Wai-Atamai, Social Innovation Hub

What's going on in the Hub...
- Dr Sneha Lakhotia from our research team has been honoured with a community research and service award.
- We have launched a groundbreaking social impact report on Ngā Tau Mīharo o Aotearoa: Incredible Years parenting programme, demonstrating that for every dollar invested in the programme by the Government, a social value of nearly four dollars is created.
- #MāoriInquiry – our team has been working on the Māori Inquiry into Oranga Tamariki. Whānau Listening Posts are now closed and we are analysing the information collected.
- The third issue of Te Kura Nui o Waipareira – the Waipareira Journal is now available. The publication is a community-led journal that provides an insight into the lives of kaimahi and whānau.
- Our team is currently working on a Māori youth survey to be distributed across the North Island. The survey aims to explore the needs and circumstances of Māori youth to create a better understanding of issues, which will help inform solutions and policies going forward.
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

Waipareira Social Innovation Journal Pt 4 Out Now!

Ekosani for being Kiwícéwákan!

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