Hon Te Ururoa Flavell
Te Minita Whakawhanaketanga Māori
Minister for Māori Development

30 June 2016 Media Statement

Whānau Ora critics get it wrong

Whānau Ora Minister Te Ururoa Flavell at Parliament today slammed erroneous claims that Whānau Ora was not accountable and was not achieving.

Opposition MPs alleged that there were no mechanisms in place to measure outcomes and no progress reports available to the public.

Mr Flavell says these comments are incorrect and mischievous.

“There have been at least 10 publically released reports on the performance of Whānau Ora in the last six years that speak to the efficacy of the Whānau Ora approach.

“This isn’t the first time we’ve seen opposition MPs peddling false information.

“Whānau Ora is a significantly innovative approach for Government to take and I’m proud of its success.”

At the end of Whānau Ora’s first four-year phase in June 2014, 9408 whānau were receiving services through the approach, and over 8500 have received support through Commissioning Agencies’ investments since the start of the second phase in mid-2014.

Whānau Ora commissioning agencies are subject to a range of transparency and accountability requirements set out in outcomes agreements with Te Puni Kōkiri.

Commissioning agencies must agree investment plans with Te Puni Kōkiri on an annual basis which describe specific performance measures. Commissioning agencies report against their investment plans on a quarterly basis, and submit an annual report following the end of each financial year.

The annual reports must include information on the use of Whānau Ora funding, including the number of whānau engaged and the outcomes achieved by whānau as a result. The annual reports include audited financial accounts and are available on the commissioning agencies’ websites.

Mr Flavell says these processes provide clear evidence that Whānau Ora works and is achieving better outcomes for whānau.

“Of that, there is no doubt,” he says.

ENDS

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