Tui Raumata
Medium-Large Organisation Winner
Connecting Employee-Led Networks (ELNs) across a range of government agencies is encouraging the sharing of best practice models and creating opportunities to influence and improve practices and policies across the Public Sector as a whole.
Tui Raumata is a rōpu of cross-agency ELN leaders, working together to enable communication, collaboration, and partnership within diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) mahi in the Public Sector.
There are more than 230 agency networks across the Public Sector helping employees to connect, share ideas and support each other in reaching their potential.
Many of these are supported by seven cross-agency ELNs:
- Tūhono, the Māori public sector network
- Pacific Public Servants’ Network (PPSN)
- Pan-Asian Public Sector Network (PAPSN)
- Government Women’s Network (GWN)
- We Enable Us (WEU)
- Cross-Agency Rainbow Network (CARN)
- Public Service Futures (PSF)
These cross-agency ELNs represent the interests of the collective organisation-level ELNs across the Public Service and provide support and advice to organisation-level ELNs of a similar nature. There are also two emerging cross-agency networks focused on women of colour and neurodiversity.
Bringing together the leaders of these cross-agency groups ensures maximum opportunities to learn from each other to develop best practice across all ELNs, facilitates the creation and sharing of resources and mitigates against having siloed programmes and fragmented decision-making.
“Tui Raumata intentionally works together in cooperation, with respect for one another and what we each bring, to produce a combined effort greater than the sum of our separate parts,” says ELN Programme Director Carin Sundstedt, hosted at Te Kawa Mataaho.
Supporting the ELNs who represent diverse communities is a priority of Papa Pounamu, the Public Service diversity and inclusion work programme.
“ELNs have been one of the strongest areas of success and growth within DEI over the last three years through the efforts and impact of cross-agency networks.
“Tui Raumata gives people support to grow skills and we do this in addition to our day jobs. Our communities succeed because the work we do in ELNs also benefits communities outside of public service.”
Making the most of collaboration opportunities and an intersectional approach has been a recent focus for Tui Raumata. The group mahi over the last three years includes:
- Contributing to the governance group responsible for closing pay gaps
- Providing input to Public Service-wide resources, working to make them more equitable
- Induction for all public servants
- A code of conduct review
- National Action Plan Against Racism (NAPAR)
Tui Raumata and agency ELNs have worked in partnership with Te Kawa Mataaho to produce data reports for diverse communities that have helped highlight where further work is needed and led to action plans and commitments across the system to address inequities.
Papa Pounamu co-leads Peter Mersi (Inland Revenue Chief Executive) and Gaye Searancke (Land Information NZ Chief Executive) look to Tui Raumata to provide the kind of unique leadership that is even more important in times of change.
“We see evidence across the system that Tui Raumata as a group creates and maintains momentum within diversity, equity, and inclusion. They create visibility to senior leaders about what matters most to our people. We are better leaders for listening to Tui Raumata.”
