Wai-Atamai, Social Innovation Hub
WAM4 - The Wai-Atamai Formula
Wai-Atamai, born out of our impoverished communities that over decades have worked to develop and implement game-changers that make a real difference on the ground for families – whānau. Game-changers fuelled by innovation that create the impact that matters most within our communities.
Wai-Atamai is a multi-disciplinary, people centred hub that encompasses Research, Strategy & Innovation, Change & Transformation and a Creative Hub. Prototyping, implementing and evidencing strategies, programmes and tools in the social innovation space is wired into our DNA.
What's Your Future?
A Look into Our Lab
Valuing the Impact for Taitamariki and Mental Health Wellbeing
Value Creation by Taitamariki: Social Return on Investment, is a forecast report which aims to prevent mental health illness amongst young people who have been exposed to drugs and alcohol, by building resilience and stronger support networks.
The analysis is significant for informing the SROI framework used to estimate the holistic value of the changes experienced by Taitamariki as a result of the programme.
Te Whānau o Waipareira (Waipareira) is a West Auckland based Urban Māori Authority. Over time, Waipareira has evolved to more effectively meet the needs of the West Auckland community through the delivery of a large portfolio of services focused on justice, social services, education and health. The organisation takes a whānau-centric approach to service delivery, operationalising the core values and principles of Whānau Ora across all of its services. The strategic interest of Waipareira in promoting outcomes which positively impact on the lives of whānau has been driven by a desire to promote enduring change and to facilitate positive community growth and development.
In response to the 2013/2014-2038/2039 Strategic Plan laid down by their Board, Waipareira ambitiously set out to understand, measure, quantify and value the impact of these diverse activities on the lives of whānau. Put simply – understand if they are truly making a difference. In 2017, a milestone in the Ngā Hua o Mataora (Impact Measurement) journey was reached with the undertaking of their first formal engagement with Social Return on Investment (SROI) to estimate the value of the changes brought about by the Taitamariki Programme. SROI diverges from the traditional view of an investment measurement which relies on economic evaluation tools to quantify success. SROI considers value produced for multiple stakeholders in all three dimensions of development – economic, social and environmental – and places a monetary value on that change, which enables the calculation of a ratio of benefits to investment.
The Taitamariki Programme was funded by the New Zealand Ministry of Health with the goal to prevent mental health illness among Taitamariki (young people) aged 10-13 who have been exposed to drugs and alcohol. This forecast SROI analysis shows how change occurs for Taitamariki and their whānau, and the resultant value created based on a three year forecast. Completed in partnership with Social Ventures Australia, the study was one of the few in the country, and the first for Māori, by Māori. It presents a leading edge practice to understand the value and significance of culture in service delivery and provides insights not only for other Waipareira services, but also for other Whānau Ora and indigenous providers to leverage from.
Key Points
- The study is one of the few in the country, and the first for Māori by Māori within an urban context.
- It sets the platform for a whole systemic framework using SROI tools within the Whānau Ora context.
- It presents a leading edge practice to understand the value and significance of culture in service delivery.
- It also provides insights for other Whānau Ora and indigenous providers to leverage from.
- Outcomes were experienced across four domains: Rangatiratanga (self-determination and self-management); Mātauranga (access to knowledge and information); Tikanga (cultural integrity); and Oranga (healthy people, healthy environments).
- Taking into account all investment, the social return on investment ratio is 1.80:1. Meaning for every $1 invested into the Taitamariki Programme, $1.80 of value is created for taitamariki and whānau.
By Rita Wakefield, Project Coordinator
Change & Transformation Team
Wai-Atamai
Whānau Wellbeing & Collective Impact. Emerging Trends of Success
Three years ago, five organisations came together to work on a collective impact project – #tātou – healthy lifestyles for families. Measuring trends is important for determining the progression towards achieving long term outcomes.
Moving into the second year of this collective impact initiative with #tātou, this report was formed in collaboration between the Kaiārahi and the outcomes measurement team. The intention was to visualise data evidencing the key outcomes and whānau progress, as well as to provide indicators of success on a long-term journey.
As such, what resulted represents a snapshot of the journey with the #tātou whānau, revealing emerging trends, indicative of the success of the programme for the participants. Furthermore, through case studies it highlights the importance of the kaiārahi role in creating a holistic support system for the whānau journey.
By Rita Wakefield, Project Coordinator
Change & Transformation Team
Wai-Atamai
The Latest
Insights and Perspectives Arising From Research and Practice Across Te Whānau o Waipareira
Insights and Perspectives Arising From Research and Practice Across Te Whānau o Waipareira
2018 saw the release of the 2nd research journal for Te Whānau o Waipareira – Te Kura Nui o Waipareira. The journal upholds and explores the principles for whanaungatanga, aroha, wairuatanga, pōhiri, Te Reo Māori, tautoko, kawa, whakapapa, manaakitanga and kotahitanga through the diverse voices of practitioners, researchers and whānau.
