As described by the Indigenous Food Systems Network, food sovereignty rests on four interconnected principles:
Why It Matters to Evaluators For evaluators, Indigenous food sovereignty offers a living model of systems change. It challenges us to measure success not by yield or income, but by reciprocity, collective wellbeing, and ecological renewal. Evaluating Indigenous food systems means valuing relational accountability—how communities sustain balance, respect, and interconnection. The International Federation of Social Workers highlights this in its call to recognise food sovereignty as a pathway to climate justice and Indigenous self-determination. Evaluators have a key role in documenting how these practices strengthen resilience, restore knowledge, and uphold rights. Walking Alongside, Not Ahead Indigenous food sovereignty invites evaluators to stand in solidarity with communities—not as inspectors, but as witnesses and learners. In doing so, we help ensure that evaluation contributes to life-affirming futures where food, culture, and land are inseparable, and where equity, dignity, and self-determination are the ultimate measures of success.  Also see the Indigenous Food Sovereignty section in our July-September 2025 newsletter. Other Reading Jernigan, V. B. B., Demientieff, L. X., & Maunakea, A. K. (2023). Food sovereignty as a path to health equity for Indigenous communities: Introduction to the focus issue. Health Promotion Practice, 24(6), 1066–1069. https://doi.org/10.1177/15248399231190355
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For generations, the Ogiek people have lived as caretakers and custodians of Kenya’s forests, especially the Mau Forest. We belong to the forest We protect the forest We are the forest There are no arrows on a map showing where the Ogiek came from — because we did not migrate here. We are the original roots of these lands. The Ogiek community has lived in harmony with the forest since time immemorial, deeply relying on it for food, shelter, and traditional medicine. The forest provided honey, wild fruits, and meat from animals like the gazelle nourishment that sustained generations.
When illness struck, our people turned to the forest not to hospitals or clinics, but to the rich biodiversity around them. They searched for medicinal plants known to our elders, and within days, healing came through nature’s pharmacy. Our elders passed down this knowledge, and even today we trust in the healing power of medicinal plants. Nearly every Indigenous forest is a living pharmacy, holding remedies for health, wellbeing, and long life. Even today, the Ogiek and many other Indigenous communities still believe in the healing power of medicinal plants. These natural remedies not only cure ailments but are believed to promote long life and a deeper connection to the environment. When you walk through the forest with Indigenous people, they will show you many medicinal plants you may have never seen before. It’s a powerful experience of learning and connection.
For us, the honey bag is also more than a vessel; it is one of the most significant cultural items of the Ogiek community, symbolizing both livelihood and tradition. For generations, the Ogiek people of the Mau forest have depended on honey not only as food but also as a source of medicine, trade, and cultural identity. The specially crafted bag, often made from natural materials such as animal hides and plant fibers, is designed to store and transport honey safely from the forest to the homestead. Its unique craftsmanship reflects the Ogiek’s deep knowledge of their environment, as well as their sustainable practices in harvesting honey without destroying the delicate ecosystem that sustains them.
Ogiek women play a very important role in our forest-based community. They are deeply connected to nature and help support their families through traditional knowledge and daily work in the forest. One of their main roles is collecting firewood, which is needed for cooking and warmth. They also know how to find and collect medicinal plants from the forest. This knowledge helps the community stay healthy using natural medicine. Ogiek women also take part in beekeeping. They carry beehives into the forest, where men hang them high in the trees. But not just any tree is used the dobea tree is one of the special indigenous trees chosen for this purpose. Through their work, Ogiek women protect our culture, take care of the environment, and pass on valuable knowledge to future generations For the Indigenous Peoples, this land is more than just a place to live it is a heritage, a source of culture, and a reminder of the responsibility to safeguard it for future generations. Preserving its beauty means preserving traditions, knowledge, and livelihoods that continue to inspire and sustain the community. Walking deep into the forest, the songs of birds fill the air, hives hum with life, and every stream tells a story. This is where we find peace, connection, and identity. Let us honour these sacred spaces and the knowledge that sustains them. Let us continue to protect our forests not just as a source of heritage, but as a living pharmacy for generations to come.
