Condemnation is coming thick and fast after critical findings were published about the Government's Whanau Ora scheme.

A report published by the Office of the Auditor General has found the scheme has been a success for many families, but says it's not easy to describe what it is, or what it's achieved.

It has also revealed around a third of the policy's $137 million in funding has been spent on administration costs.

Green Party co-leader Metiria Turei says she'd be concerned if that was the case.

"The money is designed to assist whanau, and if an unjust proportion is being used on administration and bureaucracy, that's not appropriate."

New Zealand First leader Winston Peters says he doesn't know what Whanau Ora is and maintains nobody does.

"This is esoteric nonsense being passed off as some traditional taonga, and it's not true and not correct."

Peters argues his party said all along Whanau Ora was a serious waste of hundreds of millions of dollars, and now it's faced serious official scrutiny, it's fallen short.

However, that harsh criticism is being dismissed as teething issues by Finance Minister Bill English, who maintains it's not a great result, but it was necessary for setting up the scheme.

"I'm sure if we went back and had another look it could have been less. You can never be satisfied with public spending, it can always be improved."

And English believes they are already building up understanding of the system.

"Over time I think it's gained credibility. Agencies are now starting to see it's one tool you can use, particularly to get to some of our most challenging families."