For the second issue, the idea of manaakitanga has guided the thinking around how this essential value is represented not merely in theory, but in approaches and practices of working with Māori whānau within frontline services, education, workforce development research and outcomes measurement.
The voices in this second issue are diverse in regards to the areas they represent, and the insights and journeys they are conveyed in the articles present new and unique examples of manaakitanga in action, reflections on work practice, as well as research-based insights and whānau experience of Whānau Ora frontline services.
The concept of manaakitanga itself nourishes Te Ao Māori, providing love, mutual respect and hospitality from newborn to the aged, as discovered here in Te Kura Nui o Waipareira where the voices speak from the perpective of parents, rangatahi, whānau and to the needs of the oldest Māori. It is by fostering and giving voice to this wairua that the new beginnings can be celebrated, as in Matariki. If the stars are bright – it will be a good season. “He kaihaukai te tau”.
Waipareira Social Innovation Journal Pt 3 Now Released!
Introducing Sneha Lakhotia – New Zealand’s first accredited SROI practitioner!
About Us
Download BrochureIntroducing Sneha Lakhotia – New Zealand’s first accredited SROI practitioner!
Dr. Sneha Lakhotia is currently the Policy Lead and Quantitative Researcher at Te Whānau o Waipareira (Waipareira). Sneha is passionate about catalysing change and driving social impact. Her experience as a dental practitioner, coupled with a deep desire to contribute to the health of the population at large, led to pursue her Masters in Public Health specialising in Social Epidemiology. Her broad interest areas revolve around health and social inequities, social impact and evidence-based policy research/design.
Sneha reported on the Incredible Years Parenting (IYP) programme which Waipareira has been running now for over six year. The report produced is a forecast SROI analysis, which measures the social value of the Incredible Years Parenting programme by exploring the story of change that was created through the delivery of this service. IYP was the second SROI project undertaken by Waipareira as a part of the impact measurement journey which was embarked upon five years ago. The report itself was important for evidencing the impact of early intervention and parent management programmes for Māori.
The accreditation process not only gave Sneha the opportunity to validate her understanding of the principles and methodology, it also represented an extension of Waipareira’s strategic priority in regard to their impact measurement journey as it will help with the authentication of their work and increase the positive impact that can be made for communities.
By Rita Wakefield, Project Co-Ordinator
Change & Transformation Team
Wai-Atamai
Introducing Rangatahi Maia – A six week programme for Rangatahi
Wai-Atamai Launch, April 2019
Wai-Atamai Launch, April 2019
On the 9 th of April 2019 Te Whānau O Waipareira publically launched Wai-Atamai – Te Whānau o Waipareira’s Social Innovation Hub.
The launch was an important occasion for the development of the Whānau Ora agenda in that it highlighted the social innovation that has come out through research, change management and strategy activities within Wai-Atamai.
Bringing together key people from all areas of Whānau Ora, including the Minister for Whānau Ora, Hon Peene Henare, the launch was a time for hearing and celebrating whānau voices, whānau outcomes, and whānau innovation. The large diversity of stakeholders attending the launch included those who work with whānau in communities, within government, not-for-profit and the private sector, all of whom expressed optimism and excitement about the future of Whānau Ora.
Representatives from the Ministry of Māori Development, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Social Development, Department of Statistics, Crown Research Institute of Environmental Science & Research, Auckland Council, Massey University, Te Runanga o Ngāti Whātua, Te Wānanga o Aotearoa, Urban Māori Authorities, Whānau Ora Commissioning Agency, KPMG, Oxfam, and Procare Health were among the attendees.
Speakers for the day included Raymond Hall, Chair of Te Whānau o Waipareira Trust Board, who opened up the launch by introducing the history of West Auckland Māori and their journey towards better outcomes, which has seen the development of Te Whānau o Waipareira as “a pivotal advocate for health and wellbeing within the West Auckland community.”
Awerangi Tamihere, Director of Wai-Atamai, reiterated the growth of Wai-Atamai as a “ground-up response” to the needs of the community, where “innovation was an intrinsic response to the harsh realities of urban life.” Wai-Atamai, Mrs Tamihere stressed, is a “Māori response to the need to create new ways of working for our whānau.”
The theme of tying the past to the future through Māori centred initiatives that are created by people “who are part of the community” was also taken up by Hon Minister Henare, who congratulated the Waipareira Trust Board on “the bravery to take this step towards whānau wellbeing.” Calling Wai-Atamai an “incubator of promise”, Henare went on to stress the importance of working together, where “the way forward is to sit together and ensure we do it together”.
