Niho Taniwha
Niho Taniwha is a systems-learning framework developed from working with whānau, communities and other partners.
Grounded in Aotearoa, Niho Taniwha draws respectfully from mātauranga Māori to encourage a values-led set of practices that weave learning and evaluation through the innovation process.
Niho Taniwha helps connect ‘on the ground’ learning with whānau and hapori back into systems to inform investment and decision-making.
This supports us to prioritise whānau-led innovation and to focus on learning and tracking outcomes in ways that energise and accelerate progress for whānau.
On this page you will find more information on Niho Taniwha, as well as supporting resources and tools.
About
Niho Taniwha is a framework designed to bridge the gap between ‘on-the-ground’ learning with whānau and hapori, and the systems that influence investment and decision-making.
Niho Taniwha integrates mātauranga Māori and indigenous perspectives with Western knowledge, creating a responsive and adaptable framework that supports diverse contexts and kaupapa. Niho Taniwha is centered around three key pou:
Outcomes for whānau
Systems change
Strategic learning
Developed alongside whānau and hapori in Aotearoa, this approach aims to shift public sector commissioning, policy, and capability towards a more bottom-up, place-based way of working.
Overview
This document provides an introduction to Niho Taniwha including its purpose, key elements and essential baseline practices. Below you can find a slide deck version and printable PDF copies.
Toolset
The Niho Taniwha Toolset provides practical guidance for embedding learning, reflection, and evidence-based decision-making into your mahi.
With tools to support you in developing a Theory of Change, mapping projects or prototypes, collecting meaningful data, and reflecting with your team, this resource helps create intentional and informed pathways for impact.
Webinar
Embedding Learning in Your Mahi
Presenters: Rachael Trotman, Penny Hagen, and Sophia Beaton
In this webinar, The Southern Initiative shares learning from the development of the Niho Taniwha framework and toolset, and the essence of the approach.
Report
Kia Tipu Te Ao Mārama
This paper shares the journey and role of Te Korekoreka and the Niho Taniwha, evaluative frameworks that underpin the learning environments within Tokona te Raki, an indigenous social innovation arm of Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu, and The Southern Initiative, a social innovation initiative within Auckland Council, based in the south and west of Tāmaki Makaurau.
