Please describe your proposed solution.

Introduction

Our research will deliver the basis for a legal entity from which we will be able to demonstrate the value of Cardano and Project Catalyst with an autonomous instance of its technologies.

We intend to show the global value of these protocols by forking them to serve the specific needs of Māori and Pacific people with identity and finance infrastructure.

Aiming at launching a kin to Project Catalyst in the future, our endeavors encapsulate the essence of local governance and sovereignty.

Success will contribute to the global discourse on Cardano's utility, its identity, and data sovereignty solutions, and its social mission; "The highest potential of human collaboration".

This proposal centres on identifying the optimal type of legal entity that will facilitate ongoing development of Self-Sovereign Identity (SSI), data availability, and finance protocols including Project Catalyst funding, and yumi.ai regenerative financing (Refi) stacks.

The focus is not on any direct development of protocols, but rather on prototyping a supportive and compliant organisational structure in our jurisdiction that enables and sustains their development.

We will document our process and share our learnings to open up partnership opportunities, particularly with other East, Southeast Asian, Oceanic and Pacific Island nations represented in the Eastern Town Hall and Pacific Town Hall.

This research is crucial to create an entity through which sustainable incentives are aligned, localised self-healing and evolving systems to serve the Maori economy can be implemented and enduring partnerships can be entered into.

Background

The Āhau and TribalDIDs open-source technology projects already in motion stand as a compelling, self-starting, self-determining use case.

We have created traction, demand and are well on the way to an early proof of concept, working alongside Project Catalyst community members, the AtalaPRISM tribe (who announced the launch of Open Enterprise Lab as part of Hyperledger Foundation 5/12/23 enabling our project to move forward again), and many experts in legislation and regulation in Aotearoa.

We are already fielding partnership enquiries and user requests due to the provision of immediate benefit to our Māori community through:

• Cultural Resonance and Sovereignty: Āhau, a registry and archiving software for the Māori community in Aotearoa (New Zealand), is deeply rooted in cultural identity. It emphasises self-sovereign identity (SSI) for Māori individuals and tribes, enabling them to manage their digital identities independently. This approach aligns with the principles of tribal sovereignty and self-determination, crucial in indigenous communities worldwide.

• Integration of Traditional and Modern Systems: Work done on the TribalDIDs project, has begun to blend Āhau, based on centuries-old, context-specific family and tribal governance methods, with modern DID ecosystems. This integration respects and preserves cultural heritage while leveraging AtalaPRISM's contemporary technological advancements.

• Legal and Technological Innovation: Navigating complex legal landscapes (such as the recognition of rivers and mountains as legal persons in Aotearoa) we have begun to explore how to integrate these unique aspects of Aotearoa into a digital system.

• Potential for Broader Impact: While focused on the Māori community, the principles and technology developed through Āhau/TribalDIDs has implications for indigenous people globally and the land they steward, establishing their own culturally-resonant, legally-compliant, and technologically-advanced economic systems. For example indigenous leaders from Tonga, Samoa, Columbia and Brazil have already approached our team.

• Demonstration of Practical and Ethical Blockchain Use: Āhau/TribalDIDs serves as a practical example of how blockchain can be used ethically and effectively to address real-world issues, particularly in the context of identity management and cultural preservation.

Focus Area: Polycentric Society-Enabling Legal Structure

• Researching structures such as New Zealand Utility Cooperatives, Māori Incorporations, or hybrid structures
• Ensuring fair and just governance and maintaining the integrity of the Indigenous tribal ecosystem

An entity is needed to provide a structure for efficient operation, risk management, sustainable research, development, innovation and continuous evolution, tailored to meet the long-term goals of our project and the broader needs of the Māori community. This proposal focuses on researching and prototyping that legal entity essential for nurturing and sustaining our evolving ecosystem.

To deliver a prototype, we will research a range of polycentric society-enabling structures, such as New Zealand cooperatives, Māori Incorporations, or hybrid structures, to ensure fair and just governance and maintain the integrity of the Indigenous tribal ecosystem.

Engagement of Stakeholders

• Holistic approach to problem-solving by engaging stakeholders from multiple sectors
• Consultations with legal and business experts, analysis of successful enterprises, and evaluation of organisational structures
• Team comprising experts from various fields from academic institutions, business associations, New Zealand's government and other professional services

Our team, alongside a collective of experts from multiple disciplines, including academia, business, and technology, legal, legislation and regulation domains is essential for identifying the right type of entity to support our emerging ecosystem.

