Overview | Sampling Methods | Framework

Policies for Mäori advancement require reliable information based on actual Mäori experience. Who is Mäori, what are their economic, social and cultural characteristics, what are the ranges of aspirations, are questions that need to be answered before policies and programmes designed to address Mäori needs can be adequately developed. Although much information has been collated about Mäori there are continuing difficulties in reporting on representative Mäori samples. Mäori diversity, in terms of geography, cultural identity, socio-economic circumstances and lifestyles are key considerations which must be taken into account in the construction of sampling frames for Mäori.

Whaihua Tatau1 is the sampling strategy developed for the Te Hoe Nuku Roa - Mäori Profiles project. It has been able to provide a systematic and reliable approach to the regional selection of potential respondents, and the identification and enumeration of Mäori households.

This method was favored for three specific reasons. First, a strategic approach can be adopted with a systematic surveying of regions as they can be reasonably managed and in order to maximise cost efficiency. Second, by utilising existing information about each region it is possible to develop a frame from which a sample reasonably representative of Mäori from the regional population can be drawn. Third, it provides an opportunity to compare one region with another in terms of Mäori households.

It is an effective tool, within the management constraints surrounding the study: the budgetary limitations on recruitment, and the complexities of data handling. Because the method provides some rigor in the selection of respondents from the range of household circumstances, and weights them accordingly, it is able to satisfy representivity requirements, at least for the purposes of this study.

Whaihua Tatau was developed in collaboration with New Zealand Statistics and involves sampling from primary sampling units (PSU). Based on the stratifications within each region and in relation to Mäori population density within each stratum, selections of primary sampling units were selected for each survey.

An enumeration phase involving a door to door survey within each PSU was undertaken to establish which household were eligible for inclusion in the study. Later, eligible households were randomly selected to achieve predetermined totals (which allow for non-participation and no-contact), in line with the population stratum proportions.