Mahere Reo

June 2021
Kupu Arataki Te Pūtake
Introduction Purpose

Te reo Māori is an integral part of Aotearoa New Zealand’s national identity. Not
only does it connect us all to Aotearoa New Zealand, but it provides its speakers
with a unique cultural lens into te ao Māori, the Māori worldview. By taking
dedicated action for the revitalisation of te reo Māori we can all contribute to a
better Aotearoa - today, and for generations to come.
The Māori Language Act 2016 and the Crown’s strategy for Māori Language Stats NZ Mahere Reo will:
revitalisation 2019-2022, Maihi Karauna, sets out a vision for public service to be
proactive in supporting the development of te reo Māori capability across the
public sector.
Building capability to better support the Māori Crown relationship has also been 1 Support the organisation’s strategic priority to deliver for and with Māori, iwi and hapū
identified by Māori, the government, and the public service as a critical area
of development for the public service. The Public Service Act 2020 requires all
public servants to develop and maintain the capability to engage with Māori and
to understand Māori perspectives in our work.
2 Contribute to the revitalisation of the Māori language
For Stats NZ to gain the trust and confidence of Iwi and Māori, we must develop
and demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and mindset necessary to engage
meaningfully and deliver results with and for Iwi and Māori, as well as working in
partnership.
3 Enhance our organisation’s relationships with Māori customers, clients and stakeholders
The use of te reo Māori will allow Stats NZ to interact with communities,
Whānau, Hapū, Iwi, and Māori in a positive, professional, and mana-enhancing
manner.
In 2017 and 2020, Stats NZ ran a Cultural Baseline Survey to measure cultural
4 Strengthen our identity as a New Zealand organisation, committed to this country
capability, attitudes, behaviours, and experiences across the organisation
regarding our ability to effectively respond to Māori information needs.
The ZePa (KoPa) model is a theoretical framework used in language
revitalisation and objectively defines three stages of Māori language
revitalisation: Zero, Passive and Active (Kore, Po, and Awatea). The ZePa (KoPa)
5 Increase our organisational health by growing a confident and capable workforce
model was applied to the results of the surveys to provide a Stats perspective on
our level of appetite for language revitalisation.
For Stats NZ to make further progress, we need to make a right shift. By ensuring
that Stats NZ values te reo Māori, we can move from “zero” to “passive”. By 6 Meet other organisational goals that are enhanced by the use of the Māori language
ensuring employees can acquire te reo Māori, we can move employees from such as Māori Crown relations, diversity and inclusion and cultural responsiveness
“passive” interest to “active” use.
This plan begins on 1 July 2021 and will be evaluated and reviewed after 12
months. The Core Leadership Group (Executive and Core Leadership Team) are
responsible for the organisational ownership and the operationalisation of the
Mahere Reo.

TATAURANGA AOTEAROA · STATS NZ MAHERE REO · JUNE 2021 2

Ngā Whāinga
Goals and objectives

Whakanui Whakaako Whakaatu

te reo Māori is valued te reo Māori is taught and implemented within te reo Māori is seen, read, heard, and spoken
our organisation

Stats NZ have a deeper appreciation for te reo Māori and Stats NZ commits to develop its employees and uplift the Stats NZ will create the optimal conditions for te reo Māori to
the value it can bring to our organisation organisation’s capability to support te reo Māori be used within our organisation and integrated within
internally and externally our operational activities

TATAURANGA AOTEAROA · STATS NZ MAHERE REO · JUNE 2021 3

Mahere Reo
Roadmap

JUNE 2021
Te Kore
Ngā Whāinga – Goals and Objectives
Mahi – Actions
Tūtohu – Indicators
Ngā Hua – Measures of success
Responsibilities and resourcing assigned
Plan submitted to
Te Taura Whiri I te reo Māori
13 – 19 SEPTEMBER JUNE 2022

Celebrate Te Wiki o te reo Māori Review Mahere Reo

JULY 2022 –
Te Awatea
JULY 2021 – JUNE 2022 Stats NZ commits to develop its employees and
Te Po uplift the organisation’s capability to support te reo
Māori internally and externally
Start implementing Mahere Reo
Create resources to increase speaking and proper
Comms for People Leaders
pronunciation of te reo Māori
Internal communications for employees
Increase visibility of te reo Māori within our physical
work environment and the work we do
Te Reo Māori is integrated into all Stats NZ events
Providing internal and external learning
opportunities and environments that promote
workplace learning, and peer learning
Create mechanisms to recognise achievements in te
reo Māori competency
Identify opportunities to align and promote
te reo Māori in the work we do

