Published on 29 Oct 2025

Anchoring Strategy in Wellbeing: Framework for the Ministry for Culture and Heritage

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Anton Davis Director Consulting (NZ) Contact me
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Nick Leffler Organisational Design + Change Lead Contact me

Allen + Clarke worked alongside Manatū Taonga to create Te Waka Hourua o Manatū Taonga, a dual-hulled wellbeing framework that integrates He Ara Waiora and the Living Standards Framework (LSF) into the Ministry's strategy. 

The impact of the work is that the Ministry now has a Wellbeing Framework that:

 

  • Is used to guide policy analysis, programme design, and evaluation 

  • Supports alignment with Government wellbeing priorities (e.g. Wellbeing Budgets) 

  • Promotes stronger integration of Te Tiriti o Waitangi commitments into daily operations. 
Te Waka Horurua o Manatū Taonga places intergenerational wellbeing at the heart of strategic thinking, planning and decision-making for Aotearoa New Zealand's cultural sector.

The Challenge: A System Shift towards Wellbeing

The cultural sector is more than an economic contributor. It is a foundation of identity, belonging and resilience. The Ministry needed a wellbeing framework that would reflect this depth and provide a clear roadmap for delivering value across generations. 

In the wake of a global pandemic and a national pivot toward holistic, inclusive policy frameworks, Manatū Taonga needed more than a strategy - it needed a new way of thinking about wellbeing that:

  • Website Generic Icons 1200x1200 GREEN 31 Moved beyond just Western worldviews to also incorporate Māori worldviews.
  • Website Generic Icons 1200x1200 GREEN 31 Provided clarity on how to design, deliver and evaluate cultural initiatives that support collective wellbeing.
  • Website Generic Icons 1200x1200 GREEN 31 Positioned the Ministry as a cultural system steward capable of leading this shift.
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Designing Te Waka Hourua

Working in close collaboration with Te Kāhui Mataaho, Ngā Uri o Kiwa, and Ministry Leaders, Allen + Clarke co-developed Te Waka Hourua o Manatū Taonga - an innovative intervention and wellbeing framework that draws from two knowledge systems. The double-hulled waka metaphor symbolises how these two framework travel in parallel - distinct but united - carrying the Ministry's strategy forward. 

  • He Ara Waiora (Te Ao Māori): A framework grounded in mātauranga Māori that centres on values such as manaakitanga, kotahitanga, and stewardship. It reflects how wellbeing is relational, spiritual and collective. 

  • The Living Standards Framework (Treasury): A Western policy framework that supports intergenerational wellbeing through domains like health, housing, income and cultural identity. 

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Translating Vision into Impact

Te Waka Horurua provides a Theory of Change, a visual and conceptual pathway from activities to outcomes, showing: 

  • The levers the Ministry can pull (e.g. partnerships, policy tools, cultural competence)

  • The outcomes it seeks (short, medium, long term)

  • The values and assumptions that underpin how cultural wellbeing is understood and measured

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The Ministry needed a wellbeing framework that could provide a clear roadmap for delivering intergenerational value.

Informing Decision-Making and Strategy Delivery

As a result of this work Allen + Clarke successfully developed and delivered:

 

  • Te Waka Hourua Wellbeing Framework - a visual, narrative-driven document that blends He Ara Waiora and Living Standards Framework. 

  • Outcomes Logic and Theory of Change - a step-by-step framework for turning activities into lasting outcomes. 

  • Wellbeing-focused Measurement Framework - designed to track how Ministry efforts contribute to holistic wellbeing over time. 

  • Illustrative Storyboards - visual tools that help staff and stakeholders understand and apply the framework in context. 

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Interconnected coloured pathways forming abstract network diagram