Role Description – Kaitiaki | Poari Member

Poari role and purpose

Āti Awa Toa Hauora Partnership Board (ĀATHPB | the Poari) is one of 16 Iwi-Māori Partnership Boards (IMPBs) set up across Aotearoa. The Poari is a charitable trust, funded by Te Whatu Ora | Health New Zealand, that works closely with our iwi and with Māori communities across the wider Wellington region (Porirua, Kāpiti, Te Awa Kairangi, Pōneke) to advocate for a stronger oranga system that better represents the needs and aspirations of whānau Māori in our rohe.

Our understanding of health and wellbeing is holistic as expressed in our moemoea: Oranga Whenua, Oranga Wai, Oranga Whānau – a place to stand, a place to connect, a place to belong.

Our focus is not on expanding access to siloed models of care that have failed our whānau, but on transforming systems so that they reflect whānau voices and aspirations, respond to the broader determinants of pae ora, and support intergenerational wellbeing.

The ĀATHPB operates as a pātaka kōrero or knowledge hub. We engage with local whānau Māori on their oranga needs and aspirations, we monitor the performance of government systems in improving the oranga of Māori and we use those insights to provide strategic advice and advocacy to influence system change.

Since our establishment in 2022, we have engaged with hundreds of local whānau Māori. Informed by their voices and our system monitoring work, we’ve published our first Community Health Plan setting out initial priorities to build an oranga ecosystem for our mokopuna to thrive. We’ve also developed an innovative Whaitua Mapping Tool that maps all the broader factors that influence oranga in in each community – placing data in the hands of communities to tell their stories, highlighting inequities, and informing advocacy and investment. We’ve published health system monitoring reports to highlight key areas for change and we are working closely with our Te Ikaroa IMPB collective and Health New Zealand colleagues to drive urgent action in areas such as oral health.

Poari mandate

The ĀATHPB is mandated by two iwi and three rūnanga (Ātiawa ki Whakarongotai, Te Āti Awa ki Te Upoko o te Ika a Māui, and Ngāti Toa Rangatira). As part of the ART confederation of iwi, we also work closely with Te Rūnanga o Raukawa. We draw inspiration and strength from the vision and the achievements of Whakatupuranga rua mano as we drive for ongoing educational, social and economic development of our iwi to achieve our shared aspiration of intergenerational health and wellbeing of all whānau living in our rohe.

Under the new Healthy Futures (Pae Ora) Amendment Act 2026, our core legislative functions are to engage with local Māori communities about their health needs, aspirations and health outcomes, and to communicate the results and insights from that engagement to the Hauora Māori Advisory Committee (HMAC). This a Ministerial Committee made up of Māori experts that provides advice to the Minister of Health and the Board of Health New Zealand on improving hauora Māori.

We carry out our legislative functions by:

• Establishing and maintaining relationships with our iwi and rūnanga, with Māori organisations and the community more broadly and with health sector providers and stakeholders.
• Collecting, analysing and amplifying the oranga needs and aspirations of whānau Māori in our four whaitua (Pōneke, Porirua, Kapiti and Te Awa Kairangi).
• Assessing the state of oranga across our four whaitua.
• Sharing insights with our iwi and communities and, health and other agencies to inform better decisions and priorities for investment and innovation.
• Monitoring and reporting on government system performance and transformation to the oranga needs and aspirations of our communities over time.
• Reporting back regularly to whānau, iwi and hapori on our progress.

Building on its achievements to date, our Poari has confirmed the following areas for ongoing focus and development over the next two years:

• To maximise system influence and impact through insights, advice and advocacy.
• To continue to be a pātaka kōrero – taking knowledge and evidence and turning it into something that iwi and system partners can use.
• To maintain trusted relationships with clear and consistent engagement.
• To make its value and relevance more visible.
• To support iwi and hapū aspirations and leave a positive legacy.

The following mix of skills and experience is sought for the Poari as a whole. It is expected that each kaitiaki will have particular strengths in at least one or more of these areas. We also welcome applications from rangatahi who may be new to governance roles but have other relevant skills and experience, for example in the health or community sector.

• Kaitiaki will be appointed for an initial term to June 2028, at which point kaitiaki may be reappointed for a further term.
• Four to six Poari meetings will be held per year (including an AGM). On average each meeting will require a time commitment of up to one day, including preparing for the meeting and the meeting time.

Kaitiaki are required to:

• Attend all Poari hui.
• Follow the policies and Poari resolutions.
• Sign an annual conflict of interest disclosure and update it during the year if necessary and disclose potential conflicts before meetings and actual conflicts during meetings.
• Maintain confidentiality about all matters concerning the Poari.

Kaitiaki will be remunerated with an annual fee paid in monthly instalments.

The Āti Awa Toa Hauora Partnership Board is supported by a Poari secretariat to help progress its work programme priorities and activities.