Taskforce on Whānau-centred initiatives terms of reference
Purpose
The Minister for the Community and Voluntary Sector (the Minister) has established a Taskforce on whānau-centred Initiatives (the Taskforce). The main objective of the Taskforce will be to construct an evidence-based framework that will lead to:
- strengthened whānau capabilities
- an integrated approach to whānau wellbeing
- collaborative relationships between state agencies in relation to whānau services
- relationships between government and community agencies that are broader than contractual
- improved cost-effectiveness and value for money.
Role
The Taskforce will need to cover a number of areas of work in order to meet its objectives within tight timeframes. Its tasks are expected to include the following:
1. compiling a stocktake of and analysing relevant current departmental policies and programmes, including tertiary education programmes relevant to whānau wellbeing (building on work underway in the Ministry of Social Development and Te Puni Kōkiri in the areas of whānau ora indicators, whānau resilience and whānau development planning)
2. reviewing existing literature relating to whānau interventions and services, and assessing relevant models of integrated care and training programmes that effectively prepare practitioners for building whānau capability
3. determining which social services would be covered by the whānau-centred interventions framework and therefore which Votes and government agencies would be involved
4. considering fiscal issues and constraints, both within and across Votes
5. considering legislative and regulatory issues and constraints
6. ascertaining the views of Māori and other key stakeholders
7. identifying appropriate governance structures and other criteria for selecting providers that would provide assurance of their capacity and capability to deliver comprehensive and integrated services to whānau
8. determining how government agencies could best work together to deliver whānau-centred interventions; as well as good practice for relations between the public sector, private sector, not-for-profit sector and Māori
9. developing a robust methodology for measuring the difference made by whānau-centred interventions (potentially with a set of indicators) that includes some measures based on whānau strengths (e.g. capacity to transfer values, culture, lifestyles and to act as trustees for their members)
10. developing a framework for monitoring and audit procedures, including procedures that will allow government to measure the difference being made by providers in relation to the funding level.
Membership and Chair
The Taskforce will comprise five to eight people who have expertise in whānau health, education, cultural transmission, social innovation, economics, justice, housing and service delivery.
Reporting Timeline
The Taskforce will report to the Minister on progress at two-monthly intervals, starting in July 2009 and ending in January 2010.
The Taskforce will provide the Minister with the draft consultation document in September 2009. It will release its consultation document publicly in October 2009. It will report back formally to the Minister for the Community and Voluntary Sector by the end of January 2010.