Dr Tanya Allport, Director of Research for Wai-Atamai, introduced the Waipareira Social Innovation Journal, a journal aimed at capturing the thinking, prototyping, innovation and strategies within the Wai-Atamai hub. “The Journal”, Dr Allport explained, “delivers snapshots and insights into our innovation, but is also an invitation for dominant narratives to be challenged – by authoring our own stories, by documenting our journeys we are brought back to the fact that it is our job to challenge the status quo, to find new ways to tell the stories of the whānau that we serve.”
Closing the formal speeches was Tatiana Greening, Board Member of the Whānau Ora Commissioning Agency, who reiterated the importance of Whānau Ora being embedded within our communities, into our organisations and into our strategic thinking. She emphasised the “significance of working from the ground up, collecting relevant whānau evidence, designing robust and relevant approaches, embedding them into our communities, and measuring the outcomes that matter for those communities – not some Government agenda.”
The launch reaffirmed the value and need of Wai-Atamai’s work of social innovation within the Whānau Ora space. It furthermore highlighted the opportunities of coming together and working collectively and across the NGO and Government sectors, showcasing the value that can be added through collaboration. Moreover, the launch highlighted that change is a process which requires a high level strategy, evidence, incubation and creativity. Innovation comes when people are willing to take risks and aren’t afraid to fail.
By Cate Mentink, Researcher
Wai-Research Team
Wai-Atamai
Introducing Rangatahi Maia – A six week programme for Rangatahi
The Rangatahi Maia 6 week programme is being facilitated by Butterbean to work with rangatahi to improve their overall wellbeing as well as work towards preparing them for work or education. It takes a holistic and strength based approach, so includes a strong physical activity/kai and nutrition element as well as work readiness skills (for example, understanding employment and education options, CV writing, job search) and cultural and community service activities.
This programme is part of a larger contract we will be delivering over the next year working on enhancing education and employment outcomes for Māori 15-24 year olds that are not in education, employment or training (NEET) or are at risk of becoming NEET. After this initial 6 week programme we will transition our rangatahi to have Waipareira employment navigators working alongside them to develop long term aspirational plans and support them to achieve their goals with a particular focus on education or employment. We have a strong rangatahi codesign approach to this service with the aim of developing a Rangatahi Hub to continue to support our rangatahi to achieve meaningful work opportunities and careers in future.
The 6 week programme started with a full pohiri for facilitators and rangatahi and whanau and has been delivered everyday from 8am until 2pm based at the Trust. Lorraine Peri has been present for the full programme delivery as support for the programme and rangatahi.
While this is being delivered, WaiAtamai are working on developing the service for the coming year including:
- Recruitment for Youth Development Coordinators
- Initial hui and briefings with Rangatahi Team Leads
- Hui with Te Wananga o Aotearoa on potential collaboration on Tikanga programme
Tara Ikinofo now joins as our new Rangatahi Development Coordinator to support this development phase and work alongside these rangatahi to achieve the educational and employment goals.
By Kristin Fanselow, Senior Project Manager
Strategy & Innovation Team
Wai-Atamai
Waipareira Social Innovation Journal Pt 3 Now Released!
We have now released two of the five books from the Waipareira Social Innovation Journal, The Social Impact Revolution, Hallmarks of Social Change which sets the scene for innovation. This month we are pleased to share with you Part 3, Encoding Innovation into Culture, Structure and Strategy.
In the third book by Wai-Atamai, Change and Transformation shares their approach to research, evaluation and policy and its place in our community. The four articles in this journal discuss:
- Social Value Aotearoa - A Recipe for a Community of Best Practice in New Zealand - This article discusses how Social Value Aotearoa developed from its early stages with the aim to change the way in which we measure value with our whānau and community, to leading this change locally and having the voice of Waipareira in the global movement to value social outcomes.
- Collective Impact in Action: #Tatou as a Case Study: We share the experiences of the whānau that have been part of the #tatou journey.
- Toku Reo Toku Ohooho – Mariu Te Whiu shares her experiences regarding the rautaki Maori strategy that she has developed for Wai-Atamai. This strategy was not solely about the reo but also to instill ahuatanga Maori in Wai-Atamai kaimahi. This reo strategy is an integral component of one of the pillars of Waipareira's te "Kauhua Ora".
- Korure Whānau: Integrated Care in the Community - The Ever - Evolving Framework of Change – Awerangi Durie and Josephine O'Neill share insights into what has underpinned successful change management within Whānau Waipareira.
Over the next four months we will be continuing to upload the next book that forms part of this journal. For the month of June we have therefore added Part 3 for you to download.
