Nature and Scope of Functions

Te Puni Kōkiri was created by the Ministry of Māori Development Act 1991, with a sharpened focus on education, training and employment, health and economic resource development. Our principal duties under the Act are to promote increases in Māori achievement across these key social and economic areas, and linked to this, to monitor and liaise with each department or agency that provides, or has a responsibility to provide, services to or for Māori for the purpose of ensuring the adequacy of those services. One of the significant challenges we face is striking the right balance between leading and influencing public policy, and assuming a monitoring role akin to a central agency.

To achieve our purposes we focus predominantly on;

• leading and influencing government policy as it pertains to Māori;
• assisting the government to manage its relationships with Māori; and,
• partnering and facilitating Māori, government and private sector initiative.

Our main function is as an integrated policy ministry, with the full breadth of policy functions including research, policy development, community level investment, evaluation and monitoring. Coupled with this, we have an extensive knowledge and understanding of Māori communities, and a strong regional presence. Together, our broad functions, and our regional infrastructure provide us with unique abilities to anchor policy advice in the realities of Māori communities, and to manage the Crown-Māori relationship on behalf of government.

Within this context, our core Role is Principal adviser on Crown-Māori relationships. In discharging this role, our key interest is to ensure that Government decision making and processes are informed by Treaty considerations, and are reflective of the aims, aspirations and realities of Māori communities. We are superbly equipped by our regional network and by our character as a consciously Māori organisation – a place in the government where Māori may feel at home. Our aim is to be the leader of policy for Māori, most especially where Māori culture is concerned.

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