Voices from the Land: Indigenous Evaluation and the Global Movement for Relational Accountability8/13/2025 At the recent International Janjatiya Gaurav (Tribal Pride) Seminar, Dr Fiona Cram, Director of Katoa Ltd. in Aotearoa New Zealand and Co-Chair of EvalIndigenous, shared a vision for Indigenous evaluation grounded in sovereignty, culture, and relationships. Speaking from a Kaupapa Māori inquiry paradigm—that is, research and evaluation by Māori, for Māori, and with Māori—Dr Cram described how Indigenous evaluation resists external definitions of success. Instead, it centres mātauranga Māori (Māori knowledge), tikanga (cultural protocols), and self-determination, ensuring cultural vitality, sustainability, and even the return of land. She challenged dominant evaluation models that overlook or distort Indigenous perspectives, impose outside measures, and too often operate without accountability to communities. Introducing EvalIndigenous, a global network of Indigenous evaluators and allies, Dr Cram outlined its “seeding, germinating, growing, blossoming” theory of change. Across regions, from Aotearoa and the Pacific to Africa, Asia, Turtle Island and Latin America, EvalIndigenous supports Indigenous-led evaluation that is culturally grounded and community-driven. Central to this movement is the Wolastoq Declaration on Indigenous Evaluation, created in 2024 by Indigenous evaluation leaders and allies. The Declaration asserts the right of Indigenous Peoples to define, conduct, and benefit from evaluation, and calls for honouring Indigenous rights, protecting knowledge sovereignty, and mobilising traditional paradigms. Dr Cram emphasised relational accountability as the connecting thread — being answerable to people, lands, ancestors, and future generations; upholding reciprocity and respect; and sustaining connections across contexts. She highlighted Asia–Pacific projects in Fiji, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Mongolia, and the Philippines, including the APEA Toolkit for Indigenous Evaluation. Closing her talk, Dr Cram reminded participants that “evaluation is not just about measuring change — it is about creating it.” When Indigenous peoples define success, she said, “we define our own futures.” Her presentation with notes is available here. Health evaluation has long been framed by Western scientific methods and priorities. However, for Indigenous Peoples, evaluation is not new. It has always been part of how we live, make decisions, and sustain wellbeing. What’s needed now is not simply more evaluation, but better evaluation: work that reflects our knowledge systems, honours our protocols, and is done with, by, and for Indigenous communities. Indigenous evaluators are reclaiming the space of health evaluation and reasserting its rightful purpose: to support thriving Indigenous families, strengthen self-determination, and uphold collective wellbeing. This shift is grounded in protocols, bundles, and principles created by Indigenous communities, for Indigenous priorities.
The Indigenous Evaluation 101 Guidebook from Minnesota extends this further by offering practical strategies to funders and evaluators, from building good relations agreements and securing Tribal IRB approval, to adopting culturally grounded logic models and community-led methods such as talking circles. Crucially, it insists that Indigenous values shape the evaluation from start to finish, not just as a token add-on. These approaches are not merely aspirational, they are already being used successfully in Indigenous health initiative evaluations. For example, the Aloha Framework, developed in Hawaiʻi, integrates Indigenous values of aloha, kuleana, and pono to centre cultural integrity and community wellbeing in health evaluation design. Likewise, Indigenous wellness indicator projects with First Nations communities emphasize cultural identity, intergenerational strength, and land-based wellness over narrow metrics like hospital readmission rates What do these examples have in common? They are driven by Indigenous people. They reflect a commitment to sovereignty over data, stories, and outcomes. They challenge the field to move beyond cultural adaptation toward Indigenous self-determination in evaluation.
For funders and commissioners, this means rethinking what counts as credible evidence, resourcing Indigenous evaluators, and ceding control to Indigenous governance processes. It also means understanding that good evaluation is not just a technical task: it is a relational, ethical, and political act. If you’re funding an evaluation of an Indigenous health initiative, inquire about the outcomes but also ask “whose knowledge guides the evaluation and who does it serve?”
By Dr. Fiona Cram | CREA VIII Conference Keynote Reflection | April 2025In April 2025, I had the honour of delivering a keynote at the CREA VIII Conference in Chicago, themed Relational Responsibilities in Culturally Responsive Evaluation and Assessment. I stood before an audience of global evaluators, researchers, and community advocates to speak not only about Indigenous evaluation—but from it. My keynote, “Standing Firm to Move Forward,” was a weaving together of our histories, our grief, our resilience, and our responsibilities. At its heart, Indigenous evaluation is about relationships. It begins not with methods or indicators, but with identity and place—where we stand, who we stand with, and why we do this work. For Māori, this is our whakapapa (genealogy), our whenua (Land), and our kaupapa (agenda). Across Turtle Island, Latin America, Africa, the Pacific and beyond, Indigenous evaluators hold similar truths: that evaluation must emerge from our values, our languages, and our collective aspirations.  Grounding in Place and HistoryI opened by inviting everyone to introduce themselves to a neighbour and share where they felt most at home on the land. This was an act of whanaungatanga—establishing relationships, grounding ourselves in our own stories of place and belonging. Evaluation, when rooted in Indigenous worldviews, is inseparable from our connections to land, history, and people. Place is not simply geography. It is kin. The land carries scars of colonisation and resistance, just as we do. In his work Towards Scarring, Cash Ahenakew reminds us that the land remembers, that scars are not just signs of pain but of survival. In this way, land teaches us how to stand firm, how to heal, and how to move forward with dignity and purpose.
