Jacinta Paranihi, Senior Advisor Māori Crown Relations Te Arawhiti

Jacinta explains her framework Ngā Tikanga Paihere which helps data practitioners achieve good outcomes in their work and be responsive to Māori needs. The framework is guided by Māori tikanga, which establishes good behaviour, practices, and relationships. The framework strives to ensure the safety and authenticity of the data for research purposes. The importance of working with Māori communities to ensure meaningful and relevant metadata is also emphasised. Overall, the call is made to work with Māori data in a way that honours and respects Māori.

Jacinta Paranihi, recently a senior advisor at Stats NZ and formerly a librarian at the National Library introduces the framework she developed, called "Being Guided by Good Principles," which aims to assist data practitioners in achieving good outcomes in their work and being responsive to Māori needs.

In a brief history of Māori data collection, Paranihi highlights the issues with the existing official data about Māori - statistics gathered were a byproduct of information collected for the mainstream and didn't meet the needs of Māori. Māori researchers have questioned the relevance of this data, as they had very little input in deciding what was measured and the standards used. Government policies, programs, and services are created based on this information, which doesn't adequately reflect Māori realities at the grassroots level.

Paranihi explains the increasing demand for statistical information from Māori authorities and community-based organisations as they gain more control over their own development. However, government officials still struggle to understand the value and need for cultural data, and some needs cannot be met due to a lack of available data or potential confidentiality breaches. The government has a duty to protect Māori rights and interests, especially in the field of rapidly changing digital data and must continue to move forward and take action.

Paranihi introduces the audience to Ngā Tikanga Paihere - a principles-based framework designed to guide safe, responsible and culturally appropriate use of data that ensures careful consideration, good faith practices, and mindfulness towards the communities most highlighted within the data. The framework helps data users understand the need to engage with communities and subject matter experts to understand the context of the research project and the potential impact it may have. The framework is guided by the Māori tikanga, which serves as the core principle that guides ethical decision-making and helps establish good behaviour, practices, and relationships.

In the follow-up Q&A Paranihi discusses the importance of working with Māori communities to ensure that metadata for data about taonga and collections and holdings is meaningful and relevant with Maori control. She advises starting small, having the right conversations, and taking the time to listen to communities. Paranihi emphasises the need to go slow and understand context. The session ends with a call to pick up the framework to work with Māori data in a way that honours and respects Māori.

This is an AI generated summary. There may be inaccuracies.