Anti-Racism Maturity Models – Lessons for the Aotearoa New Zealand Health System (Stage Three Literature Review)

Published online: 
28 February 2023
Anti-Racism Maturity Models – Lessons for the Aotearoa New Zealand Health System.

This is the third and final literature review in the Ao Mai te Rā series. This review examines the key features, characteristics and utility of an anti-racism maturity model approach. It explores a range of models that chart an evolutionary pathway for anti-racism practice.

The review findings show that a maturity model approach is useful in providing a structured roadmap for improvement but can also be too simplistic in nature and largely focused on individual behaviour change.

The review concludes by recommending the Ministry adopt a systems change approach to help maintain a focus on addressing racism at a system-level. This includes, but is not limited to individual behaviour change, overlaid with a critical theory lens (to critically examine and dismantle the root causes of health inequity) and maturity model thinking (to highlight a pragmatic pathway for anti-racism progression).

The recommended model provides the Ministry with initial scaffolding for developing an anti-racism model that ensures the health system is able to address racism in its broadest sense.

This literature review is part of an integrated portfolio of work for phase one of Ao Mai te Rā and was completed by researchers at the University of Canterbury and Tokona Te Raki Māori Futures Collective, on behalf of the Ministry of Health. You can learn more about this initiative at Ao Mai te Rā | the Anti-Racism Kaupapa.

A disclaimer applies to the suite of documents published during phase one of Ao Mai te Rā: the Anti-Racism Kaupapa:

Publishing information

  • Date of publication:
    28 February 2023
  • Citation:
    Williams M. 2022. Anti-Racism Maturity Models – Lessons for the Aotearoa New Zealand Health System (Stage Three Literature Review). Wellington: Ministry of Health.
  • Ordering information:
    Only soft copy available to download
  • Copyright status:

    Owned by the Ministry of Health and licensed for reuse under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Licence.

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