Lay summary
Pacific peoples have poorer health status than other populations, and inequities have persisted. Consecutive governments have prioritised Pacific health through strategies and action plans, which aim, through various policy actions, to improve Pacific health. Slow progress in improving Pacific peoples’ health accords with evidence and experience that Aotearoa NZ is good at developing strategies, actions plans and policy actions, but is less good at actually implementing them. But the specific reasons for why this might be are not clear. This research aims to provide an evidence base about how future Pacific health strategies, action plans and policy actions can be improved, to ensure their success in improving Pacific peoples’ health. This research will be guided by talanoa and realist philosophical and methodological principles, will take a systems approach (collecting data at national, district/organisational and local levels), and will draw on a mix of qualitative and quantitative methods.