Purpose of this document

The Public Finance Act 1989 requires the Ministry to prepare information on our strategic intentions and provide this to the responsible Minister every three years.

Strategic Intentions documents outline a Ministry’s medium-term strategic intentions and how they contribute to the Ministry’s longer-term strategic outcomes, as set out in their strategy.

As a public sector organisation, the Ministry’s Strategic intentions 2025-2029 supports accountability to Parliament. It provides the framework for understanding Ministry performance and organisational health and helps Parliament and other readers put the information provided in future Estimates and Annual Reports in context.

This document explains the nature and scope of the Ministry’s functions, sets out the Ministry’s strategic context, outlines our medium-term strategic objectives, and explains how the Ministry intends to manage our functions and operations to meet our strategic objectives.

Minister’s foreword
He Kupu nā te Minita

Almost all New Zealanders participate in arts and culture in some form. This engagement provides significant value – producing positive outcomes in many areas such as education, health, identity and social cohesion.

Our creativity and cultural activities contribute strongly to the New Zealand economy. In 2023, the ‘arts and creative’ sectors contributed $16.3 billion, making up 4.3 per cent of GDP. Creative and cultural activity also creates jobs – more than 117,000 of them.

Our talented cultural sectors elevate us internationally, and help us tell our stories to the world. We want New Zealand to be as famous for its arts and creativity as it is for its primary industries and stunning scenery, and to increase the contribution of the cultural sectors to GDP.

Government has a role to play in ensuring everyone has the opportunity to access and participate in arts and culture. As a Government focused on keeping tight control on government spending, we need to leverage effectively so we make the best decisions and investments with the resources we have. Through letters of expectations to Crown entities, I have clearly stated the drive for greater value for public money. I expect government to fully understand cost drivers and performance against key outcomes, and take a continuous improvement approach to the activities and programmes delivered.

Manatū Taonga Ministry for Culture and Heritage plays an important role in supporting New Zealand’s arts, heritage, media and cultural sectors. The Ministry’s strategic intentions recognise its unique position to work with other organisations and individuals to provide quality advice to the government, and helping creative organisations and people to achieve their goals.

With responsibilities including enabling New Zealand creativity to thrive both at home and on the world stage, supporting careers in the arts, supporting the curation of the nation’s histories and the protection of taonga and objects of importance to New Zealand history, the Ministry’s work is wide-ranging.

I look forward to continuing to work closely with the Ministry for Culture and Heritage as it delivers on its role and functions for the benefit of all New Zealanders.

Statement of responsibility

I am satisfied that the information on strategic intentions prepared by Manatū Taonga Ministry for Culture and Heritage is consistent with the policies and performance expectations of the government.

30 September 2024

Hon Paul Goldsmith
Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage

Secretary’s foreword
Mai i te Tumu Whakarae

E rau rangatira mā, tēnā koutou,

As the lead policy adviser to government on the cultural system, we know that cultural activity increases economic growth, creates opportunities both in New Zealand and abroad, and celebrates our unique identity and place in the world.

We will continue to take a stewardship approach in the spirit of kotahitanga – partnering with our funded entities, Māori, iwi and hapū, government agencies and others across our cultural system to work together where we have shared aspirations, whether that means working with education providers to support our pipeline of creative and cultural talent, supporting agencies to encourage the creation of local content telling our unique stories, or putting protections in place to better preserve taonga, places and histories for future generations.

We’re conscious of the need to ensure government investment is going to the right places to make the most impact, and to have evidence for this at our fingertips. The Ministry is uniquely placed to draw from and leverage insights to support our cultural system.

Specific themes will be critical in our future work across the cultural system. These include funding and investment, digital technologies, population changes, and our responsibilities to Māori. Each theme has its complexities. We need to learn from the way local and international industries, sectors and communities are tackling these issues.

As an organisation, we’ve gone through significant change over the past year. Our operating model has changed to better align to our Ministry strategy, Te Rautaki, and our role as a cultural system steward. Our journey ahead involves embedding these changes and continuing to improve the way we operate, to ensure our governance structures and operational processes remain effective, our work programmes are clearly aligned to our strategic priorities, and that the connections between our mahi and the outcomes we seek through Te Rautaki are clear.

Statement of responsibility

In signing this statement, I acknowledge that I am responsible for information on Strategic Intentions for Manatū Taonga Ministry for Culture and Heritage. This information has been prepared in accordance with sections 38 and 40 of the Public Finance Act 1989.

30 September 2024

Leauanae Laulu Mac Leauanae
Tumu Whakarae
Secretary for Culture and Heritage and Chief Executive

Our role
Tā mātou tūnga

Our strategic context
Tō mātou horopaki rautaki

$16.3 billion or 4.3% GDP contribution of the arts and creative sector to New Zealand’s total economy, the highest recorded contribution to date.

