Maori trusts management to be strengthened by government

The Government plans to strengthen the management of publicly funded Maori trusts.

It will provide $520,000 for a pilot and $2 million for the full programme's first year (2004-2005).

Associate Maori Affairs Minister John Tamihere said the plan aimed to ensure Maori organisations involved in the delivery of Government contracts were competent, able to deliver high-quality results and could account for spending.

He said the Strengthening Management and Governance programme would begin with a trial of 26 Maori organisations that had a yearly revenue of $800,000 or more in Government contracts.

Eight organisations from the Auckland and Counties-Manukau area would begin the trial this month and others in Whangarei, Hamilton, Hawkes Bay, Wellington, Rotorua and Christchurch would follow.

The full programme would begin in July and organisations with an annual revenue of $100,000 or more would then be eligible.

"I expect the programme may involve about 300 organisations in the medium term," the minister said.

The Maori organisations covered contracts for services to agencies such as Child, Youth and Family, the Health Ministry and Housing New Zealand.

Mr Tamihere said the programme involved an independent analysis of the organisation's governance and management; strategies to meet its needs; and linking with the public and private sectors to provide funding, support or specialist advice.

"We must be transparent to the highest levels of scrutiny - not second best, but the best of the best.

"Of course, we always hear and read about the worst cases ... The problem is that as Maori we all risk being tarred with the same brush as the minority who are wrongdoers."

Maori lacked experience in managing large amounts of funding, so systems needed to be in place while that experience was gained, he said.

The National Party yesterday called the programme a waste of money.

- NZPA