Lay summary
The persistence of wellbeing inequities for Tangata Whenua in Aotearoa remains ostensible, particularly for whānau Māori living in rural areas. There is huge scope to significantly reduce or eliminate inequities and given the complex nature of many of the health conditions faced by whānau Māori, a multifaceted approach that is led by Māori is needed to achieve this aspiration. Using learnings from an Iwi-led community response to COVID-19, we propose to develop and measure the impact of a community-based intervention aimed at enhancing the wellbeing of whānau located in the Kaipara and Hokianga areas. The study will use a Kaupapa Māori approach to designing and deploying a community-based intervention led in partnership with whānau Māori and centred around the Te Roroa 'Nurturing our Whakapapa' (NOW) Framework. Whānau needs and aspirations (with a focus on taitamariki and kaumātua) will be elucidated through various wānanga and qualitative interviews with whānau and local service providers. Whānau-determined health outcomes will be measured pre-vs-post intervention deployment. A summative evaluation will be conducted to explore critical success factors of intervention design, barriers and facilitators to implementation, investigate meaningful outcomes measures and knowledge sharing, and to measure the impact and role of the NOW framework in improving whānau outcomes.