Part 3: Partnering for change

3.1
In this Part, we discuss the joint venture's approach to:

• partnering with Māori; and
• working with stakeholders from the family violence and sexual violence sector.

3.2
In paragraph 2.2, we described the joint venture as an ambitious endeavour to establish an effective whole-of-government response to family violence and sexual violence. This ambition includes significant change to the way that government agencies work with Māori.

3.3
The Crown has committed to working in partnership with Māori on the whole-of-government response to family violence and sexual violence through the joint venture. The interim Te Rōpū was set up to give effect to that partnership.

3.4
The joint venture is also committed to partnering with NGOs, communities, and stakeholder groups. Stakeholders include advisory groups and academic researchers.

3.5
The aim of working in partnership (with Māori and stakeholder groups) is to help government agencies to learn from the experiences of victims, perpetrators, and their families. Working in partnership is central to the change that the Government is seeking through the joint venture.

3.6
Partnership cannot be assumed. It results from a deliberate process where the parties agree the purpose of their partnership, what their respective roles are, and what all parties need to do for the partnership to operate effectively.

3.7
We expected to see the joint venture devoting time and focus to building this understanding with the interim Te Rōpū, NGOs, and other stakeholders in the family violence and sexual violence sector to help guide their engagement with each other.

Summary of findings

3.8
Developing a national strategy with the interim Te Rōpū provided the joint venture with an opportunity to develop how it would work in partnership with Māori.

3.9
However, their work together on the strategy was based on different expectations about the nature of their partnership and their respective roles within it. These different expectations led to the subsequent breakdown in the relationship between the joint venture and the interim Te Rōpū.

3.10
Since then, the joint venture has set up strong working relationships with some iwi representatives and Māori service providers. These relationships have been beneficial. They have provided the joint venture with insights and experience that have helped to advance some of its work.

3.11
However, to fundamentally change how the Government works with Māori to reduce family violence and sexual violence, the joint venture needs to prioritise working with Māori and Ministers to agree what working in partnership means in the context of the joint venture.

3.12
The joint venture has also developed working relationships with some NGOs in the family violence and sexual violence sector. In our view, the joint venture needs to continue to build connections with the sector. It also needs to prioritise working with NGOs and stakeholder groups on what a partnership approach means in practice.

The joint venture needs to re-set its relationship with Māori

Partnership with Māori is central to the joint venture approach

3.13
Māori are disproportionately affected by family violence, sexual violence, and violence within whānau. The Social Wellbeing Committee agreed that one of the joint venture's core functions would be to work in partnership with Māori to address this disproportionate harm.

3.14
This commitment to partnering with Māori is also based on an acceptance that non-Māori approaches to responding to violence have not worked well for Māori. The Social Wellbeing Committee was advised that finding effective approaches to addressing violence within Māori whānau requires an understanding of the social, historical, political, and cultural experience of Māori wāhine, tāne, and tamariki.

3.15
Government agencies need to support Māori in finding solutions that reflect the aspirations of kaupapa Māori NGOs, whānau, hapū, iwi, and urban Māori authorities.⁷

3.16
The interim Te Rōpū was set up to help give effect to the partnership between Māori and the Crown. Setting up the interim Te Rōpū was recognised in advice to the Social Wellbeing Committee as a manifestation of the relationship between Māori and the Crown through te Tiriti o Waitangi (the Treaty). The interim Te Rōpū's terms of reference stated that the partnership would be underpinned by the Treaty and the Crown's obligations to uphold mana motuhake.⁸

3.17
Appointed by the Lead Minister, the interim Te Rōpū was an independent body with a remit that extended beyond working with the joint venture. Its terms of reference set its purpose as being to work in partnership with the Crown on an integrated response to family violence and sexual violence.

3.18
This included working with the joint venture to:

• develop a national strategy and action plan;
• advise on outcomes and performance measures for the strategy and action plan, monitor progress, and report to Parliament and the public;
• advise on the nature, form, and functions for an enduring Te Rōpū Māori; and
• ensure that Māori approaches and whānau-centred thinking and solutions are adopted and applied throughout the work programme.

