A Fair Chance for All Inquiry
Haemata facilitated Māori engagement wānanga to inform the Productivity Commission’s inquiry A Fair Chance for All, ensuring Māori perspectives helped shape national discussions on persistent disadvantage.

The Opportunity
The Productivity Commission was tasked by Government to undertake an inquiry into economic inclusion and social mobility, focused on addressing persistent disadvantage in Aotearoa.
To ensure the inquiry reflected a broad range of perspectives, the Commission sought meaningful engagement with Māori communities to help inform the Terms of Reference and identify key areas requiring further investigation.
Our Response
Haemata was commissioned to design and facilitate engagement that would enable Māori voices and lived experiences to inform the inquiry.
Using a kaupapa-informed approach, Haemata facilitated a series of deep-dive wānanga with participants from diverse backgrounds. These sessions created space for participants to share perspectives on the systemic drivers of disadvantage and identify areas where research and policy responses should focus.
Insights from the wānanga were analysed and synthesised into a report outlining emerging themes and recommendations to support the Commission’s inquiry.
The Outcome
The findings from the Māori engagement wānanga were presented to the Productivity Commission and contributed to the development of the final inquiry report.
Haemata’s work was formally acknowledged in the published report, recognising the contribution of the wānanga and the insights shared by participants.
The Conclusion
This engagement process supported the Productivity Commission to incorporate Māori perspectives into its inquiry on persistent disadvantage. By creating space for lived experiences to inform the inquiry, the work helped strengthen the understanding of the structural challenges facing communities across Aotearoa.
