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Title / Demonstrate knowledge, as an officer in a prison environment, of the structure of a Māori community
Level / 3 / Credits / 3
Purpose / This unit standard is for people working as officers in a prison environment and covers knowledge of the structure of a Māori community.
People credited with this unit standard are able to:
describe the hierarchy of a Māori community as an officer in a prison environment;
identify the key members of a Māori community for the purposes of supporting Māori prisoners;
describe the role and responsibilities of the officer in accessing the key members of a Māori community from within a prison;
demonstrate pronunciation of Te Reo Māori as an officer in a prison environment; and
demonstrate knowledge of Māori engagement tools as anofficer in a prison environment.
Classification / Offender Management > Prisoner Management
Available grade / Achieved
Explanatory notes
1This unit standard is intended for workplace assessment.
2References
Corrections Act 2004;
Corrections Regulations 2005;
Crimes Act 1961;
Crimes of Torture Act 1989;
Criminal Justice Act 1985;
Department of Corrections Code of Conduct;
Health and Safety in Employment Act 1992;
New Zealand Bill of Rights Act 1990;
Parole Act 2002;
PS Operations Manual, Department of Corrections, available at
Privacy Act 1993;
Sentencing Act 2002;
Treaty of Waitangi;
and their subsequent amendments or replacements.
3Definitions
Approved authority – the local kaitiaki, iwi, or the Department of Corrections; whichever is appropriate.
Iwi – a tribe linked to a common ancestor.
Kaiwhakamana – kaumātua who has access to prisons to enable the wellness and wellbeing of their people.
Kaumātua – a Māori elder (either female or male) respected for his or her knowledge and experience of tikanga Māori.
Koroua – a male elder who may or may not be a relation.
Kuia – a female elder who may or may not be a relation.
Māori community – either the community relevant to individual prisoners of the prison or a model community as defined by the Department of Corrections.
Marae – the enclosed ground used for a meeting place.
Situations requiring support – may include but are not limited to: suicide attempts, prisoners identified as at risk for any reason, prisoners undergoing personal crises.
Tapu – generally perceived as sacred, holy or forbidden.
Tohunga – spiritual healer.
Whānau – the nuclear as well as extended family.
4Definitions of Māori words are consistent with those in:
Ngata, H.M. English Māori Dictionary. Wellington: Ministry of Education, Learning Media, 1995.
Ryan, P. M. The Revised Dictionary of Modern Māori. New Zealand: Heinemann Education, 1989.
Williams, Herbert W. A Dictionary of the Māori Language. Wellington: GP Books, 1985.
5Assessment range
aPerformance of the outcomes of this unit standard must meet all the principles of behaviour and criteria as detailed in the Prison Services Operations Manual (PSOM), Department of Corrections (available at the Department of Corrections Code of Conduct, other documented national policies and procedures, and prison-specific procedures.
bThe range statements in this unit standard must be applied according to prison- specific equipment, procedures, and processes.
Outcomes and evidence requirements
Outcome 1
Describe the hierarchy of a Māori community as an officer in a prison environment.
Evidence requirements
1.1Describe members of a traditional Māori community in accordance with the definitions of the approved authority and the established policy and procedures.
Rangemay include but is not limited to – kaumātua, kuia, koroua, matua, whaea, tamariki, iwi, whānau, tohunga.
1.2Explain the components of Māori identity.
Rangewhānau, hapū, iwi and rohe structure, protocol, etiquette.
1.3Identify local marae in the area of the officer’s prison.
1.4Explain the roles of male and female kaumātua on marae as tangata whenua.
Rangemaintaining tradition and/or protocol of ancestral meeting house and courtyard, kuia-karanga, kaumātua-oratory, hosts-waiata.
1.5Explain the role of a tohunga in the officer’s area.
Rangeart (raranga and waiata), spiritual healing, carving, whakapapa, rongoa, wānanga learning.
1.6Explain the roles and responsibilities of kaumātua in the officer’s community.
Rangeprovide advice on genealogy, local history, protocol and etiquette; guidance and counselling within whānau values;
provide support on social issues, economic issues, health issues.
Outcome 2
Identify the key members of a Māori community for the purposes of supporting Māori prisoners.
Rangemay include but is not limited to – kaumātua, kuia, koroua, tohunga, kaitiaki, kaiwhakamana.
Evidence requirements
2.1Identify key community members in accordance with the definition of the approved authority and established policy and procedures.
Outcome 3
Describe the role and responsibilities of the officer in accessing the key members of a Māori community from within a prison.
Evidence requirements
3.1Describe the role of the officer in terms of identifying appropriate people from within the prison to facilitate proper procedures.
3.2Describe the responsibilities of the officer in terms of reporting the situations potentially requiring intervention in accordance with established policy and procedures.
Rangemay include but is not limited to – behaviour indicating distress, behaviour patterns differing from the norm, request by prisoner.
3.3Explain established cultural protocols and prison safety and security requirements in terms of marae and tangi escorts.
Outcome 4
Demonstrate pronunciation of Te Reo Māori as an officer in a prison environment.
Evidence requirements
4.1Pronounce Māori words used according to iwi pronunciation and allow for locally recognised variations.
Rangemountains, rivers, lakes, harbours, iwi, marae, street names, Māori personal names.
Outcome 5
Demonstrate knowledge of Māori engagement tools as an officer in a prison environment.
Evidence requirements
5.1Describe the purpose of, and procedures relating to, the performance of a karakia to open a formal session, to close a formal session, and to bless food.
5.2Describe the purpose of, and procedures relating to, the performance of other Māori engagement tools.
Rangemihi, waiata.
Planned expiry date / 31 December 2019Status information and last date for assessment for superseded versions
Process / Version / Date / Last Date for AssessmentRegistration / 1 / 23 November 1999 / 30 June 2012
Revision / 2 / 3 April 2001 / 30 June 2012
Review / 3 / 28 November 2002 / 30 June 2012
Review / 4 / 25 July 2006 / 30 June 2012
Review / 5 / 20 May 2011 / 31 December 2019
Review / 6 / 15 September 2016 / 31 December 2019
Consent and Moderation Requirements (CMR) reference / 0003
This CMR can be accessed at
Please note
Providers must be granted consent to assess against standards (accredited) by NZQA, before they can report credits from assessment against unit standards or deliver courses of study leading to that assessment.
Industry Training Organisations must be granted consent to assess against standards by NZQA before they can register credits from assessment against unit standards.
Providers and Industry Training Organisations, which have been granted consent and which are assessing against unit standards must engage with the moderation system that applies to those standards.
Requirements for consent to assess and an outline of the moderation system that applies to this standard are outlined in the Consent and Moderation Requirements (CMR). The CMR also includes useful information about special requirements for organisations wishing to develop education and training programmes, such as minimum qualifications for tutors and assessors, and special resource requirements.
The Skills OrganisationSSB Code 100401 / New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2018 / / New Zealand Qualifications Aut