Back to top
Understanding whenua management
What is whenua management?
Whenua management is the hands-on, day-to-day mahi that will help to achieve the trust's aspirations.
Management versus governance
Management is the day-to-day mahi to deliver the strategy. It can be things like:
- developing a business plan
- managing a lease
- running a farm
- managing the trust's finances
- building structures or fences or roads on the whenua
- working with council to get consents or develop the land
- reporting to trustees on whenua and management performance.
Governance is the overall leadership and strategy for achieving the trust's and owners' aspirations.
Who does the management work
Ideally, it's good to keep the management work separate from the governance work. This lets trustees stay focussed on the strategy and outcomes instead of the day-to-day mahi.
But that's not always possible. Each trust needs to work out what will be best for them, whether it's:
- sharing out management tasks and roles among trustees and whānau
- hiring specialists for one-off jobs or specific tasks
- hiring a CEO who can bring in a team of employees to manage a business venture.