By collaborating with academic institutions, business associations, technology partners and with support of New Zealand government departments we aim to create an entity capable of accepting grants, donations, and investment and fulfilling the demands, obligations and responsibilities as a vital utility in the digital economy should.

Goal: Readiness to fork it!

• A prototype for a jurisdictionally and culturally appropriate institution
• Ensuring the entity will support efficient operation, risk management, sustainable growth, and continuous evolution
• Tailored to meet the long-term goals of the project and the broader needs of the Māori community

The entity will serve as the backbone for the development phase of our ecosystem, leading up to the point where the system of protocols becomes self-sustaining.

Our research approach will ensure that the entity is culturally attuned, compliant with legal and financial standards, requirements and able to facilitate a smooth transition to a self-sustaining model.

Please define the positive impact your project will have on the wider Cardano community.

Significance to Cardano

• Blueprint for other communities to create grounded, compliant, legal entities for interoperable, and culturally sound ecosystems
• Particularly relevant to East, Southeast Asian, Oceanic and Pacific Island nations
• Demonstrates utility of Cardano's technology in culturally sensitive and legally complex environments
• Enhances adoption and showcases potential for significant socio-technical impact

This concept is vital to Cardano as it provides a blueprint for other communities, indigenous or otherwise, to create their own grounded, jurisdictionally compliant and culturally sound independent, self-determining and interoperable ecosystems.

Demonstrating our impact

• Demonstrate the prototype's alignment with governance, compliance, and support for tribal systems.
• Gather and report on feedback from Māori community and stakeholders.

To prove the impact of our research we will prototype an institution, we will assess the prototype’s ability to meet the designed criteria for governance, jurisdictional compliance, and support for a tribal identity and finance ecosystem.

This will include feedback from the Māori community and stakeholders on the prototype's effectiveness and potential for real-world implementation.

Success will be indicated by the prototype's alignment with cultural, legal, and technological requirements, setting the stage for the establishment of the entity.

The progress and insights gained will be shared with the Cardano community, demonstrating the potential for broader application and impact.

What is your capability to deliver your project with high levels of trust and accountability? How do you intend to validate if your approach is feasible?

With a proven track record of five years working collaboratively, our team has demonstrated our commitment and competence in delivering successful projects, including the development and delivery of the Āhau application.

Having delivered over $ 1.5 million of funded projects in that period, each endeavour required meticulous reporting, transparent communication, and the successful attainment of project objectives.

Our collective experience showcases a consistent dedication to accountability and transparency, adapting to diverse communication methods, and ensuring project success.

This established cohesion, coupled with our expertise and track record, and a raft of productive partnerships, uniquely positions us as the ideal team to confidently and effectively deliver the proposed project.

A list of a few of the recently funded projects has been provided below:

To successfully deliver the project, we have an experienced team that possess a range of capabilities and experiences across various domains. Our fields of expertise include:

• Decentralized Identity (DID) and Verifiable Credentials:

• Expertise in designing, implementing, and managing decentralized identity systems, including the use of decentralized identifiers (DIDs) and verifiable credentials.

• Security Proficiency:

• Strong background in cybersecurity and secure coding practices to establish robust security measures, safeguarding user data, and ensuring privacy.

• Open-Source Development:

• Experience in leading or contributing to open-source projects, understanding the importance of transparency and collaboration in building trust within the community.

• User-Centric Design:

• User experience (UX) and user interface (UI) design skills to create an intuitive and user-friendly interface, prioritizing the needs of the end-users.

• Community Engagement:

• Past experience in managing and engaging with diverse communities, fostering open communication, and addressing concerns effectively.

• Ethical Considerations:

• A commitment to ethical considerations in identity management, including a focus on user consent, data ownership, and minimizing biases.

• Project Management Skills:

• Strong project management skills to ensure timely delivery, accountability, and effective communication with stakeholders.

By combining the team experience, expertise and already functional PoC developed in the TribalDIDs = indigenous data sovereignty project, the project team will continue to build trust through transparency, accountability, and a demonstrated commitment to user needs and security along with regular communication with the community throughout the development process.

