Last week the New Zealand Productivity Commission released their report, “More Effective Social Services” which includes a case study about Whānau Ora. Today the Office of the Auditor General (OAG) tabled their Whānau Ora report in Parliament.

Michelle Hippolite, Chief Executive of Te Puni Kōkiri welcomes both reports and in particular their findings.

Michelle says, “Both reports make valuable observations about what Whānau Ora has achieved in a short space of time, what has worked well, what could be improved, and what needs to be revised to continue to support successful innovation as Whānau Ora moves forward.

“The OAG report also notes the very real gains achieved for whānau at very little cost, and the progress made by providers of services to become more whānau focused,” says Michelle.

The OAG report is focused on the first phase of Whānau Ora, from its launch in 2010 to the beginning of commissioning in 2014. It highlights that Whānau Ora is making a difference and to keep going.

The Productivity Commission case study concludes that “Whānau Ora is a good vehicle for whānau to use to pursue their development aspirations.” Included in the case study are some observations about the move to commissioning, and the opportunities and challenges associated with this.

“Successful innovation in social services is challenging. Whānau Ora has a track record of helping whānau achieve successful change this is a tribute to the many thousands of whānau and agencies that supported them,” says Michelle.