"Pathways to the Future: Nga Huarahi Arataki," the ten year strategic plan for early childhood education (ECE) in New Zealand, identified reviewing the delivery of professional development as one strategy for "promoting the effective delivery of 'Te Whariki'"(Ministry of Education, 2002, p. 15) within the overall goal of improving quality within ECE services. This paper reports on aspects of a national evaluation of ECE professional development undertaken for the Ministry of Education in 2005-06. The paper describes the multi-method approach taken, and highlights findings in two key areas: issues around access to professional development and barriers to practitioners engaging in PD, and the effectiveness of professional development programmes in supporting and sustaining shifts in pedagogical practices underpinned by "Te Whariki."