07 Mar 2005

Te Wananga o Aotearoa is New Zealand's largest tertiary provider. A timely audit report from the New Zealand Qualification Authority ("NZQA") has held the quality of this service up to the public eye. Despite current troubles, this should be acknowledged in greater detail within mainstream media as it continues to follow the progress of Government intervention within the Wananga.

Te Wananga o Aotearoa is currently facing allegations of financial mismanagement, which has resulted in the Government taking control of its finances through the appointment of Brian Roche as a Crown Manager. The core of the issues which have resulted in this development are lit by a western corporate doctrine known as Degree of Influence, which has been shone upon the Wananga by MP Ken Shirley. Most media have used this light to create shadows upon the Wananga's successes.

In reality, the current financial situation actually provides the Wananga with an opportunity to improve itself, especially with the expert skills of Roche on board. Roche is no stranger to Maori economic development.

Meanwhile the NZQA Audit report discusses the substantial implementation of the 2003 Audit Action Plan by the Wananga and how its programme was fully consistent with the Tertiary Education Strategy adopted by the Government and implemented by the Tertiary Education Commission. This audit did not cover financial aspects of the Wananga, but what it does highlight is that recent criticisms on the quality of the service provided by the Wananga is not supported by the empirical evidence. Thus public confidence should not be withheld on this basis.

As with all organisational development, if the necessary lessons are learnt then they must be installed within the corporate structure through the creation or implementation of processes, which provide the required transparency and accountability. This takes time and understanding of organisational behaviour.

If a corporation seeks to implement practices or values from another framework within their corporate paradigm then it should be provided for in the rules of the organisation in a way that will withstand the scrutiny and critiques from both sides of the spectrum. Corporate responsibility is a term that can embrace financial integrity, corporate ethics and dimensions of economic, social and environmental value. Click on the link provided for further reading on Corporate Liability

The Wananga has made considerable achievements and it can only evolve its processes to restore its financial situation in a way which will stabilise its business. This is so it can seek independance from the Crown once again. As the NZQA report states "The Wananga is to be congratulated on the initiative taken in adressing the learning needs of New Zealanders in general and Maori in particular who have not been well served by the school system". Additionally it is unavoidable to ignore the Western trends in respect to liability in Corporate governance, especially if the Government has an interest in that organisation and those are the recognised bench marks within the political society.