5.3% growth in arts and creative sector GDP contribution from the prior year – compared to 2.9% growth for the total economy.

In some parts of the sector, GDP growth was even higher – 6.5% for the Māori arts and creative sector and 9.2% for the arts.

117,517 people have primary employment in the arts and creative sector.

31% of people with primary jobs in the sector are self-employed, compared to 15.9% of the total economy.

37,157 businesses in the arts and creative sector.

11,345 Māori hold primary employment in the arts and creative sector.

10,847 new jobs expected over the next 5 years in the arts and creative sector.

GDP change over time

Source: Infometrics Arts and Creative Sector Profile 2023.

*GDP figures have been adjusted for inflation and are now represented in 2023 prices. Māori employment figure taken from Arts and Creative – Māori Sector Profile 2023. For more information about this data, please contact our Research & Evaluation team at: [email protected]

What regions do people work in?

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Internationally, New Zealand is well known for its culture and creativity. New Zealand ranks 26th out of 193 United Nations member states for ‘soft power’ – a measure of global business and trade perceptions which includes perceptions of culture and heritage.

From large multinational organisations to grassroots activity, the cultural system comprises many elements – it is living, dynamic, and evolving. It is also complex, with many stakeholders and sectors. Manatū Taonga helps government to support, invest and reduce barriers in the cultural system, which encompasses the arts, heritage, media and sport.

We recognise the important role that the cultural sectors play in growing New Zealand’s economy – attracting trade and investment, creating jobs, developing talent, encouraging innovation and providing opportunities for New Zealanders to succeed on the world stage. The cultural system is central to celebrating and showcasing Aotearoa New Zealand’s cultural heritage, including national events such as Anzac Day.

Many New Zealanders also value the contribution of the cultural system for fostering their personal wellbeing and shaping our national identity (New Zealanders and the Arts, 2023), with nearly all New Zealanders participating in cultural activity across the breadth of the country (97 per cent according to the report on New Zealanders’ Cultural Participation in 2023).

An independent, well-functioning and resilient media is also a critical component of an open, participative democracy. The media informs and entertains people, encourages debate, and connects communities and business. The media content we consume reflects and shapes our sense of who we are, contributing to social cohesion and national identity.

In the year to March 2023, the New Zealand media sector was made up of over 8,000 businesses (the vast majority of which were sole traders or small businesses) and directly employed 25,398 people, contributing more than $4.6 billion to GDP (Infometrics Media and Broadcasting sector profile, 2023).

The following themes outlined below are those we expect will have the biggest influence on our operating environment in the coming years:

Funding and investment

New Zealand’s cultural sector makes a significant contribution to the economy. Revenue comes from multiple sources, reflecting the broad scope of the sector. Funding sources include central government, lottery grants, local authorities, private and corporate philanthropy, advertising revenue and not-for-profit organisations, as well as audiences.

Manatū Taonga holds a unique position to look at these funding models and ensure we are maximising Crown investment to support outcomes across a range of sectors. International and domestic economic changes have implications for these sources, and flow-on effects for the subsectors they support within the cultural system.

Digital technologies

Digital technology has the potential to continue to provide efficiencies, reduce barriers and create new pathways for creative professionals in artistic creation, business development, administration, marketing, funding and investment. No part of the cultural and creative sector is untouched by digital technology. However, its impacts have been unevenly felt, with parts of our sector experiencing significant digital disruption, including economic decline, and others resurgence and recovery.

Digital technology has changed the way people engage with, create and experience arts, culture and heritage. There are significant generational differences, so digital is likely to significantly influence future consumption patterns. Digital technology has also changed employment and revenue patterns in the cultural and creative sectors. Digital has altered how content is mediated between producers and consumers, and the entities that do this. It has allowed us to connect the world to our living rooms in ways that we previously could not, increasing access to creative content.

Population change

The population is aging and becoming more ethnically diverse. While it is not possible to predict with certainty the consequences of these changes, potential implications of an aging population include labour shortages and increased investment in innovation. These changes may also have an impact on our national cultural identity and create an appetite for more diversity in creative and cultural participation.

The place of Te Ao Māori in the cultural sector

A thriving Te Ao Māori will strengthen the cultural system and ensure our national identity and place on the world stage is uniquely Aotearoa New Zealand. The success of Toi Māori at home and abroad, the inclusion of kapa haka as a critical component of trade delegations overseas, the role of cultural diplomacy in Olympic and other sporting campaigns and the rich reserve of distinctive brand concepts and design that come from Te Ao Māori all evidence the importance of a thriving Te Ao Māori.

Our purpose
Tō Mātou Take

Manatū Taonga Ministry for Culture and Heritage support arts, heritage, media and sport so that culture in Aotearoa New Zealand thrives.

