NPM Research to Optimise Māori Economic Performance

One of Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga’s (NPM) key research priorities is ‘Optimising Māori Economic Performance’, and NPM is pleased to announce four new research projects to address this research priority. Each project is focused on delivering outcomes that create positive impacts, enhancing the Māori economy and communities as a consequence.

The four research projects are each led by NPM researchers with expertise and demonstrated community involvement and each project adds significantly to the NPM’s research portfolio.

The new projects are:

Critical Success Factors for Māori SME's: Evidence from the South
The project team led by Dr Diane Ruwhiu (University of Otago) will undertake an in-depth study of southern Māori small to medium sized enterprises (SMEs), in order to determine what the critical success factors are for these businesses at different stages of their company’s life-cycle. The intention is to identify the critical points of intervention that will assist Māori SME’s in transitioning between the different stages of growth, what barriers or challenges they face and how they can make the most of the opportunities they encounter to achieve higher success rates. This research will contribute to a deeper understanding of Māori economic regional development.



Māori Engagement in NZs Extractive Industry (EI): Innovative Legal Solutions
This project team led by Mr Andrew Erueti, (University of Waikato) will investigate international best practice, co-ownership and co-management models to assess how Māori communities can most effectively engage with Extractive Industry companies. For many years, iwi and hapū have been side-lined as national and international EI corporation’s mine their rohe and in Aotearoa, Maori communities and advocates seeking to engage more effectively with these companies have relied upon environmental law or treaty law with mixed results. While, there is widespread scepticism of EI by Maori, some hapū are successfully engaging with some of these companies and reaping the benefits.  As iwi throughout the country increasingly grow their asset base, they will have greater capacity to assert their rights and interests in the extractive industry within their rohe and this research will examine the implications of not only this increased influence but also how increasingly innovative legal methods will promote Māori economic development through EI.

Whakairotia te Whenua, Whakairotia te Tangata - Economic and Spatial Modelling for informed Māori Land Development
Dr Shaun Awatere (Manaaki Whenua) and his team will implement a model of how Māori land trusts and incorporations can integrate core Māori values into their decision making processes. The project will go beyond a business as usual approach to modelling Māori values and will apply a decision-making framework that actively utilises Māori values in an integrated manner for collective land assets. It will also look at how economic and ecological modelling can be used for Māori land use decisions at diverse scales and how both economic and cultural aspirations can be balanced for the beneficiaries of collectively owned assets.

Te Tētere Kōkiri o Te Ata: Optimising Economic Performance of Māori Land Trusts in the Waiariki Region
Led by Dr Robert Joseph (University of Waikato) this team will identify sustainable and scalable models of active land trust management that will enhance the economic performance of Māori land trusts, and also identify models of collaboration to enhance economic performance. The research is specifically positioned in response to an emerging need for Māori land trusts to consider capability gaps in management; as well as the questions posed by the He Kai Kei Aku Ringa and He Mauri Ohooho Reports. The project will enable enhanced returns and improve the collective asset base (and monetary wealth) held within Māori land trusts.

These research projects were launched on the 26th November at an NPM research showcase during the 2014 International Indigenous Development Research Conference at Waipapa Marae, Auckland and commenced on 1st December 2014.