McGuinness Institute Te Hononga Waka

What McGuinness Institute Te Hononga Waka does

McGuinness Institute Te Hononga Waka is a New Zealand-based non-partisan think tank founded in 2004 and headquartered in Wellington, operating as McGuinness Institute Limited with a team of 14 employees. The Institute applies hindsight, insight, and foresight methodologies to explore major long-term challenges and opportunities facing Aotearoa New Zealand, with its flagship Project 2058 initiative framing research out to the year 2058.

Its core products are organized around a portfolio of research projects (CivicsNZ, ClimateChangeNZ, ForesightNZ, ReportingNZ, SecurityNZ, StrategyNZ, TacklingPovertyNZ, OneOceanNZ, PandemicNZ, PublicScienceNZ, BiodiversityNZ, TalentNZ, and WaterFuturesNZ), proprietary frameworks including the Strategy Pyramid (developed 2012) and the GDS Index (Government Department Strategies Index), and a publication catalog comprising Project 2058 reports, Working Papers, Discussion Papers, Think Pieces, the Nation Dates series, and the Āpōpō Journal. These outputs are supported by a curated library of over 5,000 publications and delivered through workshops (WakaNZ, KiMuaNZ), annual handbooks, and digital downloads.

The Institute's business model is predominantly grant-funded rather than commercial: the McGuinness Foundation Trust (established by founders Mark and Wendy McGuinness) provides core financial support, supplemented by token revenue from physical book sales through the Big Cartel online store, in-kind partnerships (PwC, OECD Expert Group on Strategic Foresight, Penang Institute, Holy Family School), and disbursed educational grants to young New Zealanders pursuing postgraduate study in public policy. Most publications are offered free of charge, with pricing effectively freemium, and revenue is not publicly disclosed.

Name

McGuinness Institute Te Hononga Waka

Legal name

McGuinness Institute Limited

Website

https://mcguinnessinstitute.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The McGuinness Institute Te Hononga Waka is a Wellington-based non-partisan think tank founded in 2004 that uses foresight methodologies to research long-term policy challenges facing New Zealand, serving government, young New Zealanders, and community stakeholders.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Policy Research and Strategic Foresight

NAICS

Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (541720), Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services (541)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742), International Affairs (9721)

akta.pro primary industry

Think Tanks, Policy Research & Public Policy Institutes (BPAGAFAO)

akta.pro secondary industries

Education Equity, Access & Inclusion Policy Research (EDADADAF), Central Government Policy, Strategy & Performance (incl. OMB-style functions) (BPAIAAAB)

Keywords

• Strategic foresight research
• Public policy research
• Scenario planning
• Government strategy analysis
• Non-partisan think tank

Headquarters

HQ city

Wellington

HQ country

New Zealand

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Publications Sales: Sale of publications including the GDS Index Handbook, working papers, discussion papers, think pieces, and books through their Big Cartel online store.
2. Educational Grants Program: Provision of educational grants to support young New Zealanders in further education, particularly in public policy and related fields.
3. Foundation Funding: Funding from The McGuinness Foundation Trust supports educational initiatives like The Family So'otaga programme.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

A non-partisan think tank conducting long-term strategic foresight and public policy research for New Zealand. It develops proprietary frameworks such as the Strategy Pyramid and the GDS Index to evaluate government strategies, runs foresight workshops for young New Zealanders, and publishes working papers, discussion papers, think pieces, and books. The flagship initiative is Project 2058, focused on exploring major challenges and opportunities facing Aotearoa New Zealand through to 2058.

