10 May 2004
Te Puni Kokiri Media Release

Te Puni Kokiri Deputy Secretaries Appointed

Te Puni Kokiri Chief Executive Leith Comer announced today the appointees to the Minstry's three Deputy Secretary positions.

The Te Puni Kokiri change programme, released earlier this year, outlined a new leadership structure of which the newly created Deputy Secretary positions would play a key role. The positions have been appointed as follows:

Deputy Secretary Policy - Hekia Parata Previously Executive Director of Gardiner & Parata Limited, specialising in public policy development. Prior to that Hekia was a senior public servant in various Ministries and Departments, including establishing the policy capacity of the then new Ministry of Maori Development as General Manager Policy in 1992.

Deputy Secretary Relationships and Information - Alison Thom Leaves her role as CE of Ngà Puhi Runanga to take up the Deputy Secretary appointment. Alison also has significant experience in the public service particularly in the area of social policy and social work practice.

Deputy Secretary Support Services - Craig Owen Moves into the Deputy Secretary position from his previous role of General Manager Corporate Services Te Puni Kokiri. Craig has been a senior manager in Te Puni Kokiri for 8 years and has a finance and public sector background.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION TE PUNI KÒKIRI CHANGE PROGRAMME

The Te Puni Kokiri change programme is aimed at:

* Providing Te Puni Kòkiri with a common focus of leading and influencing policy.

* Integrating all current functions - policymaking, auditing, monitoring and evaluation, programme delivery, research and information, relationships with Màori are all being brought together in a concerted effort to improve our policy advice.

* Getting closer to Màori to ensure our policy advice is strengthened by knowing what is actually happening in Màori communities.

* An improved and more inclusive leadership and management approach - in order to give real affect to our name "Te Puni Kokiri" which means "Moving forward together".

ENDS

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