Te Māngai Pāho to manage Māori ICT Fund

Te Māngai Pāho to manage Māori ICT Fund

12:39:PM, 14 August 2014

The Board and management of Te Māngai Pāho has welcomed today’s announcement by the government that it has been selected to administer and govern the $30 million Māori ICT Fund signalled in Budget 2014.

“It is very pleasing that the government has confidence in the ability of Te Māngai Pāho to provide sound and transparent processes for the management and contracting of contestable funding,” Te Māngai Pāho Chief Executive John Bishara said.

Board Chair, Piri Sciascia added “As the convergence of technologies provides traditional broadcasters with new competitors for audiences and revenue, it is sensible that integrated ICT investment strategies are developed that include both traditional and emerging technologies. The Board of Te Māngai Pāho acknowledges that this decision provides Te Māngai Pāho with the opportunity and obligation to engage with iwi, government and industry stakeholders to create such a strategy for Māori ICT development.”

The Māori ICT Fund has a dual purpose: to support Māori economic development by increasing the participation of Māori in the sector, and consequently increasing the inherent business development opportunities the sector offers, now and in the future; and to support initiatives that support access to Māori language and culture through ICT.

Mr Bishara said the allocation strategy would be determined only after extensive consultation with those who have an interest in Māori ICT development. Te Māngai Pāho’s immediate focus will be getting input from across the sector, iwi and Māori groups and ensuring that it has the right accountability processes in place to administer the fund efficiently.

To help it make sound decisions, Te Māngai Pāho already engages ‘expert panels’ within the streams it currently funds (television, music, radio, digital and new media). Similarly, Te Māngai Pāho will establish an ICT ‘expert panel’ to assist in the development of ICT strategies and the assessment of proposals.

Te Māngai Pāho has been given an initial allocation of $500,000 for 2014/15, principally to consult and develop the over-arching investment strategy along with the administration and oversight arrangements. In the second and subsequent years, the allocation available for distribution will increase to approximately $5 million a year for the next 6 years.

"We have significant experience in allocating funds and a track record of doing this well. We believe we largely have the administration processes and mechanisms in place already but we recognise that we will need to develop our capacity to recognise and support ICT opportunities that enhance Māori economic development. We look forward to that challenge.”

"The selection of our organisation to carry out this function acknowledges the Māori language leadership that Te Māngai Pāho has provided for nearly two decades and is a natural extension of that role" Mr Bishara said.

Te Māngai Pāho was established in 1993 and over that period has managed over $700 million in funding with approximately $52 million allocated annually over the last ten years.

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