Product overview

The McGuinness Institute Te Hononga Waka is a non-partisan think tank operating as a single organizational entity focused on long-term strategic foresight and policy research for New Zealand. The Institute's offerings consist primarily of research projects (CivicsNZ, ClimateChangeNZ, ForesightNZ, ReportingNZ, SecurityNZ, StrategyNZ, TacklingPovertyNZ, TalentNZ, and others), frameworks and tools (GDS Index, Strategy Pyramid, Foresight Tools), and publications (Project 2058 reports, Working Papers, Discussion Papers, Think Pieces, Nation Dates series, Apopo Journal, Mataranga). The core product is the Project 2058 flagship initiative, which drives all research using foresight methodology to explore New Zealand's long-term future. The GDS Index provides a structured assessment of government department strategies, while the Strategy Pyramid offers a proprietary planning framework. Publications range from formal academic working papers to accessible think pieces and journals like the Apopo Journal for youth engagement.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Project 2058: The Institute's flagship long-term futures project focused on Aotearoa New Zealand's future trajectory.
• CivicsNZ
• StrategyNZ
• ForesightNZ
• GDS Index
• The Family So'otaga

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Penang InstituteminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 April 2026International exchange visit between think tanks sharing best practices in public engagement, policy research, and foresight methodologies.
• OECD Expert Group on Strategic ForesightcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 April 2025Wendy McGuinness joined this newly formed OECD group bringing together ten renowned foresight experts from around the world.
• PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 July 2016Collaborated on the 'Strengthening strategy stewardship in the public service' workshop in July 2016, bringing together public servants and academics to develop guidance for government department strategy documents.
• Holy Family SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-developed The Family So'otaga programme with the school to improve educational outcomes for Māori and Pasifika students through parent-whanau engagement.
• University of OxfordminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational grant recipient Jess Jenkins studied Master of Public Policy at Oxford University with Institute support.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• RAND Corporation: A global policy research institution providing rigorous analysis to governments on long-term strategic challenges. Comparable as a research think tank producing publications on strategic foresight topics like national security and climate, though operating globally with much larger scale and funding base.
• Chatham House: The Royal Institute of International Affairs, one of the world's leading international affairs think tanks based in London. Comparable as an established non-partisan think tank producing long-term research and engaging government on strategic questions, though with broader international scope.
• Brookings Institution: A major US-based public policy think tank conducting in-depth research on a wide range of social, economic, and security issues. Comparable as a non-partisan think tank producing working papers, hosting events, and engaging government on long-term policy, though at vastly greater scale.
• OECD Strategic Foresight Unit: The global foresight authority within the OECD, applying strategic foresight to international policy challenges. Comparable as a foresight methodology organization whose expert group now includes McGuinness Institute's CEO, though operating at multilateral rather than national scale.

Direct peers

• New Zealand Initiative: A leading NZ-based free-market think tank conducting policy research and advocacy. Highly comparable as a domestic peer think tank engaging government and producing policy analysis, though with a more market-oriented perspective versus McGuinness's non-partisan long-term foresight focus.
• Institute for Governance and Policy Studies (Victoria University of Wellington): A Wellington-based policy research institute focused on governance, public policy, and long-term strategic challenges facing NZ. Highly comparable on policy research, NZ-specific focus, and Wellington location, with an academic anchor versus McGuinness's independent non-partisan position.
• Motu Economic and Public Policy Research: New Zealand's top-ranked economic and public policy research institute producing rigorous analysis for government and business. Comparable as a domestic policy research organization producing working papers, hosting events, and engaging with NZ government departments on long-term issues.
• New Zealand Institute of International Affairs: An independent non-partisan organization dedicated to stimulating understanding of international affairs affecting NZ. Comparable as a domestic, non-partisan research organization engaging government and producing publications on long-term strategic questions.
• The Policy Observatory (Auckland University of Technology): A NZ-based research observatory producing evidence-based policy analysis across a range of social and economic issues. Comparable as a domestic policy research organization producing publications and engaging with government on evidence-based reform.
• Maxim Institute: A New Zealand public policy think tank engaging on long-term social, economic, and governance issues. Comparable as a domestic policy-focused think tank producing publications, hosting events, and advocating for evidence-based policy reform.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/Sustainablefuture
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mcguinness-institute
• Instagraminstagram.com/mcguinnessinstitute/?hl=en

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about McGuinness Institute Te Hononga Waka