Commissioning for the prevention of sexual violence and family violence
October 2025
The Lab
This month, The Auckland Co-Design Lab released a new innovation brief: Commissioning for the prevention of sexual violence and family violence.
This brief draws on our work alongside whānau, hapori, and government partners, over the last ten years, and aims to support more effective investment in the prevention of sexual violence and family violence across Aotearoa New Zealand.
In this brief, we explore how commissioning can be better utilised as a powerful lever for change and its potential to activate community-led responses, support healing, and build long-term wellbeing.
Te Tokotoru is used to highlight how we might shift commissioning away from siloed, crisis-driven approaches, toward holistic, place-based investment strategies.
We then translate this analysis into five strategies and related actions that together can support more effective prevention commissioning. These are:
Commission from Place
Commission Kaupapa Māori·
Commission to Build Collaboration
Commission to Build Capability
Commission to Build Practice-Based Evidence
A key takeaway from the brief is that prevention in Aotearoa New Zealand is not only about reducing harm — it’s about enabling whānau and hapori to thrive. This means commissioning approaches that invest in local strengths, support long-term, culturally grounded healing, and strengthen the enduring social and cultural infrastructure that sustains wellbeing over time.
We look forward to continuing this conversation and supporting public sector teams to consider how they might commission differently and more effectively — in ways that better reflect the realities of whānau and hapori and enable lasting change.