3.19
The interim Te Rōpū also had a larger role of advising the Government on the effectiveness of the whole-of-government response to family violence, sexual violence, and violence within whānau, and on the performance of the joint venture. It was also expected to engage with, and report back to, iwi, hapū, and whānau.

3.20
We sought to determine how the joint venture is working with Māori to establish and support their partnership. This included assessing:

• whether the joint venture and the interim Te Rōpū had a shared understanding of their partnership and their respective roles in that partnership, and how this understanding informed their approach to working together;
• how the work of the joint venture is informed by the knowledge, experience, and needs of Māori; and
• how the joint venture was working with Māori to build an enduring partnership.

The joint venture and the interim Te Rōpū did not have a shared understanding of their partnership

3.21
Effective partnerships rely on all the parties involved sharing an understanding of the purpose of their partnership. This helps the parties to agree their respective roles and how they will seek to work with each other. The interim Te Rōpū and the joint venture did not develop that shared understanding.

3.22
The relationship between the interim Te Rōpū and the joint venture did not start with a discussion about how they would work in partnership. The focus of their engagement was on delivering a national strategy – that is, on what was needed to get this done and who would lead that work.

3.23
The Social Wellbeing Committee was told that delivering the strategy would be a critical early action for the joint venture. The strategy is needed to set a clear direction for the collective commitment across government, and with Māori and communities, to reduce family violence and sexual violence.

3.24
We were told that the interim Te Rōpū had a strong sense of its role in helping to lead the process of change with the Crown. This included working with the joint venture and providing its independent view to Ministers of the joint venture's work. It also included helping to lead the process of delivering a national strategy that reflected the needs of Māori communities.

3.25
For some in the joint venture, the role of the interim Te Rōpū was less clear. We were told that there was a strong sense of "us and them" from the beginning. We also heard that some in the joint venture saw the interim Te Rōpū more as a source of advice than as a partner in the joint venture's work.

3.26
The initial plan for delivering the strategy had the business unit leading the work and the interim Te Rōpū providing comment and guidance. Because of the interim Te Rōpū's dissatisfaction with early work, this was changed to the interim Te Rōpū leading the process.

3.27
Empowering the interim Te Rōpū to lead this work could have reflected a strong commitment to partnership between the interim Te Rōpū and the joint venture. However, the joint venture did not consistently engage with the interim Te Rōpū during the process of drafting the strategy. We understand that, generally, the interim Te Rōpū was left to develop the strategy on its own, with some support from the business unit.

3.28
Crucially, there does not appear to have been adequate discussion to identify what expectations the interim Te Rōpū and the joint venture had of the strategy. One Board member acknowledged that, in hindsight, leaving the interim Te Rōpū to draft the strategy in isolation risked there being a gap between what Te Rōpū delivered and what the joint venture wanted.

3.29
Regardless of who led the drafting process, delivering a strategy in partnership needed the parties to stay engaged throughout – to start and finish the process together.

3.30
We were told that the draft strategy that resulted from this process did not meet the expectations of the joint venture or Ministers. Some people were concerned that the draft strategy had too strong a focus on te ao Māori (the Māori world view) and supported changes that the joint venture felt were outside its ability to follow through.

3.31
Subsequently, the business unit took back responsibility for drafting the strategy. We were told that the interim Te Rōpū felt isolated and cut off from the strategy work and its role as the Crown's partner in the process.

3.32
The strategy that the business unit drafted was more in line with the expectations of Ministers but, we were told, was not one that the interim Te Rōpū felt able to endorse. Interim Te Rōpū members had responsibilities to their iwi and Māori organisations to create a strategy that met their expectations.

3.33
We were told that the interim Te Rōpū committed to the opportunity to work in genuine partnership with the Crown. However, the process of preparing the strategy did not, in their view, reflect a commitment to partnership or to transforming how government agencies work with Māori.

The joint venture needs to build an enduring partnership with Māori

3.34
The interim Te Rōpū was always intended to be a temporary group. Members of the group were originally appointed until 30 June 2019. These appointments were extended on three occasions to enable further work and engagement on the strategy and other aspects of the joint venture's work. The final extension expired on 30 June 2020.