Our role is to be the government’s principal adviser on the cultural system. We are stewards of the cultural system, taking a long-term view of opportunities and challenges and our collective response to them. This is why we exist. With our partners – our funded cultural agencies, public sector organisations and iwi, imi and hapū Māori – we connect communities to cultural experiences to enrich our collective knowledge.

Our statutory obligations

Our role is to provide the government with advice on New Zealand’s cultural system and deliver specialist services to New Zealanders. We provide our Ministers with advice on legislation, policy and sector development across the arts, heritage, media and sport portfolios.

We manage the Crown’s relationship with 15 Crown-funded agencies. We work with national cultural agencies such as NZ On Air, Creative New Zealand, the New Zealand Film Commission and Te Papa Tongarewa. We administer their funding, monitor their activities and support appointees to their boards, in accordance with our statutory role.

Our funded entities

Our legislative responsibilities include 20 pieces of primary legislation which set out the role and functions of Crown entities such as the New Zealand Film Commission and Creative New Zealand and regulate sectors (e.g., Broadcasting Act 1989), enable public holidays (e.g., Sovereign’s Birthday Observance Act 1952), and protect New Zealand’s heritage (e.g., Protected Objects Act 1975).

Our legislation

The Crown has committed itself to supporting iwi Māori to achieve their cultural aspirations. Through this commitment (embodied at Manatū Taonga in 67 relationship agreements and 216 Treaty settlement commitments), Māori culture is recognised and valued, Te Ao Māori thrives and New Zealand’s cultural system benefits. As part of the settlement process, Manatū Taonga enters relationship agreements with claimant groups and their Post-Settlement Governance Entities (PSGEs) by way of an accord, protocol or Whakaaetanga Tiaki Taonga.

The Ministry coordinates Te Ara Taonga (the collective of seven culture and heritage agencies with a focus on the care, protection and preservation of iwi taonga and heritage) in the negotiation and signing of Whakaaetanga Tiaki Taonga, providing iwi and hapū with a more streamlined way to engage with the Crown.

Our contribution to government and ministerial priorities

The government’s priorities include:

• Rebuilding the economy to ease the cost of living, delivering tax relief and increasing prosperity for all New Zealanders
• Delivering public services so they are more efficient, effective and responsive to all who need and use them
• Restoring law and order and personal responsibility
• Strengthening New Zealand’s democracy.

Government is focused on significantly increasing the cultural sectors’ contribution to GDP and export revenue by 2030. Arts and culture need to have an even greater presence, domestically and internationally. There will be a focus on supporting New Zealand’s talent pipeline and raising the median income for creative professionals, so it more closely matches the median wage or salary income.

In terms of delivering public services, there is a focus on maximising value for New Zealand from the cultural sector, including through modernising and streamlining regulation to enable our industries to produce and grow. We will continue to provide advice and support to our Ministers to ensure that public services that deliver cultural system services are efficient, effective and responsive.

We will also continue to ensure that our work programme aligns to the priority of strengthening New Zealand’s democracy through our media modernisation work programme.

As the government confirms further quarterly priorities, we will work with our Ministers to ensure the Ministry’s work programme is focused on emerging priorities.

Our deliverables and outputs

Cultural system policy advice and insights

Manatū Taonga are Government’s principal policy advisor on the cultural and media sectors. We shape government thinking about investing in the sectors, enabling and leveraging impact and encouraging the pursuit of excellence and innovation across the sector. We also generate insights and continue to develop a compelling evidence base to support our policy and performance advice, system decision-making and investment.

Administering and modernising legislation

Manatū Taonga is responsible for administering 20 Acts of Parliament. These statutes include enabling legislation for Crown entities monitored by the Ministry, legislation enabling national commemorations, and legislation relating to memorials. As part of our regulatory stewardship role, Manatū Taonga is committed to ensuring that the legislation we administer is working effectively for the cultural sectors, and is modernised where necessary.

System governance, monitoring and board appointments

We fund, monitor, facilitate board appointments and support Crown entities and nongovernmental organisations across the Arts, Culture and Heritage; Media and Communications; and Sport and Recreation portfolios to support outcomes for New Zealanders and to deliver government priorities.

Crown entity monitoring is part of a wider system of monitoring the health of the cultural system and is a core function of the Ministry. Understanding the efficiency and effectiveness of expenditure from appropriations and taking a medium to longer term view on risk (and opportunity) supports the Ministry’s focus on system stewardship, leveraging our role in the system.

