1. Origins and Their Continuing Effect
   
2. Funding
   
3. Maori Issues
   
4. Key Performance Indicators
   
5. Student Loans

C. MAORI ISSUES

8.1    The significance of unemployment among Maori and its effect on Maori aspirations and development has been an issue for policy makers for many years. It has been re-emphasized recently in Te Puni Kokiri's publication "Closing the Gap". The sad truth is that as a nation we are making little progress in solving the problem. The proportion of Maori unemployed is twice that of the Maori population ratio (and very much higher than that in some regions). The proportion of Maori among the target group of long term unemployment is even higher. Viewed from this perspective, it would suggest that service to the Maori community should be DWI's prime focus. This, in turn, should be a major influence on the strategies, priorities and activities of the organisation and one of the determining factors of its modus operandi. The evidence produced to this review indicates that DWI has a long way to go in achieving the government's goals in this area and indeed, in some respects, the way in which the organisation has developed is at odds with the objective.

8.2    The Integration Transition Team picked up the issue in the strategic plan formulated for the launch of DWI, recognising "the significance of Maori as Tangata Whenua will continue to grow as will the aspirations of Maori for political, social and economic self-determination. At the same time the current disparity between the economic and social circumstances, including unemployment rates, of Maori and other groups in society looks likely to increase".

8.3    The ITT plan proposed "a regional and national partnership which recognizes the special place of Maori as Tangata Whenua in developing regional and national responses to address the barriers to self-sufficiency experienced by Maori". This was a promising opening but it was far as it went: there was no strategy to turn the goal into reality.

8.4    In the 18 months of its existence DWI has taken the concepts a step further with one of its four key goals being "to close the social and economic gap of Maori through work, education and training". The DWI Strategic Plan for 1999-2004 sees the outcome of this goal being achieved by:

• "participation of Maori providers delivering assistance and support to Maori;
• greater participation of Maori delivering response strategies;
• increased Maori participation and success in education and training; and
• the proportion of Maori customers (sic) not exceeding the proportion of Maori in New Zealand."

8.5   Like its predecessor, this plan contains no strategies as to how these outcomes are to be pursued at the national level. We understand the reason for this is that DWI thought the overall outcome was more likely to be achieved at the regional level through partnerships between the Regional Commissioners and iwi or other local Maori gorups. In reporting to the SSC in August 1999 DWI pointed out that the Maori outcome in the department's Strategic Plan was reflected in all the 1998/99 Regional Plans and included the following:

• establishing close working relationships and joint ventures with Maori and iwi organisations;
• consulting and seeking mutual solutions to Maori unemployment with Maori;
• developing and implementing specific local initiatives that meet local needs, particularly through Community Employment projects;
• utilising increased numbers of Maori providers contracted to deliver programmes and services;
• delivery of specific targeted initiatives designed to assist Maori; and
• tailoring mainstream programmes and services to Maori.

8.6    Certainly there is greater specificity in the regions: for example, the business plans for Northland and the East Coast (where Maori unemployment is reaching 60%) both have detailed programmes tailored specifically to Maori needs. We have not seen any documentation of the results of these programmes but at least there is a regional emphasis on the issue. Judging from the submissions to this review and the performance monitoring results this emphasis has yet to be realised in tangible results at the national level.

8.7    DWI appears to be aware of the distance it has yet to travel. The Ministerial Briefing Paper of December 1999 concedes that the significant income support and employment representation disparities in the Maori community "in large measure have been resistant to current interventions." The most recent (April 2000) DWI monthly overview of service delivery performance refers to the purchase agreement objective to reduce the volume of registered Maori unemployed to 28.5% by 30 June 2000 and says this "is proving to be a significant challenge". The same publication shows that the figures for customer development activity (training) and job placement are ahead of target, but the key figure for stable employment persists below target - and if anything the gap between the target and performance is increasing (at a time when the Statistics Department Household Labour Force Survey shows a drop in Maori unemployment).

8.8    While it is probably too soon to reach any firm conclusion, the question has to be asked whether DWI's current directions are likely to be any more successful than its predecessors. During 1999 DWI commissioned a comprehensive report on "the best approach for the delivery of high quality Maori advice on improving Maori outcomes". The report contains some good analysis and advice but it does not appear to have been taken very far as yet. Rather more promising is a recent DWI paper to the Associate Minister of Social Services and Employment which initiates discussion on "self-determining solutions for iwi and Maori to close the employment and economic gaps" and proposes the development of partnerships together with collaboration with Te Puni Kokiri, Ministry of Social Policy and the Department of Labour to forge new strategies and action plans.

8.9    In fact work on improving linkages with other departments has already begun. As part of the Government's "Closing the Gaps" programme, one of the work streams, led by the Department of Labour and including TPK, is tasked with producing a DWI Maori service delivery strategy. The Associate Minister of Social Services and Employment (Employment) has reinforced this in a letter of 21 March to the department directing that DWI work with DoL and TPK and setting out his expectations. For his part, the Minister of Social Services and Employment has also directed the CE that "the Government's focus on closing the gaps needs to be reflected throughout your Purchase Agreement (for 2000/2001). A more comprehensive focus on, and specification of, the results achieved for Maori and Pacific Island clients across DWI's areas of responsibility is needed."

8.10    The instructions are clear. Successful delivery will depend on the quality of the relationships DWI now forms with the Maori community which in turn will depend on the quality of DWI's understanding of Maori issues and the best ways of approaching them. The submissions received by the review team, which should be studied carefully by DWI, indicate that there is a considerable degree of scepticism to be overcome. The fundamental problem would appear to be that the culture, style and methods DWI has evolved to deal with individuals fail to strike a chord with many Maori. There is also disagreement with some of the basic concepts on which DWI operates. Te Puni Kokiri has presented an excellent submission to the review which contains some interesting recommendations. In the light of the higher profile the current Government sees for TPK it would be useful for DWI to establish close working links with that department and to involve it both in the planned discussions with iwi and other Maori groups and in the formulation of the detailed strategies that are now being considered.