DTK and Associates is led by internationally experienced former senior public servant Deb Te Kawa. She brings extensive knowledge and understanding of politics, public management, and indigenous public policy to consultancy with public, private and community organisations and iwi across Ahitereiria and Aotearoa.
Recent work includes support for social service providers responding to the NZ Government’s COVID-19 settings; governance advice and support on the reform of the health system; evaluating investments designed to encourage vaccine uptake in remote and excluded communities; evaluating investments in uptake of E-DNA; reviewing a number of business cases on behalf of the Treasury; and exploring approaches close the gap between research and public policy.
Previously Deb played a crucial role in designing and implementing the Performance Improvement Framework (PIF) and as a public policy advisor using complex policy frameworks, including Te Tiriti, gender implications and equity. Her expertise was recognised in 2013 when she was awarded the Prime Minister’s Prize in Public Management for post-graduate work examining contemporary governance and integrity issues in the New Zealand public sector.
DTK and Associates brings a solid academic foundation to its work. Managing Director and lead consultant Deb Te Kawa is a PhD candidate at Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha| University of Canterbury, examining free and frank advice from the perspective of Ministers and senior officials. Deb also lectures and tutors in public policy, politics and institutional performance. She also works with peers and students on both sides of the Tasman and internationally. She holds a Bachelor of Arts, Master’s in Public Management, and Post-Graduate Diploma in Information Ethics from Te Herenga Waka | Victoria University of Wellington. She also has System Analysis and Change Management certificates from Cornell University, Ithaca, New York and a post-graduate certificate in Post-Conflict Institutions from the United Nations University, Amman, Jordan. Deb is also a certified programme and portfolio manager.
Deb Te Kawa adds practical expertise as an accredited Board and Company Secretary with several current appointments, including Te Rōpua Tapu i te Tika | Aotearoa Research Ethics Committee. She is also an accredited Intervention Logic Mapping facilitator. Deb is also a member of the American Society for Public Administration, Australian Institute of Project Management, Governance Institute of Australia, International Research Society for Public Management, Institute of New Zealand Public Management, New Zealand Institute of Directors and New Zealand Political Studies Association | Te Kāhui Tātai Tōrangapū o Aotearoa.
DTK and Associates was established in 2015. It is listed on several All-of-Government panels.
Organisations that continuously improve how they direct and organise themselves are more successful than those that don’t.
We help boards in the public and private sectors oversee delivery.
Services include confirming institutional role and purpose and, therefore, board strategy; clarifying current and future state operating and service delivery models; and reshaping governance, capability and funding models to enable implementation.
Our most popular services are redesigning governance and service delivery models.
Public policy advice is at the heart of government and DTK and Associates.
We offer public, operational and regulatory policy advice.
Services include policy commissioning advice for ministers, boards and executive teams, preparation and peer review of cabinet and board papers, facilitating policy conversations with large groups representing multiple interests, coaching and mentoring, and evaluating policies using a combination of kaupapa, qualitative and quantitative analysis.
Our most popular services are workshops on free and frank advice and assisting analysts in improving the quality of their thinking and writing. Our research and evaluation method—multi-factor analysis to quantify implementation success—is also popular.
Practical governance advice and support that strengthens trust and transparency in decision-making is in high demand.
We support organisations to embed the principles of good governance.
Services include secretariat services, governance model reviews, annual health checks, institutional performance reviews, recruiting and appointing chief executives, assistance with chief executive performance reviews, coaching and mentoring new board secretaries, inducting new board members, and refreshing governance charters, manuals, and policies.
Our most popular services are secretariat services, annual health checks, and aligning board risk tolerance and chief executive delegations.