Research and publication of histories and significant stories

Manatū Taonga has a role in curating the nation’s history and telling significant stories. We lead and contribute to major multi-agency history and reference projects, ranging from Te Ara – Encyclopedia of New Zealand, NZHistory and Te Tai Whakaea Treaty Settlement Stories to the provision of resources to support major commemorations. We produce and collate accessible resources for New Zealanders and international audiences, including educational resources for teachers and students

National memorials and graves, including Pukeahu National War Memorial Park

Manatū Taonga maintains a portfolio of nearly 4,000 national monuments, historic graves and war graves, and manages the creation of new memorials, such as the construction of a National Erebus Memorial.

Pukeahu National War Memorial Park is a place to honour and remember New Zealand’s experience in conflict, informing the public and actively engaging them in a civic experience. The management of the Park includes the delivery of a ceremonial and visitor programme, an education programme and asset management of memorials.

National Commemorations Programme

Manatū Taonga leads and administers the National Commemorations Programme. This consists of a series of events, such as the annual National Anzac Day Service. We deliver commemorations and work with agencies and organisations to support other commemorations and events.

Treaty settlement agreements

Manatū Taonga supports the facilitation of Treaty settlement claims by working with other sector agencies and iwi Māori on partnership agreements and commitments relating to taonga of iwi Māori and advancing their cultural aspirations.

How we collaborate and work with others

Manatū Taonga is uniquely placed to bring people together from across Aotearoa New Zealand’s cultural and government sectors to achieve greater impact for our cultural sectors, people and communities. Our expertise is critical to providing a whole-of-system view and understanding the issues and opportunities. This is how we add value.

We leverage our relationships and influence to achieve our strategic outcomes by, for example:

• Collectively engaging with cultural agency chief executives to discuss issues of shared interest, utilising knowledge and expertise to encourage collaborative approaches to common challenges and opportunities. An example of this is the collaborative development of the Cultural System Evidence Framework, to address challenges related to evidencing the benefit of the cultural system in New Zealand
• Working collaboratively with cultural agencies and partners to identify, acknowledge and preserve taonga, places, and histories of importance to New Zealand for present and future generations. Examples are joining with fellow Te Ara Taonga agencies to partner with Iwi/hapū to achieve their aspirations; and engaging with local government and organisations to construct new memorials and cultural facilities
• Supporting our agencies so that New Zealanders can access local content that reflects our cultural identity; encouraging streaming platforms to invest in local content; and assisting local content to reach New Zealand and global audiences.

In carrying out our functions and responsibilities we partner, collaborate and work with a wide range of stakeholders. These include the government and our Ministers, the public service, our funded cultural agencies and other organisations from across the cultural system, the Crown’s Māori and iwi partners, local government and the New Zealand public.

The Ministry’s strategic framework
Te Rautaki o Manatū Taonga

Our strategic direction
Tō mātou ahunga rautaki

Manatū Taonga stewards the cultural system to make a difference for New Zealanders. This is reflected in our vision statement:

Culture is thriving, the people are well.
Ki te puāwai te ahurea, Ka ora te iwi.

Our vision and how to achieve it are laid out in our Ministry’s 20-year strategy Te Rautaki o Manatū Taonga (Te Rautaki). Te Rautaki guides us to 2040, the bicentenary of the signing of Te Tiriti o Waitangi, a significant milestone in New Zealand’s history.

The Ministry recently identified strategic priorities to guide us through the medium term. These will focus our efforts and resources on meeting government and ministerial priorities for the cultural system and making short to medium term progress towards achieving our long-term strategic outcomes. To enable us to better evidence this progress, we will be developing an outcome measurement framework.

On the following pages we explain the Ministry’s strategic priorities, how our work programme contributes to government priorities and achieving our long-term outcomes, and some recent population level metrics relevant to each priority.

Ministry strategic outcomes

1. Inclusive and reflective cultural system
2. Higher cultural participation rates in targeted communities
3. The cultural system is sustainable and resilient

Ministry strategic priorities

1. Increasing active participation
2. Increasing understanding of our unique identity
3. Strengthening the cultural system

How we will do it

• Stewardship
• Working with and through others
• Evidence informed

Ministry outcome: Higher cultural participation rates in targeted communities

Strategic priority: Increasing active participation¹

Active participation in arts, culture, heritage and media is linked to a number of areas of social and economic impact, including social inclusion, education, innovation, wellbeing and health.²

We recognise that there is a range of barriers to participation in arts, culture, heritage and media. Barriers could include affordability, cultural, regional or social isolation, disabilities or impairments, neurodiversity, health, or age-related vulnerability. We want to enable everyone, regardless of their situation, to actively participate through their communities, schools and other forums; and we want to support New Zealand’s talent to forge sustainable careers.

Our ambition

The benefits of active participation in the arts are experienced by more people, more often.

Through the work we do, and the support we provide to our funded entities, we will see increased numbers and quality of active participation in arts, culture, heritage, sport and media. We will also see more sustainable careers for creative professionals.

