I runga i te hōnore, te korōria ki te atua. Te maungārongo ki runga i te whenua. He whakaaro pai ki ngā tāngata katoa. Tēnā tātou katoa Ki te kahore he whakakitenga ka ngaro te iwi (King Tawhiao).

When I started at Te Puni Kōkiri a little over a year ago, I signalled to staff that we were embarking on a journey as an organisation to refocus the work we do. Over the course of 2013 we have worked together to refine our purpose, role and function; reflected on where we make the greatest impact and what things hold us back; and defined what success looks like for Te Puni Kōkiri.

Cabinet decisions in November endorsed the refocus of Te Puni Kōkiri. With this in mind, we are moving quickly to implement these decisions and introduce new ways of working across Te Puni Kōkiri and with others to deliver better results for iwi, hapū and whānau Māori.

The pou of our whare - the things we will focus on to increase the impact of our work – are now in place. They are: Crown- iwi, hapū and whānau Māori relationships State sector effectiveness for Māori Strengthening cultural wealth Skills, learning and education Strengthening economic wealth

The whakairo is the next step to build the whare. We will work with our colleagues to look at what the five pou mean and how that translates into a tangible focus for Government, and ultimately into positive impacts for iwi, hapū and whānau Māori.

As we look at the way we work, we need to be aware of what is happening outside Te Puni Kōkiri. In other words, we will need to look out the windows of our whare before we walk out the door and join with others where possible.

The nature of Crown – iwi, hapū and whānau Māori relationships continues to change. The landscape of iwi and hapū representative entities and Māori organisations is diverse; and the public sector is also changing.

Our future depends on providing insights drawn from our relationships with our public sector colleagues, with the private sector, and with whānau Māori, iwi and hapū. These relationships will help us to harness our collective strengths to contribute to a stronger New Zealand.

We are on a journey that reflects the literal meaning of our name Te Puni Kōkiri – a group moving forward together. The foundations of our whare are solid and we are now ready to move forward with certainty. Reading through this issue of Kōkiri I am inspired by the people around the motu who are making things happen for themselves and their communities. I’m also proud of the contribution made by Te Puni Kōkiri staff. I hope this is the beginning of a successful year ahead for all of us.

Kia hora te marino, kia whakapapa pounamu te moana, kia tere te kārohirohi i mua i tō huarahi.

Ngā mihi Michelle Hippolite Te Puni Kōkiri – Chief Executive