The state of te reo Māori in the public service

Every agency

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Te Papa Atawhai (Department of Conservation) leads on mahere reo (Māori language plans), while many agencies have gaps in renewal, public accountability and staff support.

Te Papa Atawhai has a current standalone plan and names it in its Strategic Intentions, which set out its priorities for Parliament. Other agencies have strong plans but leave them out of these public commitments, rely on broader capability programmes, or have allowed plans to lapse. These are gaps against expectations and responsibilities under the Māori language policy framework. Staff capability in te reo Māori (the Māori language) is growing, but practical support remains uneven.

Understanding the gradings and insights

ReoState grades assess agencies against the Māori language policy framework, drawing on the December 2018 Cabinet direction and Maihi Karauna strategy and reporting. Grades describe how the available evidence meets policy expectations.

What shapes an agency’s grading

Agency role

Convening agencies are held to a higher standard.

A standalone plan

A standalone mahere reo (Māori language plan) is expected. A plan embedded in another programme, such as Whāinga Amorangi or a capability programme, receives a lower grade.

A review date

A mahere reo (Māori language plan) without a review date receives a lower grade.

Accountability documents

Departments are assessed on whether their accountability documents, such as Strategic Intentions and Statements of Intent, reflect their mahere reo (Māori language plan). Not reflecting the plan in these documents results in a lower grade.

Ministerial directives

A ministerial directive to reduce the use of te reo Māori (the Māori language) results in a lower grade. Verbal directives are treated more severely: the overall grade cannot be higher than Partially compliant, regardless of the plan’s quality.

Missing documentation

Where no documentation is available, the methodology assigns Non-compliant and treats the evidence gap as a significant concern. Missing documentation is not, by itself, proof that no plan exists.

Where ReoState came from

The story behind ReoState is an audit that checked public agencies’ claims about their Māori language work against the evidence, after the Controller and Auditor-General declined to examine the concerns raised.

Why it’s needed

To fill a gap in scrutiny

The body responsible for examining public-sector accountability was asked to look into these concerns and declined. The audit took up that work.

To make progress easier to assess

Poor reporting makes it hard to tell what is happening. The audit examined the evidence rather than relying only on agencies’ published accounts of their progress.

To check public claims

The audit identified seven cases where agencies’ annual-report claims were contradicted by their own responses. Comparing those accounts helps readers see where reporting needs closer scrutiny.

To make plans visible

Only three of 28 public service departments named their mahere reo (Māori language plan) in their main accountability documents. Making those connections visible helps the public understand how Māori language commitments are being carried through.

About the data