Critical Tiriti Analysis 2023 - other policy

Impact: Public policy Impact

Impact summary

Critical Tiriti Analysis is an original public policy development and evaluation method developed by Heather Came, Tim McCreanor and me. It is used extensively across the New Zealand public sector to inform policy development and evaluation. It is also used by Maori entities, NGOs and others to review and critique government policies.

Research and engagement activities leading to impact

The manuscripts below.

Research outputs associated with the impact

1. Came, H., O’Sullivan, D., and McCreanor, T., and Kidd, J. ‘The WAI 2575 - Waitangi Tribunal Report: Implications for decolonising health systems’. Health and Human Rights Journal Vol. 22(1), 19 June 2020.

2. Came, H., O’Sullivan, D. and McCreanor, T., ‘Introducing Critical Treaty Policy Analysis through a retrospective review of the New Zealand Primary Health Care Strategy’. Ethnicities, 6 January 2020. (DOI) 10.1177/1468796819896466.

3. O’Sullivan, D., Came, H., McCreanor, T. and Kidd, J. ‘A Critical Review of the Cabinet Circular on Treaty of Waitangi and te Tiriti o Waitangi Advice for Ministers’. Ethnicities. Published December 2021.
https://doi.org/10.1177/14687968211047902

4. Came, H., O’Sullivan, D., McCreanor, T., and Kidd, J. Critical Tiriti Analysis: a prospective policy making tool from Aotearoa New Zealand. Ethnicities. Published 26 April 2023.
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/14687968231171651.

Researcher involvement

I was first author of one of these articles and second of all others. I provided expertise from the fields of political theory and Treaty of Waitangi policy to complement the public health expertise of my co-authors. I conceptualised, researched and wrote all four manuscripts in equal partnership with Prof. Came and, together, we provided 95% of the research and writing.

Outcomes of research leading to impact

1. Allen and Clark (2023). Jobs for Nature Evaluation for the Ministry for the Environment.
https://environment.govt.nz/assets/publications/jobs-for-nature-evaluation-year-one-reportl.pdf

2. Academic Quality Agency for New Zealand Universities (2023). Te Tiriti o Waitangi Policy.
https://www.aqa.ac.nz/sites/all/files/Te%20Tiriti%20o%20Waitangi%20Policy.pdf

3. Academic Quality Agency for New Zealand Universities (2023). Te Tiriti o Waitangi Action Plan.
https://www.aqa.ac.nz/sites/all/files/AQA%20Te%20Tiriti%20o%20Waitangi%20Action%20Plan.pdf

4. Waikato Regional Council. Annotations on the Treaty of Waitangi.
https://campaign.waikatoregion.govt.nz/community/your-community/iwi/annotations-on-the-treaty-of-waitangi/

5. A Guide to Just Transitions. Report Commissioned by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment.
https://www.motu.nz/assets/Uploads/A-guide-to-just-transitions_He-puka-arataki-whakawhitinga-tika-FINAL.pdf

6. 4. Manufacturing, Engineering and Logistics Workforce Development Council (2023). Advice to the Tertiary Education Commission for 2024.
https://hangaarorau.nz/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Hanga-Aro_Rau-Investment-Advice-2024.pdf

Beneficiaries of the impact

The general public through the Ministry for the Environment, Waikato Regional Council, Academic Quality Agency for New Zealand Universities, Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, the Manufacturing Engineering, Logistics and Workforce Development Council.

Details of the impact achieved

CTA is being used in a Ministry for the Environment commissioned evaluation of a $1.19 billion environmental programme ‘that manages funding across several government agencies to benefit the environment, people and the regions. It is part of the COVID-19 recovery package’. One of the above articles is cited in the Waikato Regional Council’s Annotations on the Treaty of Waitangi as a practical approach to applying the treaty in governance. It was recommended as a decision-making process in a report commissioned by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment.

CTA is the Academic Quality Agency for New Zealand Universities' (2023) principal Tiriti policy instrument. Its Te Tiriti o Waitangi policy says 'The Critical te Tiriti Analysis Tool (CTA) is a form of critical policy analysis that includes reviewing policy documents against the Preamble and the Articles of Te Tiriti. It aims to improve Māori outcomes and ensure Indigenous engagement, leadership, and fundamental authority in the policy process. It offers
an approach to analysing policy that is simple to use and is inherently a tool for advancing social justice.

The CTA is an effective quality assurance tool for AQA and AQA staff as it can be used not just in the evaluation of policies against Te Tiriti, but in guiding the organisation and staff in what questions need to be answered and understood when engaging in any piece of work.
A set of questions based on the CTA have been developed to help staff understand what they need to consider in the development of their work:
• What elements show that Te Tiriti is central to the development of your work?
• How are Māori equal or lead parties in the development of your work?
• What elements ensure equitable Māori participation and/or leadership in setting priorities,
resourcing, implementing, and evaluating your work?
• Does your work enable Māori to express rangatiratanga?
• Where have Māori been able to influence and hold authority over during the development of
your work?
• What evidence is there of Māori values influencing your work?
• Have you acknowledged the importance of wairua, āko and other te ao Māori concepts in the development of your work?

The Manufacturing, Engineering and Logistics Workforce Development Council references my publication with Came et al.
A vital way the organisation reflects leadership for their staff in this space is in their commitment for this process to be reflected in AQA’s strategic and annual plans' (p. 2).
Impact date2023
Category of impactPublic policy Impact
Impact levelNational

Countries where impact occurred

  • New Zealand

Sustainable Development Goals

  • SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions