David Rees, a Founding Partner of Synergia, has extensive experience working across the public and private sectors. He applied systems thinking to health, social care, and community development, focusing on understanding and changing complex systems. During the Nourishing Hawke’s Bay project, David combined qualitative and quantitative methods to explore the connections between systems thinking and mātauranga Māori.
This study explores how the Ka Ora Ka Ako programme supports education, sustainability, and health through the provision of free school lunches in New Zealand. It highlights impacts on food security, curriculum integration, and environmental sustainability.
This evaluation of the Ka Ora Ka Ako programme highlights its impact on student nutrition, educational outcomes, and community engagement, while identifying areas for improvement. It examines its role in reducing food insecurity, promoting healthy eating, and supporting student well-being.
This research highlights lunch providers’ perspectives on the New Zealand Free and Healthy School Lunch Programme, focusing on nutrition guidelines, supply chain resilience, and student feedback. It examines teacher and principal support to enhance programme effectiveness.
This paper explores the synergy between Systems Thinking and Indigenous knowledge in addressing public health issues in Aotearoa, New Zealand.
This study engages Māori and Pasifika communities in co-designing actions to improve children’s nutrition using systems thinking and Indigenous knowledge. It applies system dynamics to address socioeconomic and environmental influences on food choices.
This research uses cognitive mapping and Indigenous knowledge to explore food environments and their influence on children’s health in regional New Zealand. It highlights factors shaping food access and the role of mātauranga Māori in solutions.