Overview:
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New Zealand Dementia Foundation > Network and Leadership > Leadership Overview

What is the Dementia Mate Wareware Governance Ecosystem?

Governance is about helping guide in the right direction. The Dementia Mate Wareware Governance Ecosystem / Te Pūnaha Mana Whakahaere mō te Mate Wareware has been set up to help guide Te Whatu Ora – Health New Zealand, and Manatū Hauora – the Ministry of Health, to implement the Dementia Mate Wareware Action Plan.  

The ecosystem has been established by Te Whatu Ora in partnership with Manatū Hauora – the Ministry of Health.

Our Purpose

The Dementia Mate Wareware Governance Ecosystem has been designed to help navigate a clear course towards a shared vision. That vision is:

“An Aotearoa New Zealand in which dementia mate wareware is prevented as much as possible; and where people living with dementia mate wareware, their family and whānau, and care partners receive the support they need to live their best possible lives, with autonomy, meaning and dignity.”

This vision is set out in “Improving Dementia Mate Wareware Services in Aotearoa New Zealand –the Action Plan”.

The Dementia Mate Wareware Action Plan

The Dementia Mate Wareware Action Plan describes what is needed now and in the future to ensure that people with dementia mate wareware, their whānau, caregivers, and partners receive the support they need to live their best possible lives with autonomy, meaning, and dignity.  

The first Action Plan (2020-2025) was developed on behalf of, and with input and support from, the wider dementia sector in collaboration with Alzheimers New Zealand, Dementia New Zealand, the New Zealand Dementia Foundation, and the Mate Wareware Advisory Rōpū. In November 2021, the Action Plan was formally endorsed by the Government. The refreshed Action Plan (2026-2031) was launched in November 2025.

The refreshed Action Plan has five objectives: 

1) Taking action to promote brain health
2) Timely and accurate diagnosis and comprehensive management 
3) Improved community dementia mate wareware support
4) Formal and informal workforces are supported
5) Effective governance

Governance Ecosystem Structure

The Dementia Mate Wareware Governance Ecosystem comprises two parts:

The Dementia Mate Wareware Leadership and Advisory Group
The Dementia Mate Wareware Network

Together, they influence what happens in the broader system by providing leadership and advice to Te Whatu Ora, Manatū Hauora, and the dementia mate wareware sector on the best ways to work toward the objectives in the  Action Plan. 

The Dementia Mate Wareware Leadership and Advisory Group / Te Whakaruruhau mō te Mate Wareware

The role of the Group is to engage with the Dementia Mate Wareware Network and provide strategic advice to the Government on implementing the Action Plan.

The Group comprises leaders in the dementia mate wareware sector, alongside representatives from Te Whatu Ora and Manatū Hauora. 

Dementia Mate Wareware Network / Te Tūhononga mō te Mate Wareware

The role of the Group is to engage with the Dementia Mate Wareware Network and provide strategic advice to Government on implementing the Action Plan.

The Group comprises leaders in the dementia mate wareware sector, alongside representatives from Te Whatu Ora and Manatū Hauora. 

Working Together

The Group and the Network engage and collaborate on areas of the Action Plan that the government has signalled as priorities.

The New Zealand Dementia Foundation supports this process by ensuring a two-way flow of information between the groups. The Foundation provides secretariat support to both the Group and the Network and coordinates the Network.

Our Story

The albatross or toroa is a symbol of great navigation. Toroa navigate across vast oceans without landmarks and fly thousands of kilometres in just a few weeks, yet they find their way home. We have used a picture of the toroa-albatross to help explain how the Dementia Mate Wareware Governance Ecosystem fits together. You can enlarge the diagram below by clicking on it.

Larger version of the Toroa image that explains the Dementia Mate Wareware Governance Ecosystem. Contains four sections. The Head - the Dementia Mate Wareware Leadership and Advisory Group. The feathers - Objectives. The wings - Dementia Mate Wareware Network. The backbone - Flow of information.