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The head of the Ministry for Maori Development says a new structure will allow regional staff to work more closely with the policy team at head office.
The reorganisation will trim Te Puni Kokiri’s headcount to under 300 and require most staff to reapply for their jobs.
Michelle Hippolite says she is looking for a simpler, flatter structure, which will mean fewer managers in the regions.
She says by the time the changes come into effect in November there will be a new Minister for Maori Affairs, and the ministry will need to show more political awareness.
"It’s not just about the theory and all those things associated with policy but to infuse and make sure that what happens locally feeds into that but also when policy decisions are made, how our policy people work with our local people to say this is the intention and this is how the policy is expected to be implemented," Ms Hippolite says.
She wants Te Puni Kokiri to lift its game in terms of influencing other government departments.
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