Our contribution

We will deliver on this ambition by:

• working with education providers and sector bodies to support New Zealand’s pipeline of creative and cultural talent
• enabling our cultural agencies to identify and address barriers to participation in arts, culture, heritage and media
• working collaboratively with our cultural agencies and other partners to represent and engage more New Zealanders in arts, culture, heritage and media
• identifying opportunities for creatives within Aotearoa and globally.

Current population-level metrics

Ministry outcome: Inclusive and reflective cultural system

Strategic priority: Increasing understanding of our unique identity

By understanding and valuing the nation’s stories, we can help foster a common sense of who we are and encourage people to connect and meaningfully engage with each other, their communities and society.

We want a cultural system that is inclusive and reflective of the diverse communities that make up our nation while, recognising the significance of Māori culture and heritage in the foundation of Aotearoa New Zealand.

Our ambition

More people understand who they are and where they are from.

Through the work we do, taonga, their stories and places and symbols of nationhood will be conserved for present and future generations. Local stories will be captured, created, maintained, shared and celebrated, and more New Zealanders will be able to connect with Māori culture and history to deepen their understanding of our national identity.

Our contribution

Working with our partners, we will deliver on this ambition by:

• supporting the commemoration of the signing of Te Tiriti o Waitangi/The Treaty of Waitangi in a way that increases awareness and knowledge of our nation’s founding document and strengthens the relationship at the heart of the Treaty
• enabling the maintenance and appropriate care of taonga tūturu, memorials, graves and other historic assets for which we have responsibility
• supporting the publication and commemoration of New Zealand history and stories, including those that increase an understanding of the past by exploring Treaty settlements and their enduring impact
• supporting the delivery of Te Rā Aro ki a Matariki (the Matariki public holiday) and the regeneration of mātauranga Matariki for all New Zealanders
• developing an online platform to support the telling of Pacific people’s histories, including the Dawn Raids
• leading the creation of a National Erebus Memorial.

Current population-level metrics

Ministry outcome: The cultural system is sustainable and resilient

Strategic priority: Strengthening the cultural system

Our cultural system contributes to innovation and economic prosperity, boosts tourism and trade, grows highly-skilled, world-class talent, contributes to social unity and plays a crucial role in supporting democracy and our way of life in Aotearoa New Zealand.

We want to enable the sector to be resilient and to ensure government investment is going to the right places and is spent on the things which maximise value. To support the system to continue to grow and be sustainable, we want to reduce barriers to success, increase opportunities for growth and build a strong evidence base. A sustainable cultural system has an important part to play in supporting the wellbeing of New Zealanders, now and in the future.

Our ambition

The cultural system is strong and thriving.

Through our work as steward of the cultural system, we enable and support the system to achieve greater economic, social and cultural impact for all New Zealanders. The capability of the cultural system will be strengthened so that it is fit for purpose, uniquely Aotearoa, adaptive and enduring. As stewards we understand that the work of iwi Māori to continue to recover and strengthen culture and heritage is an integral part of a strong and thriving cultural system.

Our contribution

Working with our partners, we will deliver on this ambition by:

• delivering a creative and cultural strategy for government that sets out actions for how we will:
  • determine how government can best coordinate and maximise its investment in the cultural system
  • partner with the creative industry to increase trade and investment opportunities
  • support creative talent to thrive.
• strengthen our evidence base and developing a shared research agenda across cultural agencies
• fulfilling our Treaty settlement commitments and working with our Te Ara Taonga partners
• improving asset management practices through a coordinated approach across government agencies which manage cultural assets and infrastructure
• modernising legislation administered by Manatū Taonga, including the enabling legislation for arts, culture and heritage Crown entities, to ensure it is it for purpose and working effectively for the cultural sectors.

Current population-level metrics

Monitoring the health and value of the cultural system
Te aroturuki i te hauora, i te uara o te pūnaha ahurea

It is important that the Ministry and the broader cultural sectors have access to strong data and insights to support evidence-based policy making and investment that drives positive change for all New Zealanders.

To address this need, we have collaborated with a range of cultural and government agencies to develop the Cultural System³ Evidence Framework.

Cultural System Evidence Framework
Te Angamahi Taunakitanga Pūnaha Ahurea

This framework aims to strengthen our evidence base by providing a means to track the health and value of the cultural system across a range of sector and population outcomes. The framework identifies key areas of inquiry to provide a holistic view of the attributes, quality and contribution of the cultural system. Each area of inquiry contains a set of elements or focus points for which we hope to collect and synthesise data and evidence.

