MEDIA RELEASE

MONDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2014

From today (1 December 2014), the Families Commission will operate under the name Social Policy Evaluation and Research Unit, or Superu for short.

Our focus is still very much on families and whānau.

We are making the change because it better reflects HOW we do what we do.

Earlier this year, the legislation that governs us changed to give us the additional responsibilities of monitoring and evaluating programmes and interventions in the social sector, and to provide social science research into key issues, programmes and interventions.

Essentially, we're responsible for finding out what works for families and whānau.

We will be working with social policy funders, providers and evaluators to increase their use of evidence when making decisions, with the aim of improving the lives of New Zealanders, our families, whānau and communities.

What else is changing:
Website address: superu.govt.nz

Email addresses: now end in @superu.govt.nz, replacing @nzfamilies.org.nz

What’s not changing:
Legal name: Families Commission. Used in legal documents and anything tabled in Parliament

Minister: Hon Anne Tolley

Families Commissioner and Chair of the Board: Jo-anne Wilkinson MNZM LLB

Board members:
• Professor Sir Peter Gluckman
• Paul von Dadelszen QSO
• Dr James Prescott
• Haami Piripi

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