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5 年間の共同作業の確かな実績により、当社のチームは、Ahau アプリケーションの開発と提供を含むプロジェクトを成功に導くためのコミットメントと能力を証明してきました。 その期間中に 150 万ドルを超えるプロジェクト資金を提供しましたが、それぞれの取り組みには細心の注意を払った報告、透明性のあるコミュニケーション、そしてプロジェクト目標の成功裏の達成が必要でした。 私たちの集合的な経験は、説明責任と透明性への一貫した献身、多様なコミュニケーション方法への適応、プロジェクトの成功の保証を示しています。 この確立された結束力と、当社の専門知識と実績により、当社は、提案されたプロジェクトを自信を持って効果的に実行できる理想的なチームとして独自の地位を確立しています。

プロジェクトを成功させるために、私たちはさまざまな領域にわたる幅広い能力と経験を備えた経験豊かなチームを擁しています。 私たちの専門分野には以下が含まれます：

分散型 ID (DID) と検証可能な資格情報:

分散型識別子 (DID) や検証可能な資格情報の使用を含む、分散型 ID システムの設計、実装、管理に関する専門知識。

セキュリティの熟練度:

サイバーセキュリティと安全なコーディング実践における強力な背景により、堅牢なセキュリティ対策を確立し、ユーザーデータを保護し、プライバシーを確保します。

オープンソース開発:

オープンソース プロジェクトを主導または貢献した経験があり、コミュニティ内で信頼を構築する際の透明性とコラボレーションの重要性を理解しています。

ユーザー中心の設計:

エンドユーザーのニーズを優先し、直感的で使いやすいインターフェイスを作成するためのユーザー エクスペリエンス (UX) およびユーザー インターフェイス (UI) のデザイン スキル。

コミュニティ・エンゲージメント：

多様なコミュニティを管理および関与し、オープンなコミュニケーションを促進し、懸念事項に効果的に対処した過去の経験。

倫理的配慮：

ユーザーの同意、データの所有権、偏見の最小化など、アイデンティティ管理における倫理的配慮への取り組み。

プロジェクト管理スキル:

タイムリーな納品、説明責任、関係者との効果的なコミュニケーションを保証する強力なプロジェクト管理スキル。

tribalDIDs = 先住民データ主権プロジェクトで開発されたチームの経験、専門知識、すでに機能している PoC を組み合わせることで、プロジェクト チームは、透明性、説明責任、およびコミュニティとの定期的なコミュニケーションとともに、ユーザーのニーズとセキュリティに対する実証的なコミットメントを通じて信頼を構築し続けます。 開発プロセス全体を通して。

What are the key milestones you need to achieve in order to complete your project successfully?

Prototype Design and Framework Development

Establishing a detailed design and framework for the prototype institution.

Weeks 1-2

• Tasks: Kick-off meeting, initial framework drafting, setting up project management and communication tools.
• Resources: Project management software; legal and cultural experts for initial consultations; presentation materials; and feedback collection tools.

Weeks 3-4

• Tasks: Refining the framework, initial stakeholder identification, and engagement planning.
• Resources: Research materials and stakeholder engagement tools.
• Documentation and Reporting: Weekly progress reports and stakeholder engagement plan.
• Output: A comprehensive design document outlining the legal and cultural framework of the prototype institution.
• Acceptance Criteria: Validation of the framework by legal experts and endorsement by key Māori community leaders, confirming its alignment with cultural and legal requirements.

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>Stakeholder Engagement and Feedback

Engaging Māori community and stakeholders to refine the prototype design.

Weeks 5-6

• Tasks: Conducting stakeholder meetings, collecting feedback, and starting the integration of feedback into the design.
• Resources: Meeting platforms, presentation materials and feedback collection tools.

Weeks 7-8

• Tasks: Continued stakeholder engagement; further integration of feedback; preparing for prototype testing.
• Resources: Collaborative document editing tools; expert consultations for feedback integration.
• Documentation and Reporting: Detailed stakeholder feedback report and updated design document.
• Output: A report summarizing stakeholder feedback, including insights and suggestions from the Māori community and other stakeholders.

Acceptance Criteria: Positive feedback from a representative sample of stakeholders, indicating that their needs and concerns are addressed in the prototype design.

–––

>Prototype Testing and Validation

Testing the prototype and finalising the completion report and video.

Weeks 9-10

• Tasks: Implementing the prototype in simulated environments, performance data collection, compliance checks.
• Resources: Testing environments, technical team for implementation, compliance experts.

Weeks 11-12

• Tasks: Finalizing detailed project report, creating a summary video, and preparing for project dissemination.
• Resources: Video production resources, and documentation tools.
• Documentation and Reporting: Completion report, video summarising impact and future potential, dissemination plan.
• Output: Results of the prototype testing, including performance data and compliance checks.
• Acceptance Criteria: Successful demonstration of the prototype's functionality in simulated environments, meeting predefined performance benchmarks and compliance standards.