Attributes and Quality (Sector Outcomes) | Ngā Pūmanawa me te Kounga

This portion of the framework is focused on sector outcomes and understanding how the cultural system functions now and into the future in relation to desired outcomes. It identifies five areas of inquiry which represent the key components of the cultural system and the related functions, they are:

• People | Ngā Tangata
• Cultural Participation | Te Whai Wāhi ki ngā Ahurea
• Delivery | Te Aratuku
• Funding and Investment | Te Haupū Moni me ngā Haumitanga
• Infrastructure and Assets | Ngā Tūahanga me ngā Tawa

Contribution (Population Outcomes) | Ngā Takohatanga

This portion of the framework is focused on population outcomes. It identifies seven areas of inquiry, which represent the different types of value created through the cultural system for all New Zealanders, they are:

• Creativity | Te Auahatanga
• Economy | Te Ōhanga
• Environment | Te Taiao
• Global Connections | Ngā Hononga ā-Ao
• Society | Te Porihanga
• Te Ao Māori
• Wellbeing | Te Oranga

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The cultural system evidence framework will inform our forward Insights programme. We aim to continue our collaboration with cultural agencies and the wider cultural sector to collect and assess available evidence across the cultural system, address evidence gaps, and strengthen the evidence base over time.

This work could include:

• developing a shared research agenda with cultural agencies and key stakeholders
• undertaking new research to address priority gaps in the evidence base
• providing support to cultural agencies undertaking research and insights activities
• facilitating opportunities for information sharing and research collaborations.

Endnotes

1. Active Participation – contributing directly and explicitly to the production of a cultural experience, e.g., playing a musical instrument, drawing/painting, performing in a play, volunteering for a cultural organisation, heritage conservation or preservation work.

2. OECD,‘Cultural participation as a driver of social and economic impact’, in The Culture Fix: Creative People, Places and Industries, OECD Publishing, Paris, 2022.

3. The cultural system is the wide range of cultural and creative sectors, industries and producers that contribute to cultural activity within New Zealand, including but not limited to arts, culture, heritage, media and broadcasting, and sport, active recreation and play.

Our organisation
Tō mātau whakahaere

Managing the Ministry’s functions and operations
Te whakahaere i ngā mahi me ngā mahinga a te Manatū

The capability, skills and knowledge of our staff and our systems and processes are critical to ensure we operate well, achieve our strategic priorities, and deliver the best possible outcomes for the cultural system and all New Zealanders.

Our organisation

151 staff

60.3% female

72.9% European

13.9% Māori

7.3% Pacific

5.3 years - current average staff service

Our ministers

Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage
Hon Paul Goldsmith

Minister for Media and Communications
Hon Paul Goldsmith

Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Media and Communications
Jenny Marcroft

Minister for Sport and Recreation
Hon Chris Bishop

269 WPQs (written Parliamentary questions) in 2023/24. 100% on time

205 OIAs in 2023/24. 99.51% on time

$448 million government investment in the cultural sector 2023/24

Strengthening our organisation

In 2023/24, we undertook a significant change programme which focused on a review of our operating model and organisational structure. The change process was divided into two phases, with the first phase focused on reducing duplication, bringing together and strengthening the Ministry’s Māori–Crown capabilities, and growing a stronger strategic centre.

The second phase aligned our structure with our strategy. It focused on creating a more flexible, responsive, and agile organisation and right-sizing the Ministry by winding down time-limited COVID support functions and some programmes of work. By making structural changes, as well as changing how we work, we can better support the cultural system and strengthen the evidence base for decision-making.

Workforce strategy

Our Workforce Strategy is currently under redevelopment. Key focus areas for the strategy include growth and development, where we provide our people with access to development, learning opportunities and experiences, ensure staff have development goals, and recognise their achievements. The strategy will also focus on leadership development, enhancing employee engagement and satisfaction, and encouraging a culture of innovation and collaboration, creative problem-solving and the incorporation of sustainable practices. Another key area is succession planning, through which we identify and develop people to be ready for leadership and other key roles at Manatū Taonga.

Governance

Our governance framework supports Te Kāhui Mataaho, our Executive Leadership Team, to remain effective and accountable in delivering our outcomes and strategic priorities.

Following the implementation of our new structure on 1 July 2024, the next step is to refresh our governance framework to align with our operating model. By January 2025 we will establish the below governance structure for Manatū Taonga based on the principles of transparency, flexibility and agility, simplicity, comprehensive, and decision-making at the appropriate level.

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Executive Leadership Team | Te Kāhui Mataaho

Te Kāhui Mataaho is made up of the Secretary, four Deputy Secretaries and one Director. They hold the overall governance and leadership responsibility for Manatū Taonga, with an explicit focus on the capability development, management and wellbeing of our staff, and on significant projects.