Navigating the Currents of Global GriefThis brings us to our first key evaluation question: Why is this initiative needed? Not just from a funder's perspective, but from the perspectives of those most affected. Whose pain are we addressing? Whose healing are we honouring? We are living in a time of deep, visible global grief. From Gaza to West Papua, from the Sahel to Standing Rock, Indigenous and oppressed communities are experiencing the compounding forces of colonisation, war, ecological collapse, and displacement. These are not isolated crises. They are braided together—roots sunk deep into the violence of empire. As evaluators, we cannot look away. Ibrahim Kamara’s short film “How philanthropists are destroying African farms” (The Guardian, 2024) reminds us: We are not drowning. We are being flooded. Flooded by histories that have been dammed and diverted. As Ahenakew puts it, sacred pain is our refusal to look away. Evaluation must also refuse detachment. It must bear witness, recognise grief, and seek justice—not just outcomes.
Indigenous Evaluation as an Act of CareThe second key question--How is this initiative being implemented?—often sounds procedural. But in Indigenous evaluation, it is profoundly relational. Implementation does not begin with a contract. It begins with whakapapa, with history, with place, and with aroha—love for our people. Evaluation, in our hands, is not extractive. It is not just observation. It is ceremony. It is care. When I reflect on Māori concepts like manaakitanga (hospitality), whanaungatanga (kinship), and tikanga (cultural protocols), I see a different pathway forward—one in which evaluation becomes an extension of our responsibilities to one another, not a technical imposition. One powerful example of this was Te Oho Ake, a youth wānanga at Ruataniwha Marae in Wairoa. Over five days, rangatahi became evaluators—not of a programme, but of their own transformation. They climbed their ancestral mountain, shared stories, built trust. Evaluation was not a separate task. It was lived. It was relational. It was whānau (family)-held. This is what evaluation can be when it is led by those it seeks to serve.
Whose Outcomes? Whose Impact?The third evaluation question--What are the outcomes and impacts?—requires us to go deeper. Whose wellbeing are we measuring? What version of a “good life” are we using? As the late Manuka Henare taught, true wellbeing is grounded in mana, whakapapa, and collective flourishing—not material wealth. Inspired by his work and Amartya Sen’s capabilities approach, we ask: Did this initiative uplift mana (prestige)? Did it strengthen our relationships with Land, spirit, and each other? This is what I call ontological justice—not just equity in services or access, but the right to define and pursue wellbeing on our own terms. In this way, evaluation becomes a tool of self-determination, not surveillance. It affirms who we are, not just what we do.  He Awa Whiria – Braided Rivers, Braided WorldsTo walk between Indigenous and Western paradigms, I turn to He Awa Whiria—the braided rivers model. Just like the alluvial rivers of Aotearoa New Zealand, knowledge systems can run side by side: distinct, but interconnected. Our HPV self-testing project with Māori women demonstrated how relational, community-led research can inform large-scale scientific innovation. Our braided river began with elders, researchers, whānau, and community experts. Together, we designed a study, analysed findings, and translated them into action—culminating in a nationwide health policy shift. The river metaphor reminds us that evaluation is a journey. It requires trust. It requires pausing. It requires humility. From whanaungatanga (relationships), to kaupapa (planning), to mahi (doing)—we evaluate as we live: together, on purpose.