–––

>Final Completion Report and Video

Throughout this 3-month period, we will maintain rigorous documentation and reporting protocols. Regular team meetings and progress tracking will be essential for timely completion and addressing any emerging challenges. Additionally, constant communication with all stakeholders will be maintained to ensure transparency and collaborative problem-solving.

• Output: A detailed report and a video documenting the project's progress, achievements, challenges, and future potential.
• Acceptance Criteria: Comprehensive coverage of the project's objectives, outcomes, and learnings, with clear evidence of the project's impact and recommendations for future development.

Who is in the project team and what are their roles?

The successful realisation of the project's objectives hinges on the effective collaboration and integration of expertise alongside the core team across these diverse domains.

• Legislation and Regulation Experts: To navigate the intricacies of jurisdictional compliance, especially in the context of New Zealand's legal framework and Maori customary law. This includes knowledge of structures like New Zealand Utility Cooperatives, Maori Incorporations, or hybrid structures.

• Cultural Specialists: Individuals with a deep understanding and expertise in Maori culture and traditions, to ensure that the project respects and incorporates Maori values, practices, and societal structures.

• Tokenomic expertise: To outline the economic aspects of the project, including sustainable financing models, tokenomics, and potential revenue streams.

• Community Engagement Specialists: To facilitate engagement with Maori and Indigenous communities, ensuring that their needs and perspectives are central to the project's development

• Academics and Researchers: To contribute research, particularly around governance in polycentric societies.

Core team

• Ben Tairea (Ngāti Nurou Kuki Airani) - Product Lead on Āhau, Deputy Chair of Digital Identity New Zealand.

As Product Owner of the project solution, Ben will play a pivotal role in driving the development and success of the project. Ben will be responsible for ensuring the product meets the needs of both the development team and the diverse communities it aims to serve.

Professional Experinence:

• Proven experience as the Product Owner with Ahau since 2017
• Strong familiarity with AtalaPrism and Cardano as the core contributor to the ssb-atalaprism module
• Strong understanding of decentralized identity concepts, verifiable credentials, and related technologies, serving as chair of Digital Identity NZ 2019-23 and Member of the Identity Product Advisory Group for New Zealand Government (current)
• Clear understanding of user base and product vision as Earth Defenders Toolkit Community Steward since 2022

Key Responsibilities:

• Develop and communicate a clear product vision aligned with the goals of the project.

• Curate and manage the product backlog, ensuring it reflects project priorities.

• Champion user-centric design principles, working closely with UI/UX designers to implement feedback and improve usability.

• Collaborate with QA teams to establish and maintain quality standards, participating in testing processes.

• Develop and maintain comprehensive project plans, defining tasks, timelines, and dependencies.

• Track project timelines, identify and address potential delays, and ensure the timely delivery of milestones.

• Facilitate clear communication between project stakeholders, ensuring everyone is informed about project progress and changes.

• Work closely with the project's financial team to manage and monitor the budget, ensuring resources are allocated efficiently.

• Engie Matene (Ngāpuhi, Kuki Airani) - Engagement Lead

Is our community liaison for the project leading our co-development approach between the product development team and the communities we serve. Engie will be responsible for developing an engaged community user base, fostering collaboration, addressing concerns, and ensuring a positive and inclusive experience.

Personal experience:

• Strong understanding of community registrations as lead research and community engagement
• Secretary for Te Riingi Marae (Marae Trustee)
• Strong technical understanding and community product development working as a community software developer since 2017

Key Responsibilities:

• Actively engage with potential user communities to build strong relationships.

• Gather and synthesise user feedback, ensuring the community's voice is heard and considered in project development.

• Address community concerns, inquiries, and issues promptly, working closely with the development team to find resolutions.

• Act as the bridge between development teams, community stakeholders, and other relevant parties.

• Be an advocate for the community within the development team, ensuring their needs and perspectives are considered in decision-making processes.

• Mix Irving - Lead Developer for Āhau, responsible for technical design and integration of Atala PRISM.

As the senior developer for the project, Mix is a key player in the design, development, and implementation of our decentralised identity solution on the Cardano blockchain. His expertise will drive technical excellence, innovation, and the successful delivery of a robust and scalable open-source product.

