Canadian Evaluation Society Conference 2024

Randika De Mel, Manager of Asia Pacific Evaluation Association

DAY 1
I took part in the session “A Picture is Worth 1000 Words: Intro to photo Elicitation on for Evaluation Planning, Data Collection, and Reflective Practices” by Maya Lefkowich and Jennica Nichols. This is a new art-based method I learnt on how to use pictures to gather stories during interviews and FGDs. I hope to use this new innovative method in order to gather stories during data collection.

 In addition, I participated on the workshop titled “The Truth About Stories: Using Storytelling to Support Learning, Renewal, and Transformation” by Larry Bremner. During this workshop, I learnt the power of stories, especially to gather data from marginalized communities such as Indigenous people, women, and LGBTQ etc.

I also learnt that behind each individual there is a life story and the importance of building a relationship with your interviewee. Further, through this workshop I learnt the importance of listening, respect, and patience when gathering stories.

DAY 2
I was one of the presenters with my teammates from APEA on the session titled “Amplifying Indigenous Voices: Advancing Equity and Inclusion in Evaluation Practices.” This session was held on Tuesday, May 7th at 2.00 PM Canadian time. Around 25 participants took part in this session. The moderator and presenters for the session were as follows:

Moderator: Fiona Cram, Co-Chair of EvalIndigenous
Seed grant presenters:
-Bhuban Bajracharya, Chairman of Nepal Evaluation Society (Nepal)
-Dulmina Chamathkara, Co-Founder of EvalYouth Asia (Sri Lanka)
-Prabin Chitrakar, Chairperson of CoE-Nepal (Nepal)
-Eroni Wavu Co-Leader of EvalYouth Pacific (Fiji)
-Ana Erika Lareza, Co-Founder of EvalYouth Asia
Toolkit presenters:
-Randika De Mel, Manager of APEA
-Madhuka Liyanagamage, Coordinator of APEA
​
This session included presentations on grant projects supported by EvalIndigenous and the toolkit for Indigenous Evaluation developed by APEA. Since the seed grant presenters were unable to attend the conference because they were not able to get their visas on time for Canada, they sent video presentations that were played during the session.

In this session, we explained that to capture the key learnings from these activities, a toolkit on Indigenous evaluations specifically for the Asia Pacific region was developed to serve as a practical guide that consolidates the existing knowledge and experiences of selected Indigenous communities and evaluators working with Indigenous communities in Asia Pacific and as an advocacy tool that seeks to promote culturally responsive evaluations in the region. The main aim of this session was to amplify Indigenous evaluation project practices by bringing together Indigenous knowledge holders and Indigenous evaluators and global national evaluation systems and policies to increasingly recognize and support Indigenous.
​
During my presentations, I spoke about the five lessons from the data gathered from Indigenous knowledge holders and evaluators in the Asia Pacific Region: 
●      Lesson 1: Honor and respect the cultural traditions and norms of the Indigenous community
●      Lesson 2. Secure approval and consent from key stakeholders before the start of an evaluation or research
●      Lesson 3. Plan to involve the community in the evaluation process
●      Lesson 4. Decolonize evaluation/research approaches and methodologies
●      Lesson 5. Engage Indigenous communities in the dissemination of evaluation findings
 
During the Q&A session with the audience, we discussed the importance of respect and building the relationship and trust when working with the Indigenous community. Also, we discussed the importance of sharing our interview questions and survey questions in order to get their feedback to ensure the data collection tools are culturally appropriate before the start of the study. ​

DAY 3
During the plenary session, on “Questioning and Navigating Ethics in Evaluation,” I was able to learn about the code of ethics standards developed by CES and reflect on how I can use it in my evaluation work. Additionally, I was able to observe similarities between the CES code of ethics and the APEA code of ethics for evaluation that was developed for evaluators in the Asia Pacific Region.

​Also, I took part in the drafting of the Wolastoq Declaration session for Indigenous Communities and this session was facilitated by the Co-Chairs of EvalIndigenous. Below are some of the key points that I highlighted when drafting of the Wolastoq Declaration:

• Advocating to preserve the culture, language, and knowledge of the Indigenous communities.
• Ensuring that evaluations bring about tangible results to Indigenous communities to preserve their environment and culture.
• Protecting the rights of Indigenous people according to their culture and values.

​Finally, I would like to thank EvalIndigenous for providing me an opportunity to attend the Indigenous Evaluation Gathering and CES Conference. Attending the Indigenous Evaluation Gathering and CES was an invaluable experience that allowed me to learn about Indigenous Evaluation Practices and new methods and techniques in evaluation. The insights gained and connections made during the conference will undoubtedly have a profound impact on my personal and professional growth.