Lay summary
How can Māori health data inform locally responsive contributions to Māori health and wellbeing advancement when the data systems are designed around Crown needs? Data is a strategic resource for Māori health advancement and self-determination. However, most existing health data resources contain few Māori-defined variables, have high technical barriers to access, are organised around Crown geographic boundaries and are predominantly deficit measures. This development grant will support the design of a research project that addresses the Māori health data systems and capability gaps highlighted by the Haumaru Wai2575 report and the two successful High Court cases about Māori vaccination data in Māori hands. The development work is a partnership between leading Māori data scientists (iNZight Analytics Ltd), a Māori data governance organisation (Tūhono Trust), Māori community organisations and university researchers. This grant will support the stakeholder engagement and collaborative design process required to complete an HRC project grant proposal in 2025.