Personal Experience:

• Core developer for Loomio governance tool
• Key contributor to Dark Crystal v1
• Core developer and community organiser of Scuttlebutt
• Lead developer for Āhau
• Founder of commons.garden
• a new project working to build stronger p2p commons, sharing learning, fostering collaborations

Key Responsibilities:

• Provide technical leadership within the development team, guiding the implementation of decentralised identity solutions.
• Lead blockchain development efforts, particularly on the Cardano and AtalaPrism platforms, ensuring secure and efficient integration
• Enforce coding standards and best practices to maintain high-quality, maintainable, and efficient code.
• Implement robust security measures, including encryption and secure key management, to ensure the integrity of the decentralised identity system.

Experts who'll help us – have already been engaged in our project(s)

• Tiauru and Associates
• Kahui Legal
• Digital Identity New Zealand
• Cooperative Business New Zealand
• Representatives from the Ministries listed below with whom the team have been working through the TribalDIDs project.
• New Zealand Department of Internal Affairs
• New Zealand Financial Markets Authority
• Te Puni Kōkiri (New Zealand Ministry of Māori Development)

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過去 5 年間、私たちのチームはコミュニティが設計したテクノロジーの構築と提供に成功してきました。 以下は、このプロジェクトを主導するチームメンバーです。

ベン・タイレア:

プロジェクト ソリューションのプロダクト オーナーとして、Ben はプロジェクトの開発と成功を推進する上で中心的な役割を果たします。 ベンは、製品が開発チームとその製品が提供することを目的とする多様なコミュニティの両方のニーズを確実に満たす責任を負います。

専門的な経験:

2017 年以来、Ahau のプロダクトオーナーとしての確かな経験

ssb-atalaprism モジュールの中心的な貢献者として、AtalaPrism と Cardano に精通している

分散型アイデンティティの概念、検証可能な認証情報、および関連テクノロジーを深く理解しており、デジタル アイデンティティ NZ 2019-23 の議長およびニュージーランド政府のアイデンティティ製品諮問グループのメンバーを務めています (現在)

2022 年以降、Earth Defenders Toolkit コミュニティ スチュワードとしてユーザー ベースと製品ビジョンを明確に理解

主要な責務：

プロジェクトの目標に沿った明確な製品ビジョンを開発し、伝達します。

製品バックログを整理および管理し、プロジェクトの優先順位を確実に反映します。

ユーザー中心の設計原則を支持し、UI/UX デザイナーと緊密に連携してフィードバックを実装し、使いやすさを向上させます。

QAチームと協力して品質基準を確立および維持し、テストプロセスに参加します。

包括的なプロジェクト計画を作成および維持し、タスク、タイムライン、依存関係を定義します。

プロジェクトのタイムラインを追跡し、潜在的な遅延を特定して対処し、マイルストーンをタイムリーに提供できるようにします。

プロジェクトの関係者間の明確なコミュニケーションを促進し、プロジェクトの進捗状況と変更について全員に確実に知らせます。

プロジェクトの財務チームと緊密に連携して予算を管理および監視し、リソースが効率的に割り当てられるようにします。

エンジー・マテネ：

プロジェクトのコミュニティ連絡役として、製品開発チームと当社がサービスを提供するコミュニティとの間の共同開発アプローチを主導します。 Engie は、熱心なコミュニティ ユーザー ベースの開発、コラボレーションの促進、懸念への対処、ポジティブで包括的なエクスペリエンスの確保を担当します。

個人的体験：

11 月 22 日以降、TribalDID の先住民主権プロジェクトの主要研究およびコミュニティ参加としてのコミュニティ登録についての深い理解

テ・リンギ・マラエ書記 (マラエ管財委員)

2017 年からコミュニティ ソフトウェア開発者として働いている、優れた技術的理解とコミュニティ製品開発

主要な責務：

潜在的なユーザー コミュニティと積極的に関わり、強力な関係を構築します。

ユーザーのフィードバックを収集して統合し、プロジェクト開発においてコミュニティの声が確実に反映され、考慮されるようにします。

コミュニティの懸念、問い合わせ、問題に迅速に対処し、開発チームと緊密に連携して解決策を見つけます。

開発チーム、コミュニティの関係者、その他の関係者間の橋渡し役として機能します。

開発チーム内でコミュニティの代弁者となり、意思決定プロセスにおいてコミュニティのニーズと視点が確実に考慮されるようにします。

ミックス・アーヴィング：

プロジェクトの上級開発者として、Mix は、Cardano ブロックチェーン上の分散型 ID ソリューションの設計、開発、実装における重要な役割を担っています。 彼の専門知識は、卓越した技術、革新を推進し、堅牢でスケーラブルなオープンソース製品の提供を成功させるでしょう。

