Ka hanga whare te tangata, ka hanga tangata te whare

'The people shape the house, the house shapes the people.'

As the Mātou Collective begins to build - research to identify the best entity or structure that will be the 'home' for all its members is a top priority. It will be where governance, accountability, transparency, fairness, responsibility, risk management and vision for the future are established and cultivated.

This structure will serve as the foundation for the collective's operations, ensuring that all members understand how decisions are made, resources are allocated, and goals are pursued. By carefully selecting the right organisational framework, the Mātou Collective can create an environment that fosters collaboration, innovation, and sustainable growth while upholding core Te Ao Māori values and principles.

A preliminary research project was undertaken to identify precisely what should be built and how it should be undertaken with support from the New Zealand National Science Challenges Science for Innovation and Technology fund (SfTi). The first steps to construction were the preliminary landscape scan of potential entities and structures, for example, Cooperative, Māori Incorporation, Trust, Foundation or Decentralised Asset Organisations (DAO's), and a first survey to understand the needs and determine what questions should be asked to guide a more substantial research project.

The results of this first survey and scan revealed this organisation's first set of requirements, given the many stakeholders who will contribute and benefit as part of its constant evolution well into the future. A structure that is as flexible and responsive as the technology itself and the legal and economic conditions that continue to evolve. It must also deliver resiliency for such a critical element of Māori identity and social and economic success.