Niho Taniwha Case Study: Kahu Taurima ‘Services For All Whānau’ Prototype
April 2026
The Auckland Co-Design Lab
Niho Taniwha is a framework designed to bridge the gap between ‘on-the-ground’ learning with whānau and hapori, and the systems that influence investment and decision-making.
This case study shares how Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora used Niho Taniwha as a learning system to support the redesign of the Well Child Tamariki Ora (WCTO) service. WCTO is one of the country’s few universal services - reaching 90% of children under five - meaning even small improvements can lead to significant gains in equity, whānau experience, and long-term social and economic outcomes.
This is the first in a series of case studies sharing how the Niho Taniwha framework is being used across Aotearoa. The second case study in this series can be found here.
