IND904 Developing a facilitator training program, with content in both kaupapa Māori and facilitator best practice: Doctorate Dissertation Proposal, NZ

Te Whare Wananga o Awanuiarangi

IND904 Doctor of Philosophy – Indigenous Studies

1.    Research Topic Statement

The research question: Developing a facilitator training program, with content in both kaupapa Māori and facilitator best practice. and testing the difference over a period of eight months from baseline, the untrained kaiwhakarite, to the trained kaiwhakarite. 

In 2006, Sir Paul Reeves gave a symposium presentation.  He stated, with the retirement of the baby boomers, and if the NZ population trend did not change, by 2050 there would be 1 person working for every 1.2 people not working, defined by the government as under 15 years of age and 65 years, the retirement age.  These figures did not include the unemployed. From that presentation, I realised my hapū, Ngat Kawa/ Ngati Rahiri and rural Māori, would experience extreme poverty.

Thinking on this problem, in 2012 I completed a post graduate diploma dissertation in business enterprise (development) investigating the factors to develop a community business that would also meet the criteria for government funding. The community-led business model was created.   In 2020, for the masters I completed two papers, in action research, applying the community-led business model.  From this research, the hapū led business model was created. 

Since 2022, four research efforts have been accepted.  A conference in Queensland, an online professional practice symposium, a you tube  IACD presentation https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=izI6P8JpOk0 and a research article which is peer reviewed and accepted but I am waiting for its publication.  The topic is is hapū-led business development, also known as indigenous-led business development or community wealth. 

In 2012, no-one was offering  Māori  community business development and currently while consultants offer a tailored solution for Māori community development, no business model exists to build a business in a Māori or indigenous community. 

In 2023, I applied to Te Whare Wananga o Awanuiarangi to complete a PhD.  The reason was focus, validity and a systematic methodology.  I would be forced to complete the project because timing is essential, project data would be consistent, with results reported accurately and supervision ensured I would follow process. 

In my mind, the study was to be completed in Australia and I would be supporting the development of a indigenous community business however, in reality, I was working full time in a job, completely different to the role secured, and I found the Indigenous Corporation was not connected to its community.  Ngaanyatjurra Corporation was just going through the process of fulfilling their government contract, to ensure continuous funding, with no desire to expand.