Society Kaupapa & Objects
Excerpt from Ngā Aho Society of Māori Design Professionals Rules
27 March 2026
3.1 Kaupapa
Designing Māori Futures
The Society will promote and facilitate the development, articulation and application of Māori design skills to enable Māori to envisage, design and achieve desired futures.
3.2 Objects
The principle objects of the society are:
a. Whakamarama
Object: To raise awareness and increase knowledge, amongst members and their communities of interest, in respect to Māori issues, aspirations, methods, practices and knowledge in the Society’s fields of interest.
This may be achieved by:
• Sharing information through facilitating communications between members, and between members and their communities of interest.
• Contributing to the development and delivery of relevant education from a kaupapa Māori base.
• Providing or facilitating access to mentoring and/or professional development support and opportunities for members, particularly young members.
• Initiating, facilitating and / or carrying out research and practice which advances kaupapa Māori knowledge in relevant domains.
• Developing, contributing to, and maintaining a database of relevant publications and resources.
• Developing and/or facilitating conferences / symposium / wānanga on topics relevant to members and their communities of interest.
b. Whakawhānaungatanga
Object: To foster the development of productive relationships and networks between members and between members and their communities of interest.
This may be achieved by:
• Putting on social and informal events for members and the public to foster interaction and networking.
• Notifying members of relevant national / regional events and activities and encouraging their participation.
• Providing the means for members and their communities of interest to contact and communicate with one another.
• Developing global relationships with Indigenous communities with similar objects.
• Seeking, developing and maintaining relationships with relevant allied individuals, professional bodies and communities of interest to advance the objects of the society and shared interests.
c. Mahi Tahi
Object: To foster and facilitate collaboration between members and between members and their communities of interest.
This may be achieved by:
• Providing the means for members and their communities of interest to connect with one another and seek each other’s involvement in projects, activities or other collaborative opportunities.
• Actively identifying and notifying members of collaborative opportunities such as contracts, tenders, enterprise development opportunities etc.
• Facilitating procurement processes to enable members and their communities of interest to secure collaborative opportunities, such as Registration of Interest, Request for Proposal / Tenders etc.
• To set up or take shares in any company, or to promote any company, joint venture or co- operative enterprise, which is calculated to benefit members either directly or indirectly.
d. Whakamana
Object: To increase the Profile and Standing of members and their communities of interest – particularly iwi and hapū.
This may be achieved by:
• Promoting the development and articulation of iwi / hapū identity in our cultural landscape and national design vernacular.
• Assisting members and their communities of interest to identify and achieve their development aspirations.
• Developing, maintaining and promoting a register of members and facilitating professional engagement.
• Developing, maintaining and promoting competency brands and / or other quality assurance measures or standards that recognise members achievements in the articulation of culture.
• Developing and regulating culturally appropriate professional ethics, standards and/or practice guidelines.
• Becoming and maintaining a position as the Māori organisation of first choice for all matters relating to the Society’s Interests.
• Promoting the interests of the Society and its communities of interest to Central and Local Government and other bodies and to make representations or submissions on relevant matters of law, legislation, strategy, plans or policies.
e. Whakahaere Kaupapa
Object: To do anything necessary or helpful to the above purposes.