Green Paper and consultation

We are taking an inclusive, deliberative and open approach to gather a broad base of views, drawing on the collective wisdom, experience and inspiration of our researchers and research users.

Te Ara Paerangi – Future Pathways Green Paper highlights a range of issues faced by the RSI system. At this stage of the process, there are no predetermined ideas or solutions and are gathering views through consultation to better understand opportunities for improvement.

Green Paper consultation – summary of submissions

We are pleased with the response we have received on the consultation on Te Ara Paerangi - Future Pathways Green Paper, which ran from October 2021 to March 2022. We received 885 written submissions, while around 2,500 participants took part in our webinars and workshops.

Between February and March 2022, we held 15 online workshops. This included 12 sessions with 2 on each of the 6 Green Paper topics, 2 separate senior leaders/managers sessions and 1 separate Early Career Researchers session.

The summary report is provided in two parts:

• Part I - a general report summarising all submissions and engagements
• Part II - a report summarising Māori submissions and engagements.

Read the summary report

Introduction [PDF, 646 KB]

Part I - a general report summarising all submissions and engagements [PDF, 2.9 MB]

Part II - a report summarising Māori submissions and engagements [PDF, 4.2 MB]

Key themes:

• broad support for greater prominence of Te Tiriti o Waitangi in RSI policies and structures
• an interest in moving to research priorities that focus on national challenges and opportunities
• concern around the nature, availability and longevity of funding
• interest in workforce issues such as equity, career development, and precarity and mobility
• support for greater connections and collaboration in the system rather than competition across the whole of the RSI system.

Next steps

We are reviewing the information in submissions and considering this alongside undertaking further policy work. As the policy design process becomes more detailed and options are narrowed down, there will be further opportunities for engagement, and further consultation. We will provide updates as the work continues to evolve.

Consultation with Pacific researchers and research users

The views and feedback of Pacific researchers and research users are key to the success of the Te Ara Paerangi – Future Pathways Programme. There are many different Pacific Peoples in Aotearoa and across Te Moana Nui a Kiwa (the Pacific Ocean), who all have varied relationships with New Zealand and our RSI system.

Engagement with Pacific Peoples on the Green Paper consultation was relatively low. In response, MBIE undertook targeted consultation to seek input from Pacific researchers and Pacific research users.

In early June, we held two online talanoa with 20 Pacific researchers and research users to discuss Te Ara Paerangi – Future Pathways and its relevance to Pacific Peoples. We separately met with members from Komiti Pasifika and a group of early career researchers to discuss their submissions on the Green Paper.

Komiti Pasifika(external link)

An independent team have developed a report, ‘Key Insights from the Pacific consultation for Te Ara Paerangi – Future Pathways’ that summarises what we heard in these engagements. The report has fed into work on the vision and direction for Te Ara Paerangi, and its recommendations will continue to inform further policy work. We want to continue building relationships with Pacific People as we progress this work.

Our talanoa with Pacific researchers and research users identified 9 key shifts for Te Ara Paerangi – Future Pathways to ensure the RSI system lifts the wellbeing of our Pacific communities:

1. Increase the visibility of, and the integration of Pacific researchers and research-users into the RSI system.
2. Rethink how Pacific research excellence is defined and celebrated.
3. Apply a Pacific lens to how research impact is acknowledged and celebrated.
4. Genuinely integrate Pacific methodologies, research practices and cultural protocols in the RSI system.
5. Grow the Pacific research pipeline and support Pacific researchers within the RSI system.
6. Recognise the value and contribution of Pacific communities to the RSI system.
7. Design research funding models to grow, enable and advance the Pacific research workforce.
8. Explore new opportunities for a Pacific-led function of the RSI system.  
9. Commit resource to ongoing and regular engagement with Pacific researchers and research users.