TATAURANGA AOTEAROA · STATS NZ MAHERE REO · JUNE 2021 4

Whakanui Goal 1
It is important that Stats NZ values te reo Māori. This creates the conditions in which speakers of te reo Māori are comfortable speaking the language.
It also creates the demand for employees to acquire and use the language.
Ngā Whāinga
Goal Objective
Stats NZ have a deeper
appreciation for te reo
Whakanui
Māori and the value
te reo Māori is valued
it can bring to our
organisation
TATAURANGA AOTEAROA · STATS NZ
Mahi Tūtohu Ngā hua Responsibilities
Actions Indicators Measures of success Ngā Pou Matua
• Employees see the benefit of learning te reo
Māori
• An increase in employee’s knowledge and
• Māori language plan is used to inform te reo
understanding of te reo Māori
Māori development
Develop and implement a Māori language plan • An increase in employees using te reo Māori • Core Leadership Group
• Measurement metrics as part of the Plan will
• The sustained use of te reo Māori used by our
be fully aligned to Maihi Karauna objectives
organisation in daily tasks and activities
• Increase organisational health by growing a
confident and capable workforce
• Relevant policies are reviewed annually
and checked for currency and alignment,
including:
• Te reo Māori policy
• 5.2.2.2 Special Duties for Survey
Interviewers • Employees take opportunities to learn
Create mechanisms to recognise achievements • 5.2.4 Recognition of Maori and cultural te reo Māori and are positive about their
• People and Culture
in values and perspectives involvement and practice
• Te Tohu Rautaki Angitū Māori
te reo Māori competency • 5.2.5 Te Reo Maori allowance • An increase in staff efficiency using te reo
• Position descriptions for senior leaders are relevant to their role and work
reviewed to include clear te reo Māori and
cultural competency expectations
• There are options available for staff to link
their cultural competency aspirations to their
PDPs
• Tatauranga Toipoto (Stats Way) explores the
use of te reo Māori and te ao Māori values
• Our organisation proactively commits to • Senior Leadership Group
and views to enrich our organisation’s culture
exploring ways in which we can support te • People and Culture
Identify opportunities to align and promote te programme
reo revitalisation • Te Tohu Rautaki Angitū Māori
reo Māori in the work we do • Incorporate te reo Māori into both internal
• Other organisational priorities are enhanced • Marketing, Communications
and external channels and publications
using te reo Māori and Engagement
• Te Reo Māori incorporated in key
accountability documents
MAHERE REO · JUNE 2021 5
Whakaako Goal 2

People must learn te reo Māori if its future is to be assured.

By ensuring employees can acquire te reo Māori we can support our people to develop their pronunciation skills and build their confidence to incorporate te reo Māori into their everyday work and life.

Ngā Whāinga
Mahi Tūtohu Ngā hua Responsibilities
Actions Indicators Measures of success Ngā Pou Matua
Goal Objective

• Māori Crown Relations capability framework • Increased organisational te reo Māori and
Stats NZ commits to develop its employees and • Senior Leadership Group
is used to inform te reo Māori development cultural capability
uplift the organisation’s capability to support te • People leaders
Whakaako reo Māori internally and externally
• Employees are provided with te reo Māori • Employees are encouraged to access te reo
Stats NZ will create • All Employees
te reo Māori is taught learning opportunities Māori development opportunities
conditions for te reo
and implemented • Employees can access quality te reo Māori
Māori to be used, • People and Culture
within our organisation resources
promoted, and valued • Resources, guides, and tools are available
Create resources to increase speaking and • Te Tohu Rautaki Angitū Māori
and used to support staff to improve their te • Increase in staff feeling confident in their
proper pronunciation of te reo Māori • Marketing, Communications
reo Māori capability and pronunciation ability to pronounce te reo Māori words
and Engagement
correctly

Whakaatu Goal 3

Learning a language must go hand in hand with its use, through speaking, reading, hearing, and seeing it in action. Employees are encouraged to speak te reo Māori in the workplace and externally with stakeholders, clients and communities.

Ngā Whāinga
Mahi Tūtohu Ngā hua Responsibilities
Actions Indicators Measures of success Ngā Pou Matua
Goal Objective

• Work has begun to provide for bilingual • Corporate Services

Increase visibility of te reo Māori within our signage and cultural symbolism in the • Te reo Māori is given high visibility within our • Te Tohu Rautaki Angitū Māori
physical work environment and the work we do workplace organisation • Marketing, Communications
• Media releases include Te Reo Māori and Engagement
Stats NZ will create the
Whakaatu optimal conditions for • Cultural elements such as karakia, mihi
and waiata are integrated into Stats NZ • Te reo Māori is normalised as a function of • Senior Leadership Group
te reo Māori is seen, te reo Māori to be used
Te Reo Māori is integrated into all Stats NZ organisational wide events and leadership our organisation • People Leaders
read, heard, and within our organisation
events forums • Our employees use te reo Māori in everyday • Te Tohu Rautaki Angitū Māori
spoken and integrated within
• Cultural elements such as karakia, mihi and communications • All Employees
our operational
waiata are included in all staff induction
activities
• Our employees have access to environments
Providing internal and external learning
• Resources and communications provided to that encourage them to use te reo Māori • Corporate Services
opportunities and environments that promote
support events and relevant groups • Employees use te reo Māori in their • Te Tohu Rautaki Angitū Māori
workplace learning, and peer learning
engagement within our organisation

TATAURANGA AOTEAROA · STATS NZ MAHERE REO · JUNE 2021 6