Dr. Caralyn Purvis, Evaluation Lead for Mana Ake, has forwarded this summary for your information.

As part of the ongoing evaluation of the difference Mana Ake is making for our tamariki, the team engaged Impact Lab earlier this year to determine the social value of the initiative. Calculating social value helps to understand how a program / initiative / intervention supports participants and makes positive change in their lives, by attributing a monetary value.

The evaluation drew from the Mana Ake data relating to 5500 tamariki seen directly by kaimahi (in groups or as individuals), in the year of April 2019 – March 2020. These numbers and the outcomes for tamariki were combined with national and international research about the long-term effectiveness and impact of such interventions, and New Zealand data from the IDI database, about what works, for whom, and at what cost.

Impact Lab identified that Mana Ake interventions directly contribute to improved mental health, improved educational achievement, improved physical health, reduced likelihood of addiction, and reduced likelihood of mental health incidents. 

In this context, Impact Lab’s GoodMeasure calculation resulted in a social return on investment for Mana Ake of $1:$13.32, meaning that for every dollar invested in Mana Ake, $13.32 of measurable good is delivered to New Zealand society. This equates to $117,075,157 every year. However, the evaluation team also note in their report that the real-world impact of Mana Ake is much greater, as the initiative touches the lives of all primary school aged children in Canterbury.