Operational Management Sub-Committee | Te Kāhui Hautū

Te Kāhui Hautū provides operational leadership for the Ministry. It drives implementation of our strategic priorities through our work programme and ensures that our processes, systems, planning and budgeting support the Ministry as a peak-performing agency.

Health, Safety and Security Sub-Committee

The Health, Safety and Security committee will have a defined role in ensuring that the health, safety and security of our staff across the Ministry are appropriately considered and addressed. This group will support the Executive Leadership Team to meet its governance responsibilities as set out in the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 and relevant regulations.

Data, Information and Systems Sub-Committee

The Data, Information and Systems committee will provide oversight and assurance on the collection and storage of Ministry information, including privacy and security considerations. It will ensure we meet mandatory requirements while setting the strategic direction for our technology and digital journey, and ensure alignment with that strategic direction when development and change decisions are being made.

Assurance and Risk Committee

The existing independent Assurance and Risk Committee provides insights to the Executive Leadership Team on risk management, the effectiveness of internal controls and processes, assurance, performance reporting and governance.

Asset management

We manage a significant number of physical and digital assets. Over the next four years we will focus on facilitating effective and collaborative management of these assets across the sector.

In addition to the recent implementation of an asset management system for our portfolio of memorial assets, the Ministry is developing an asset management strategy to support modelling of the future cost of maintaining our assets and to quantify the benefits that our assets help New Zealanders achieve.

We will continue recent engagement in relation to Crown collections with funded agencies and the Department of Internal Affairs, to explore short- and long-term opportunities for more joined-up management of our collective assets.

Staff health and capability

Creating an engaging safe and inclusive workplace that fosters a sense of belonging and loyalty is important to Manatū Taonga, ensuring people feel valued and safe to speak up about their thoughts, ideas and concerns. Our values of act courageously - manawanui, see ahead - matapae, care together - mana tāngata, think be curious - mahara and serve with pride - manaaki describes our common purpose and direction.

To support our staff, technology integration is also vital. We recently implemented a new system to help support and track staff goals and development and to better understand the demographics of our staff.

Diversity and inclusion

We will build on our reputation as a diverse and inclusive workplace where our people are healthy and feel safe and free from negative or harmful behaviour.

In line with the objectives of Papa Pounamu (the Public Service diversity and inclusion work programme), we will enhance inclusive practice in the following areas:

Employee-led networks

As we grow the membership and variety of our employee networks, we will seek opportunities for more meaningful engagement with them. Active promotion of employee-led networks starts with new people being introduced to them in our induction programme. As we are a small Ministry, we also encourage our people to participate in events held by networks in larger organisations. The employee-led networks are sponsored by Te Kāhui Mataaho members who are actively involved in these groups.

Inclusive leadership

We will continue to embed and develop our Meaningful Conversations programme, which supports leaders to connect with and learn about their people through regular kōrero, reflective practice and the prioritisation of personal wellbeing. All staff will have a personalised Delivery and Development Plan that is supported by cultural understanding and the recognition and exploration of diverse individual needs.

Gender pay gap

We will further develop and expand our step-based remuneration approach as a key factor in our commitment under the Public Service Gender Pay Gap Action Plan to eliminate gender and ethnic pay gaps. The overall gender pay gap at the Ministry in 2023 was 5.3 per cent, compared to an overall Public Service gender pay gap of 7.1 per cent. In organisations of our size, individual employee changes (arrivals and departures) affect the total, so we closely monitor trends and encourage recruitment from a diverse talent pool.

Addressing bias

A focus of our induction programme is building awareness and understanding of bias and how to mitigate its impacts on our work and our people. Our ongoing refinement of policies and processes highlights opportunities to embed equitable practices that design out the risks of impact by bias. Implementing an applicant tracking system into our recruitment process enhances the applicant experience and bolsters the decision-making process when seeking a diverse range of candidates.

Equal employment opportunities

We are dedicated to promoting equal employment opportunities and addressing inequality in career development and progression. Our workplace culture values diversity, attracts and retains talent, and supports all staff in understanding and mitigating the impacts of bias.

We empower our employees to feel confident and safe in reporting any inappropriate behaviour. Bullying, harassment and discrimination are not tolerated.

Our goal is to eliminate any policy or procedure that may affect equity at all stages of the employee life cycle. We are committed to continuously improving our equal employment opportunities through regular reviews and updates to our policies and practices.

Cultural competency

We will continue to build our cultural capability and confidence to support the Crown’s relationships with Māori in accordance with Te Tiriti o Waitangi/The Treaty of Waitangi.