個人的体験：

Loomio ガバナンス ツールのコア開発者

Dark Crystal v1 の主な貢献者

Scuttlebutt の中心的な開発者およびコミュニティ オーガナイザー

Āhau の主任開発者

commons.garden の創設者

より強力な P2P コモンズを構築し、学習を共有し、コラボレーションを促進する新しいプロジェクト

主要な責務：

開発チーム内で技術的なリーダーシップを発揮し、分散型 ID ソリューションの実装を指導します。

特に Cardano と AtalaPrism プラットフォームにおけるブロックチェーン開発の取り組みを主導し、安全かつ効率的な統合を確保します

コーディング標準とベスト プラクティスを強制して、高品質で保守可能で効率的なコードを維持します。

暗号化や安全なキー管理などの堅牢なセキュリティ対策を実装して、分散型 ID システムの整合性を確保します。

Please provide a cost breakdown of the proposed work and resources.

Prototype Design and Framework Development

• Project Management Software: For managing tasks, timelines, and team coordination.
• Legal and Cultural Expert Consultations: Initial consultations for framework development.
• Research Materials and Stakeholder Engagement Tools: Essential for engaging with the Māori community and other stakeholders.

Cost Estimate: ₳30,000.

Community Engagement

• Community Engagement Initiatives: Activities to engage with the Māori community and other relevant stakeholders.

Cost Estimate: ₳30,000.

Stakeholder Engagement and Feedback

• Meeting Platforms and Feedback Collection Tools: For conducting stakeholder meetings and collecting feedback.
• Collaborative Document Editing Tools: For integrating feedback and refining the prototype.
• Regulatory, Legislation and Compliance Experts: To ensure the prototype meets governance and compliance standards

Cost Estimate: ₳30,000.

Administration, Documentation and Reporting

Cost Estimate: ₳10,000.

Total Estimated Budget: ₳100,000.

The budget will be regularly revisited throughout the project with shared responsibility between the project leads to ensure that funds are allocated optimally and to accommodate any emerging needs or changes in scope. Additionally, maintaining a detailed and transparent record of expenditures will aid in effective budget management throughout the project lifecycle.

How does the cost of the project represent value for money for the Cardano ecosystem?

The cost of the project represents significant value for money for the Cardano ecosystem, considering the scope and potential impact of the project, here's how:

Impact and Broad Application to East, Southeast Asian, Oceanic and Pacific Island nations: The project focuses on the process of developing a jurisdictionally and culturally appropriate legal entity for the Māori community in Aotearoa. This not only benefits the local community by aligning with their cultural values and legal requirements but also provides a blueprint for similar initiatives by East, Southeast Asian, Oceanic and Pacific Island nations and entrepreneurs in other indigenous populations globally, enhancing Cardano's reputation.

Technical and Cultural Innovation: The integration of traditional tribal governance with modern digital ecosystems represents a unique blend of innovation. This kind of pioneering work in the field of decentralised identity and finance protocols showcases Cardano's capabilities in addressing complex, real-world contexts and complicated regulatory problems beyond those in the US.

Enhancing Cardano's Ecosystem: By demonstrating the practical use of Cardano's technology in culturally sensitive and legally complex environments, the project contributes to the broader narrative of blockchain for social good. This enhances Cardano's appeal to communities, developers and users interested in meaningful economic societal change.

Value for money:

• Research and Development: The allocated budget for R&D is grounded in the complexity of the project, which involves navigating unique legal landscapes and integrating them into a digital framework. Given the specialised nature of this work, the costs align with the need for high-level expertise.

• Stakeholder Engagement and Legal Expertise: The costs associated with stakeholder engagement and legal consultations are more than justified, considering the need for thorough and culturally sensitive approaches that respect Māori sovereignty and align with New Zealand's legal framework.

• Market Rates Comparison: The estimate includes the costs of legal and cultural consultations, and community engagement, which are in line with typical freelance rates and professional fees in these sectors.

In summary, the project represents value for money by delivering a high-impact, culturally significant innovation within a reasonable budget, considering the specialised nature of the work and its potential for wide-ranging implications within and beyond the Cardano ecosystem.