Ko te kaiwhakaere ko wai? No hea?

Ko Kurahaupō rāua ko Takitimu ngā waka
Ko Popoto te kaihautū rāua ko Tamatea Ariki hoki
Ko Pukekaroro te maunga tapu e tū
Ko Whangawehi te awa e rere ana
Ko Rongomaiwahine te kuia rangatira, he iwi hoki
Ko Mahia-mai-Tawhiti te whenua
Ko Ngāti Hikairo te hapū
Ko Tuahuru te marae
Ko Hineterangi te whare tipuna e tū
Ko Te Aroha te whare kai he manaaki
Ko Karanema Te Hāpuku Te Nahu rāua ko Keita-pare Matete tōku tipuna mātua ka puta;
Ko Haerehana Te Nahu rāua ko Ani Lewis tōku mātua ka puta;
Ko Laurie Te Nahu ahau
Ko te mahi Kaiwhakahaere o te waka 'Careerforce' e noho ana ki Ōtautahi i Ngai Tahu rohe
No reira e ngā hau e whā - To the people of the four winds, greetings once again.

My work with Careerforce is situated in the workforce team with a particular focus on supporting Māori Workforce Development. My role is to provide advice and guidance to ensure Careerforce;

E Mahi Ana - Role and responsibilities

• Is responsive to the aspirations Māori have through addressing the organisations cultural obligations under the mantle of Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
• Builds the organisations capacity to engage and consult more meaningfully with Māori (whānau, hapū and iwi) in accordance with our expectations of partnership, participation and protection.
• To help develop and advance appropriate unit standards and qualifications relevant to bridging the diversities within the care and support workforce and their communities.
• Provide meaningful support to all Careerforce staff, which aims to nurture an appreciation and understanding of the Māori world view, culture and tikanga. 
• Develop a range of strategies to ensure that the values Māori aspire to are suitably reflected in the activities which promote best practice for Māori and the wider communities. 
• Builds the cultural capacity of the organisation in order to establish relevant and appropriate policy and process.
• Workforce development and strategic planning across the industry and its sectors.

Te Tiriti o Waitangi

The Kaiwhakahaere position was created as a result of a Māori Strategy Planning Day held on 21 April 2004. As a key result the following items summarise discussions and decisions reached on the day.

• It was agreed that there is a real need to be aware of the distinctions between the two versions, the interpretation thereof, and how that impacts in the wider political and social contexts that set the 'stage' for Careerforce's response/performance.
• Mindful of the limited resourcing within the ITO, it was clear that over commitment was a risk that needed to be tempered by a realistic approach, built on a strong framework, with enough flexibility at the operational level to be responsive.
• The need to be clear of the ideological drivers was acknowledged as an intrinsic force in the shaping and 'check pointing' of both the culture of the ITO and its mechanisms for delivery, overplayed with the focus of the business.

It was concluded that it was the intent of Careerforce to give expression to all of the articles in Te Tiriti o Waitangi/Maori version.

Article 1: Will clearly define how the Board will proceed as the Governance body. Some of the hallmarks of credibility at this level that Maori might look for include:

• The ideological stance of the ITO
• Demonstrated knowledge and respect for Reo and Tikanga
• Networks that hold credibility in their advisory capacity to the ITO
• Who the ITO is building relationships/joint venturing with
• The protocols that drive the organisation
• The values that drive the protocols

Article 2: Will clearly define how the ITO views the management of resources and whether or not Maori are able to make their own decisions and have the mandate and resources to implement those decisions. The need for an organizational grouping which can direct and advise it to this accord is apparent.

Article 3: Will give definition to equitable access to the provision of services and products that the ITO provides and the parity of outcomes for Maori as a consumer grouping.

Ultimately it was agreed that the model of operation needs to be sustainable, enduring and include clear advisory channels to steer the ITO in its course of action. Clearly, this is an endeavour that must be seen as Careerforce business and therefore the responsibility of all staff, Maori and Tauiwi (non-Maori) alike.

Strategies have failed in other organisations when projects and business pertaining to Maori have been relegated as the sole responsibility of Maori within the team - what is required is buy in from all staff and a commitment to support. The Kaiwhakahaere position was appointed on 7 November 2004.

Levels of Engagement

The Maori Strategic Planning meeting also discussed some of the environmental challenges to overcome in the design of a model and includes:

• Engaging with iwi of which there are many who are already in consultancy overdrive
• Engagement with 'Ngai Maori' i.e pan Maori groups that aren't iwi driven
• The challenge of being an organisation that delivers nationally and the diversity of needs within the sector
• The customization of the ITO's service and product response to meet the needs of organisations on an individual basis as opposed to the 'one size fit all' tenet.