From 1 December 2014, the Families Commission started operating as the Social Policy Evaluation and Research Unit, or Superu for short.

We still have a focus on families and whanau. We are making the change because it better reflects HOW we do what we do. In early 2014, the legislation that governs us changed to give us the additional responsibilities of monitoring and evaluating programmes and interventions in the social sector, and to provide social science research into key issues, programmes and interventions.

In a nutshell, we’re responsible for finding out what works for families and whanau. Complex social issues deserve quality evidence to enable better-informed decisions. Decision-makers need to know what works and what doesn’t.

Our purpose is to increase the use of evidence by people across the social sector so that they make better decisions – about funding, policies or services – to improve the lives of New Zealanders, New Zealand’s communities, families and whānau.

We look forward to working with you, whether we have worked with you in the past or will soon work with you in the future. And we’re always keen to hear from you. We can be contacted on 04 917 7040 or by email