The co-design of a Māori data governance (MDG) model is one of four workstreams of the Mana Ōrite Work Programme between Stats NZ and the Data Iwi Leaders Group (DILG) of the National Iwi Chairs Forum (NICF). This is a high priority initiative for the Government Chief Data Steward and Stats NZ that will provide the New Zealand government with a unique opportunity to develop an approach to data governance that reflects Māori needs and interests in data.
Co-designing Māori data governance [PDF 868KB]
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A MDG co-design process has been co-led by the Data ILG and Stats NZ, with two groups of participants – iwi and Māori (the Te Ao Māori group), and government (the Kāwanatanga group), facilitated by independent consultants. Co-design wānanga took place in late 2021.
The facilitation team have produced two reports based on the reflections from those wānanga.
These are available online and can be requested.
The reports will inform ongoing refining, testing and implementation of the model, which will be carried out by an Ohu (working group) of key Te Ao Māori and Kāwanatanga representatives.
Governance of the current official data system has not been designed in partnership with Iwi and Māori. Nor do we have a te ao Māori lens across the wider official data system that may support both Iwi Māori and government aspirations for data.
This has resulted in challenges like:
We have a unique strategic opportunity to enable Iwi-Māori to add value to the official data ecosystem through te ao Māori insights and innovations. This opportunity will provide mutual benefits to both Iwi-Māori and government agencies in relation to Māori-Crown relationships.
The mutual benefits include:
The MDG model can be applied to benefit other indigenous communities and indigenous communities, demonstrating NZ governments unique relationship with iwi/Māori.
Our solution is for Iwi Māori to work in collaboration with government agencies to co-design a MDG model for the official data system using a Treaty-based co-design process that appropriately reflects the Treaty partnership between Iwi Māori and the Crown. As such, it is being co-led by the Data Iwi Leaders Group (DILG) and Stats NZ.
The co-design process serves at least two purposes. First, to co-design a MDG model for the official data system. Second, in the process of doing this, address immediate and emerging Māori data challenges across the official system. Learnings from this process can be synthesised and transferred for potential system-wide use in other sectors.
Our success looks like:
The DILG bought together the ‘Te Ao Māori’ group made up of Māori data experts representative of te ao Māori; that is, both iwi and Māori stakeholders.
Stats NZ bought together a Kāwanatanga (government) co-design group that is representative of key government agencies that have an interest in MDG.
Te Ao Māori and Kāwanatanga groups have agreed to form an Ohu raraunga (working group) to continue the momentum on refining, testing and implementing the MDG model, based on the waka hourua and Māori Chief Data Steward concepts. The Ohu will identify Pae Tata and Pae Tawhiti - short, medium and long-term outcomes. The Ohu will be a small working group with members from the Kāwanatanga and Te Ao Maori groups.
A key theme that emerged from the co-design wānanga is the metaphor of a waka hourua (double-hulled ocean voyaging waka), whereby each hull represents the Te Ao Māori and Kāwanatanga groups respectively.
Amongst other recommendations, a particular focus is fleshing out the possible establishment of a Māori Chief Data Steward, which would align with the role of the Government Statistician and Government Chief Data Steward but applying a te ao Māori perspective to decision-making about Māori data.
The reports also include a co-design continuum, which can be applied across the data system and across government when making decisions about levels of engagement in co-design processes and working with Māori-Crown relationships.
Data Iwi Leaders Group
Kāhui Raraunga Charitable Trust and their technical advisors
Kāhui Legal, NZ Māori Council
Te Mana Raraunga members
Te Pūtahitanga o Te Waipounamu
Te Rōpū whakakaupapa Urutā - National Māori Pandemic Group
Tūhono Trust
Te Rōpū Wāhine Māori Toka i te Ora - Māori Women’s Welfare League
Whānau Ora Commissioning Agency
Department of Internal Affairs - representing the Government Chief Digital Officer
Te Puni Kōkiri
Ministry of Social Development
Oranga Tamariki
Privacy Commission
Inland Revenue
Ministry of Justice
Ministry of Education
Social Wellbeing Agency
Land Information New Zealand
Ministry of Business, Innovation, and Employment
Ministry of Health
NZ Police
Representatives from these agencies also joined a cross-agency Crown Thought Leadership group (CTLG) which is tasked with deep diving into the impacts and opportunities of the model. Stats NZ will continue to engage with this group and the Kāwanatanga group as the MDG model is refined.
We would like to acknowledge the enthusiasm and willingness of other key agencies to engage with this kaupapa.
If you’d like more information, have a question, or want to provide feedback, email datalead@stats.govt.nz or the Stats NZ MDG project team at tetohu@stats.govt.nz.
Content last reviewed 02 February 2021.