Suaree Borell - The Candidate

Kia ora ano…More sharing and learning about who I am and what value I can add to this new council for the city of Tauranga. Proudly rural I have a work ethic you can be proud of, it’s not perfect BUT I try my LEVEL BEST at all things. That’s good enough for me…

As the youngest of the 8, I learnt early that farming wasn’t in my stars, lots of stars in Whakamārama but farming wasn’t for me. So I hopped the bus, JOKES - my sister came to pick me up and I packed up my worldly possessions in 1998/99 (I forgot) headed for the big smoke. I was materially poor but hopeful, had some smarts - not much don’t get me wrong MENSA wasn’t calling, I was terrified but I left home to forge a better me. I went to study at the University of Auckland, New Zealand’s premier University, all the more so because I attended.

I gained degrees in Sociology, Psychology and Political Science. Whilst there I served as the Māori student President and learnt a lot about seeding leadership and strategic alliances. In that time I navigated Compulsory to Voluntary Membership for Student Associations, Foreshore Seabed, and I beat the current Minister of Education in the Engineering school Drinking Horn, this alone is evidence of my broad skillsets developed and refined over time.

Following my 5 year stint there, I worked in a Kaupapa Māori Research and Evaluation unit, after a solid learning curve I realised I could do this myself and set out as a contractor. I covered areas like Māori Public, Competencies and general service evaluations usually organised by the funder.

It is telling that Evaluation ended up being the lane I would stay because I had no idea what it was until I did one. Fast forward 20 years and I’ve done way too many to mention, and developed a healthy passion for ensuring we ‘measure’ whats important to Māori. Talk to me about the beauty and wonder of the models we have in Te Ao Māori to determine QUALITY and SUCCESS measures in a programme.

We don’t want to NERD OUT on Evaluation, so I asked GTP chat to tell me what evaluators do:

Evaluators play a crucial role in supporting communities by providing valuable insights and recommendations for improvement. Firstly, evaluators can help communities identify their strengths and weaknesses. By conducting thorough assessments and data analysis, evaluators can highlight the community's assets and areas that require attention. This information assists community leaders and stakeholders (I don’t like the term stakeholders because it is rascist and colonial in nature, and refers to stakes on whenua claiming the interest with a clear disregard for who belonged to land, and what connections they held over it) in making informed decisions and allocating resources effectively. It is clear that the incoming councillors need to do better, to foster and reconnect the people to their city, I can do that !

Secondly, evaluators can facilitate community engagement and participation. By involving community members in the evaluation process, evaluators can gather diverse perspectives and ensure that the evaluation reflects the community's needs and priorities. This participatory approach fosters collaboration and empowers community members to have a voice in shaping their own development. I have a deep and enduring commitment to voice and experience over external expert. There is no consultant more important than community voice.

Thirdly, evaluators can contribute to capacity building within communities. Through training and skill development initiatives, evaluators can equip community members with the tools and knowledge to conduct their own evaluations. This enables communities to have a continuous evaluative mindset and empowers them to monitor and assess their progress independently. Strong cities require civic leadership that supports their communities to LIVE, GROW and PLAY together, I will use my skills to steward their voice within the governance level, and activate the staff to do BETTER !

Lastly, evaluators can help communities in advocating for change and attracting resources. By documenting and presenting evidence of the community's impact and effectiveness, evaluators can support the community in making a strong case for funding and support from external stakeholders. This helps communities access the resources they need to address their challenges and achieve their goals. This is about money ($$$$), about investments made across key services that a council oversees, I can do this job well and ensure prudent spending and value for money.

In summary, evaluators can provide valuable insights, facilitate community engagement, build capacity, and support communities in advocating for change. Their work is essential in helping communities maximize their potential, address their needs, and create positive social change.

So that’s me, the nuts and bolts of what I do and how I navigate my work life.

There is mana in all work, and I would love to put these skills into a councillor context, in doing so I promise to Learn, Lead and Leverage all my opportunities to strengthen the voice of Māori at the decision making table in the 2024 Tauranga City Council election. I need your support to do this, Your Vote, Your Voice !