strengths our board was already aware of and has steps in place to address. It was, however, very reassuring to know that for the most part the organisation was very much on track.” (SMG organisation)
“The SMG report gave us a full understanding of areas that required improvement. It also gave us some ideas/means of carrying out some of the improvements identified.” (SMG organisation)
At a governance level, the SMG programme provided impetus for organisations to strengthen their strategic focus through setting clear directions, gaining greater awareness and understanding of the governance role, and developing the skills and capabilities of board members.
At a management level, the SMG programme improved organisational processes and systems, culture, and stakeholder relationships, and enabled management and staff to function more effectively and efficiently.
As a result of the SMG programme, one organisation was forward focused in how they engaged with one of their funders. The organisation questioned whether it was in their best interest to take on a new service, particularly when the new service would expose the organisation to new risks and put more pressure on available resources. Previously, the organisation would without hesitation pursue new funding without assessing the consequences for their organisation and/or community.
“We don’t have to look for contracts… we are even the ones who say no because of the capacity issues.” (SMG organisation)
Another organisation demonstrated independence and ownership of their development requirements by subsequently funding – from their own budget – a separate follow-up review. This enabled the organisation to measure performance against the baselines set from the assessment and remediation phases of the SMG programme.
“The SMG programme allowed for a stocktake of our organisation, but more importantly it gave us a baseline to work and measure ourselves from.” (SMG organisation)
Some organisations gained financial stability through securing new contracts for service.
“The organisation is in good financial standing and staff are secure in their employment for a longer period even if there is a change of government.” (SMG organisation)
For others, achieving long-term sustainability required them to diversify their operations and seek new business opportunities, sometimes in new and untested areas of expertise. New business opportunities also led to the creation of strategic partnerships with other providers in their communities.
“Other providers are looking at using the trust as a conduit to open up other NZQA-certified wānanga courses.” (SMG organisation)
“Māori language course development was identified as a strategic focus because of the strength of the relationship of the trust with the community.” (SMG organisation)
For example, one organisation described how the SMG programme helped secure an offshore contract for their trade training programme. The same organisation was also investigating animation technology opportunities and considering developing a technology suite for the community.
One of the objectives of the SMG programme was to restore public confidence in Māori organisations at a time when the media was highlighting some high profile failures. Media comment at the time focused on the lack of accountability of Māori organisations and the resulting ineffective delivery of government contracts and services.
The willingness of funders to invest in an organisation is an indicator of confidence and trust. Moreover, the renewal, or signing, of new contracts is an indicator of an organisation’s capability to manage contracts and account for funds. Two organisations had a significant injection of funding9 since their participation in the SMG programme. For one organisation, income from new contracts had increased from $500,000 to over $1.5 million. Another organisation stated:
“Income has grown by $2 million since the [SMG] report.” (SMG organisation)
The implementation of operational policies and procedures and improved financial management practices ensured organisations had accountability controls in place, particularly when approving expenditure. In addition, organisations commented on the heavy monitoring and compliance expectations, such as regular service audits, that other government agencies placed on organisations to ensure transparency and accountability.
The evaluation noted that considerable attention was given to ensuring boards understood their stewardship role and that the accountability of the organisation was ultimately their responsibility.
9 The evaluators noted that the achievement of these financial measures can be attributed to some extent to the organisation’s participation in the SMG programme.
