Case study:
2022
Refresh of NZ’s resettlement strategies
Engaging with the community to understand their aspirations
Workshop design and facilitation | Community engagement
I played a key role across this project, reviewing the New Zealand Refugee Resettlement Strategy (NZRRS) and the New Zealand Migrant Settlement and Integration Strategy (NZMSIS) and relevant literature to identify gaps and inform workshop design. I co-developed and facilitated a series of safe, engaging workshops with former refugees and migrants, and supported the synthesis of insights into a summary report. The findings from this work were used to inform a Cabinet paper which led to the strategies being refreshed to include the recommendations we made.
The challenge
The New Zealand Refugee Resettlement Strategy (NZRRS) and the New Zealand Migrant Settlement and Integration Strategy (NZMSIS) were introduced to help refugees and migrants settle successfully in New Zealand. Nearly ten years on, they needed to be reviewed to better reflect the realities of resettlement in Aotearoa. My team and I were engaged by MBIE to deliver a series of community workshops that built upon the findings of their engagements, to inform a Cabinet paper refreshing both strategies.
My contribution
Context scan
To begin, I did a review of the two strategies, their history, progress, and how they are currently reported on, as well as looking into relevant literature around the subject. This helped us identify potential gap areas which we could use as prompts in the workshops.
Workshop design and facilitation
I co-developed and facilitated five workshops across the country, including one online, for former refugees and migrants to share their thoughts on the refresh. Safety was a key consideration, as participants were sharing from their own experiences and those of their communities. To support this, we kept workshops small and began with a deep whakawhanaungatanga session. I designed interactive activities that encouraged participation and got people out of their seats, helping to keep the workshops engaging and accessible.
Communicating findings
Once the workshops were completed, I helped synthesise the findings into a summary report. From the more than 250 ideas shared during the workshops, we distilled seven high-level themes and example measures to support them. I also helped surface and communicate key challenges raised by participants, using visual formats to make these insights clear and understandable.
The impact
The findings from this work were used to inform a Cabinet paper reviewing the two strategies. As a result, Cabinet made a number of decisions that were strongly influenced by the insights from the workshops. These included:
Keeping the two strategies separate, recognising that migrants and former refugees have different needs and settlement journeys
Placing a stronger focus on wellbeing, belonging, and the ability to participate fully in life
Extending the Refugee Resettlement Strategy to cover additional refugee categories beyond the Refugee Quota Programme