At the heart of the Minsitry’s strategy (Te Rautaki) is Te Arataki (our iwi/Māori engagement strategy), a key focus of which is improving our cultural capability. By building confidence in our engagement with Māori, we set the foundations for working successfully with other communities. Building on previous years, we will continue to implement Whāinga Amorangi (Phase 1), which seeks to increase knowledge of Māori–Crown relations among staff in a way that is relevant to their role and function, including understanding of:

• New Zealand history and Te Tiriti o Waitangi/The Treaty of Waitangi
• our Treaty settlement commitments
• appropriate practices around engagement
• the cultural value of taonga.

Capability development will include formal training offered outside the Ministry, informal internal learning and on-the-job development.

We will undertake a refresh of Te Ara Reo, our Te Reo Language Plan, to normalise the use of te reo Māori within our organisation and ensure we make progress towards our intention that the Ministry becomes a bilingual organisation by 2040.

Managing risks and emergency response

We recognise risk management as an integral part of good management practice and an essential component of good governance. Alongside our work to implement a new governance structure we will aim to strengthen a risk-based approach to the management and delivery of our work programme. Risk management, emergency management and resilience activity, along with protective security requirements and the health, safety and welfare of our people, must be considered in all aspects of our work.

We continue to build staff capability and understanding of the importance of a risk based approach, and how managing risk directly influences our success in achieving our priorities and outcomes. Staff education includes information sessions, policies and guidelines developed by subject matter experts, and online tools.

Risk management within the Ministry is based on the following principles:

• Risk management is embedded in the culture of Manatū Taonga.
• Risk identification and management is undertaken across all our activities as part of:
  • strategic planning
  • annual planning
  • day-to-day operations.

Health, safety and wellbeing

The health, safety and wellbeing of our staff and other people is of paramount importance. Improvement of our health, safety and wellbeing systems continues to be a focus. We want those engaging in work with us to return home safe and well.

Our vision – We provide safe and healthy environments for our people, contractors and visitors.

Our objective – We will support all staff, contractors and visitors to understand and manage risk well, and engage with and contribute to our health and safety practices.

Our goal – Everyone plays their part to manage health and safety risks effectively.

The Ministry’s Health, Safety and Wellbeing framework is modelled on Te Whare Tapa Whā. The model describes health and wellbeing as a wharenui/meeting house with four walls. These walls represent spiritual wellbeing, mental and emotional wellbeing, physical wellbeing and family and social wellbeing. When all these elements are in balance, we thrive. When one or more of them is out of balance, our wellbeing is impacted.

Focusing on what will make the biggest impact to reduce harm

• Physical/Taha Tinana – ensuring the Ministry is providing a physically healthy and safe space for all
• Social/Taha Whānau – supporting all staff with family responsibilities
• Spiritual/Taha Wairua – ensuring all staff are supported to keep their spirit alive and well
• Mental/Taha Hinengaro – ensuring the Ministry is providing a safe space for the mental health of all staff.

To build staff capability, we continue to encourage our leaders at all levels to integrate health and safety into their work programmes, to share data and insights to help improve decision making, and to enable staff to be represented on the Ministry’s Health and Safety governance committee.

Civil Defence Emergency Management Response

We have a legislative requirement under the Civil Defence Emergency Management Act 2002 to function to the fullest possible extent during and after an emergency. We also hold vital liaison responsibility as lead agency for broadcasting, a critical lifeline within the National Civil Defence Emergency Management Plan.

We contribute to the system response through provision of surge staff and advice. We recognise our role in recovery to support the cultural wellbeing of individuals and communities through regeneration that will meet future needs across the social, economic, natural and built environments. We are committed to building resilience, not only for our daily activities but for the unexpected, by applying the principles of the 4Rs to everything we do: Reduction, Readiness, Response and Recovery.

Carbon Neutral Programme

Climate change is having a significant impact on the arts, culture and heritage of Aotearoa New Zealand. Our unique ways of life, identity, and the values and traditions that make us who we are, are at risk of being altered or lost.

Our role

As the principal adviser on the cultural system, we have a role in advising the government on climate risks to New Zealand’s culture and heritage, and in advising Ministers on how the Ministry can help meet the government’s climate change priorities as set out in the Emissions Reduction Plan and the National Adaptation Plan 2022–2028.

As the steward of the cultural system, we have a role in supporting the cultural sectors to identify, respond and adapt to the effects of climate change. We engage with sector organisations to support their actions in preparation for the future and gain valuable insights into the direct impact of climate change on our system.

Managing our emissions

Manatū Taonga is committed to meeting its obligations under the Carbon Neutral Government Programme to measure, manage and reduce our emissions.

Our emissions arise from our core operations, as well as other activities on behalf of the Crown within our span of control. These include care for our portfolio of memorials, war and other graves, and the conservation of newly found taonga tūturu.

The Ministry has agreed to the targets of reducing our gross emissions compared to our 2019/20 baseline by 21 per cent by 2025 and by 42 per cent by 2030.