3.35
The interim Te Rōpū has not yet been succeeded by an enduring Te Rōpū Māori. The interim Te Rōpū and the joint venture had been tasked with providing advice on the form of this enduring Māori body. We understand that this was still in progress when the interim Te Rōpū members' terms expired.

3.36
The business unit has sought to ensure that the work it leads for the joint venture continues to be informed by Māori views and experiences. It has done this by using the existing relationships that some of the agencies have with iwi and Māori service providers in the family violence and sexual violence sector.

3.37
We spoke with some iwi representatives who have worked with the business unit since mid-2020. They were positive about their interactions with the business unit and with the potential of the joint venture to change the way that government agencies and communities work together to reduce family violence and sexual violence.

3.38
They also said that they are still in the early phases of their relationship and that achieving significant change will take time and focus.

3.39
The steps the joint venture has taken to establish connections with iwi and Māori service providers are a positive sign. However, the joint venture is yet to develop the kind of broad-based partnership with Māori that was intended to be an important part of its approach.

3.40
The joint venture needs to revisit its approach to working with Māori if it is to follow through on its commitment to working in partnership with Māori on family violence and sexual violence. If partnership is to be achieved, it must begin with agreement on what partnership means – both for Māori and the joint venture.

3.41
We understand that delivering a strategy is a priority. Engagement with communities on a draft strategy is under way. This provides the joint venture with an opportunity to discuss with Māori communities what an enduring partnership means for them, how this can be reflected in the strategy, and how best to embody this partnership.

3.42
It is important that Ministers are also a part of this process. The partnership envisaged by the Social Wellbeing Committee extends beyond the agencies in the joint venture to include a direct relationship with Ministers. This is needed to empower and enable Māori to advise the Government on the effectiveness of the whole-of-government response to family violence and sexual violence, and the performance of the joint venture.

3.43
To deliver on the commitments made to Cabinet, the joint venture needs to reach clear agreement with Ministers and Māori on the nature and purpose of their engagement, their respective roles, and the support that Māori need to engage effectively with the Crown and the joint venture's approach.

3.44
We understand that Ministers are developing a new approach to working with Māori. This includes Ministers working directly with Māori leaders, including with members of the interim Te Rōpū, on how Māori will work with Ministers and the joint venture.

3.45
We were also told that the approach taken to engagement with Māori on the national strategy will be determined and led by Māori. The joint venture plans to release the strategy document developed by the interim Te Rōpū (called Te Hau Tangata) as a part of the material supporting engagement on the strategy.

3.46
We encourage the joint venture to continue working with Māori to determine what partnership looks like in the context of the joint venture.

Recommendation 3
We recommend that the joint venture, led by the Board and the Director, continue its work with Ministers and Māori to agree what partnership looks like in the context of the joint venture.

The joint venture needs to develop a partnership approach to working with stakeholders

3.47
Forming new partnerships with communities, NGOs, and stakeholder groups is also an important part of the joint venture approach. Stakeholder groups were intended to play an important role in preparing the national strategy, prioritising actions, informing effective approaches, and holding the Government to account.

3.48
Stakeholder groups are also central to enabling the joint venture's work to be informed by the experiences of those harmed by violence, those who use violence, and diverse communities. The Social Wellbeing Committee has tasked the joint venture with working with the family violence and sexual violence sector on arrangements for representing stakeholders on an ongoing basis in the joint venture's work.

3.49
The joint venture faces some challenges in forming a partnership (or partnerships) with stakeholder groups. Stakeholder representatives we spoke with said that government agencies tend to assume that there is unity in the sector. In reality, the sector is made up of many voices and drivers that inform the actions and priorities of the organisations within it.

3.50
Another challenge is the limited capacity that stakeholders have to engage with government agencies. Although they are willing to contribute to government agencies' work, including that of the joint venture, NGOs and other stakeholders in the sector are not set up or funded to do this type of work.

