From Complex Social Value to Clear Communication and Decisions
Practice Foundations – October 2026
Dr Jay Whitehead (Kāi Tahu, Kāti Mamoe)
From Complex Social Value to Clear Communication and Decisions
The focus of this session was on how we can make the wider value of our work more visible and understandable. Dr Jay Whitehead (Kāi Tahu, Kāti Mamoe) shared how economic perspectives can be used alongside ao Māori understandings of value to translate complex social benefits into clear evidence.
Drawing on whakapapa and tauutuutu, Jay explored how value is created and shared through relationships, including benefits that extend beyond individual participants. He offered simple, practical ways to capture useful evidence through existing conversations, records and follow-up.
We also explored Jay's regional impact calculator: https://matatihi.nz/impact-calculator/
A visual summary of the session, completed by the super talented Jacqui Chan, and Jay’s slides can be viewed and downloaded below.
A transcript of the session is available by request, please contact: admin@aucklandco-lab.nz
