Measuring performance and effectiveness for Mäori ... - Te Puni Kokiri

3.3 CAPTURING VARIATION
WITHIN MÄORI
Identifying consumers most
likely to benefit
There is considerable diversity and
heterogeneity within the Mäori population.
Understanding this diversity is essential
for policy making. For example Leggatt-
Cook (2008) found that gender differences
in pathways and types of employment are
particularly significant for women who
identify as Mäori only. Policies may have
different effects on Mäori living in different
circumstances. 2 “Services need to take into
account different types of variation within the
Mäori population”, such as geographic and
gender differences (Ringold, 2005, p.7).
While it may be easy to assume that Mäori
ethnicity is a proxy for lower socio-economic
status, Durie (2005b, pp.24-5) urges caution. He
argues that ethnicity and socio-economic status
are both relevant considerations in performance
measurement, but are not the same thing:
“The strong relationship between ethnicity
and adverse socio-economic circumstances
has sometimes led to an assumption that
one is a proxy measure for the other. Being
Mäori, for example, is often seen as a
synonym for being poor and being poor
is sometimes seen as the distinguishing
characteristics of Mäori and Pacific peoples.
While there is a significant correlation
between the two measures – ethnicity
and socio-economic status – they do not
measure the same phenomena… Recent
research, however, has demonstrated
that not only is class distinguishable from
ethnicity, but that universal indicators by
themselves are insufficient measures of need
and outcome”.
The literature variously identifies specific
cohorts within the Mäori population who
may be at particular risk of adverse outcomes.
These include:
• those with low or very low family
or household income levels (Durie,
2005b; Danette et al., 2011; Carter and
Gunasekara, 2012);
• those with no qualifications or qualifications
less than Level 4 on the New Zealand
Qualification Framework (MSD, 2003a,
2007, 2008a, 2008b, 2008c; Dixon and
Crichton, 2007; NZIER, 2009);
• single men with the above variables and/or
with drug and alcohol problems or a prison
conviction (The Salvation Army, 2006); and
• Mäori living in rural areas without access
to employment or education opportunities
accessible to Mäori living in cities (Ringold
(2005, p.7) drawing upon Maani, 2002).
Targets for Mäori including for those
with ‘high’ need, at the service level
The Treasury (2004) has suggested that
if services to reduce ethnic gaps are not
accompanied by services to the ‘needy’ in
other population groups, there could be
arguments that people with similar needs are
not receiving the same treatment. It suggests
the best option is to capture performance for
Mäori (and other ethnic groups), by ethnicity
and another indicator of need. The rationale
for such targets need to be fully understood
by the agency and sector. The targets need to
be supported with leadership, and adequate
resources to monitor, evaluate and reflect on
performance (The Treasury, 2004, 2006).
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2 See also Cunningham et al. (2006).
C O M P A R A T I V E M E A S U R E S – G O O D P R A C T I C E F O R M Ä O R I