The joint venture's work with stakeholders needs to reflect a partnership approach

3.51
The joint venture, through the business unit, has formed connections with NGOs and other stakeholder groups in the family violence and sexual violence sector. Many of these connections were made during the response to Covid-19 through an NGO-initiated Pandemic Working Group.

3.52
These connections enable the views of these NGOs and other stakeholder groups to inform aspects of the joint venture's work. However, the joint venture needs to develop its approach to working with the sector to reflect a commitment to partnership.

3.53
As stated earlier, effective partnerships rely on the parties sharing an understanding of the purpose of their partnership. We found that NGOs and other stakeholders are not clear about the joint venture's purpose and place within the Government's system for preventing, detecting, and responding to family violence and sexual violence.

3.54
NGOs and other stakeholders see the joint venture, and the joint venture's business unit in particular, as an addition to the system – another government body they need to connect to – rather than as a means to build on existing connections with the sector to improve the system. NGOs and other stakeholders do not always know how, when, or on what to engage with the joint venture.

3.55
The agencies each have a role in ensuring that the NGOs and other stakeholder groups they work with are clear about the purpose and role of the joint venture. As we discussed in paragraphs 2.63-2.70, some agency staff still view the joint venture as an "other" rather than as something they are a part of.

3.56
NGOs and other stakeholder groups we spoke with noted this disconnection between the joint venture and the agencies. They lack confidence that what they discuss with the joint venture's business unit and the agencies is, where appropriate, being shared and communicated throughout the joint venture.

Stakeholders need clarity on the purpose of the joint venture

3.57
NGOs and other stakeholders are willing to engage with the joint venture's business unit on many aspects of its work. Many told us that they appreciate the opportunity to work with the agencies to improve the ability of the sector to deliver better support to their communities and service users.

3.58
However, so far, the engagement between the joint venture, NGOs, and other stakeholders has been focused on particular pieces of work led by the business unit. NGOs and other stakeholders we spoke with said that the engagement was sometimes transactional in nature.

3.59
The diversity of the sector has also proved a challenge for the business unit. As a representative of one organisation noted, NGOs in the family violence and sexual violence sector have their own "siloed approach" to the issues of family violence and sexual violence. When they are brought together by the joint venture's business unit, each NGO tends to speak from its own silo. The business unit has had to navigate through the diverse views that are presented to it.

3.60
We were told that the current lack of clarity about the purpose and role of the joint venture and the transactional approach to engagement means that some organisations are reluctant to engage further.

3.61
An NGO told us that it preferred to advance its interests by using its existing connections with individual agencies. There is a risk that, if these issues are not addressed, other sector organisations will bypass the joint venture.

3.62
We raised these concerns with the Director and senior leaders in the business unit. They accepted that the concerns are valid. They said that they had been reflecting on the way they have been approaching their work with the sector and are looking to improve it.

3.63
We understand that the early engagement on the national strategy is helping the joint venture to build connections with a range of stakeholder groups in the family violence and sexual violence sector. The joint venture is hopeful that these connections will provide a basis for ongoing engagement with stakeholders.

3.64
We consider that the joint venture agencies also have a role in ensuring that NGOs and other stakeholders' engagement with the joint venture is consistent, that it is mutually productive, and that it reflects a commitment to partnership. The agencies need to ensure that their work with communities, NGOs, and other stakeholder groups helps to build an understanding of the joint venture's approach and what it means for the sector and communities.

3.65
If the joint venture is to work in partnership with NGOs and other stakeholder groups, it needs to recognise the scale of the challenges it faces, and it will need to plan for how it can overcome these challenges. It will take time and dedicated focus to get this right.

Recommendation 4
We recommend that the joint venture, led by the Board and the Director, work with stakeholders from the family violence and sexual violence sector to consider and agree how they will work together.

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7: Cabinet paper (April 2018), Breaking the inter-generational cycle of family violence and sexual violence, available at www.justice.govt.nz.

8: The Māori dictionary (www.maoridictionary.co.nz) defines mana motuhake as "separate identity, autonomy, self-government, self-determination, independence, sovereignty, authority – mana through self-determination and control over one's own destiny".