The Wolastoq Declaration and the Future of Indigenous EvaluationIn 2024, EvalIndigenous helped convene a global gathering in Fredericton, on the Lands of the Wolastoqiyik people. What emerged was not just a declaration—it was a collective affirmation of our sacred responsibilities as Indigenous evaluators. The Wolastoq Declaration asserts three principles:
Conclusion: Stand Firm, Paddle ForwardI closed my talk with a waiata (song):
Mā wai rā e taurima / Te marae i waho nei? / Mā te tika, mā te pono / Me te aroha e. Who will tend to the marae here? / Truth, honesty, and love will. In these times of turbulence, evaluation can be an anchor—or it can be a rudder. When grounded in truth, in love, and in our obligations to place and people, it becomes both. To my fellow evaluators: stand firm in your place. Paddle together. And always, always let the land show you how to move forward.  Photo 1: The EvalIndigenous Representatives and the Ogiek Council of Elders addressing the Press in Mariashoni On 23 May 2025, the EvalIndigenous Global Network, hosted an advocacy workshop with the Ogiek Council of Elders, community elders and representatives in the wake of the new Government of Kenya intention to redraw the Mau Forest cutline. A court ruling on September 30, 2024, upheld the legality of the 2001 cutline. And now the government has started implementing the long-awaited process of redrawing and beaconing the boundaries to separate forests and settlements of the six schemes created following the 2001 decision. The right to Indigenous territoryA major issue raised is the lack of consultation with the Ogiek community in ongoing government plans, particularly the fencing of the Mau Forest. The fear of the Ogiek community is that this is a political process supervised by political leaders from other communities, while they don’t have a voice. This has raised concerns that they are likely to be evicted once again, given that there is no one to talk on their behalf. It is in this context that the EvalIndigenous Global Network has come in to stand in solidarity with not only the Ogiek community, but as a voice for all the other Indigenous Communities in Kenya facing similar challenges. Read the Advocacy Letter addressed to The Principal Secretary, Ministry of Interior and National Administration, Government of Kenya. Emilly Kirui, one of the Ogiek Elders, highlighted the broader context which reflects ongoing challenges faced by indigenous communities in Kenya, including slow implementation of court rulings affirming their land rights and continued evictions under the guise of conservation efforts. Despite legal victories, such as the African Court’s recognition of Ogiek rights over the Mau Forest, government inaction and bureaucratic hurdles have left many families in uncertainty. The Ogiek and other Indigenous groups continue to call for the enforcement of legal protections, full implementation of court decisions, and the establishment of co-management frameworks for resource sharing and land governance. A key demand from the Ogiek is the urgent implementation of court rulings affirming their rights to ancestral lands, particularly following a 2022 African Court decision in their favour. Despite this legal victory, the community reports that enforcement remains stalled, leaving them vulnerable to forced evictions and continued encroachment. They are also advocating for the issuance of land titles to secure their homes and heritage, and for the integration of traditional governance systems into formal structures. The right to free, prior and informed consent
One of the Ogiek Human Rights Defenders, Alexander Kisioi Koech, highlights findings from a recent 2024–2025 study by EvalIndigenous Global Network, which demonstrate the critical necessity for policy reforms that align with both Kenya’s constitutional commitments and its international obligations. The current frameworks are seen as insufficient in protecting the rights and interests of indigenous peoples, underscoring the importance of immediate government action to address these gaps.
This absence of representation has left them marginalised in critical national conversations and policy decisions. EvalIndigenous and Ogiek Council of Elders representatives also urged the government to provide Indigenous communities with direct representation at the county and national levels, including the nomination of senators from these groups. Past experiences have shown that having nominated leaders enables Indigenous communities to effectively channel their issues to government authorities and advocate for their rights. The speakers implored the government to fill vacant nominated positions with qualified Indigenous representatives to ensure their concerns are addressed at the highest levels.
Reframing Global Health through Indigenous Eyes: Three Cornerstone Resources from the UNPFII5/22/2025
Together, the three studies form a dynamic, interconnected roadmap for advancing Indigenous health globally—not as a subset of minority or diversity policy, but as a self-determined, rights-based, and cosmologically distinct approach to collective wellbeing. For governments, NGOs, UN agencies, funders, and Indigenous leaders, this trilogy offers a new standard: one that prioritizes healing over harm, relational accountability over extractive metrics, and sovereignty over simplification. 1. A Foundational Framework: The 2023 Study on Indigenous Determinants of Health
This report also emphasizes that Indigenous Peoples are rights holders, not stakeholders, and that their representation must be central and enduring across the entire policy cycle.
Each item is grounded in specific determinants, with criteria for assessing policy implementation, cultural safety, data practices, Indigenous representation, and the protection of land and identity2025 IDHEvaluation Inst…. The tool offers not only a way to track institutional progress but also a process for community-led adaptation, piloting, and refinement. Implications for Indigenous EvaluationTogether, these three resources challenge the foundations of mainstream evaluation practice. They call for a paradigm shift away from deficit-based, Western-centric metrics toward an Indigenous-led evaluation movement that centres Indigenous values, worldviews, and priorities. These reports:
Shared Lessons for Evaluators and Evaluation CommissionersMr Njovu and Dr Ponge and his team, in different but complementary ways, offer a set of urgent and important lessons for those who commission or undertake evaluations of initiatives in Indigenous communities in Africa:
Global ImplicationsThough situated in Africa, these reports resonate globally. They offer pathways for evaluators to re-centre Indigenous ways of knowing, being and evaluating. More than that, they show how Africa can lead: not as a recipient of development knowledge, but as a generator of evaluation futures rooted in relationality, interdependence, and cultural continuity. As EvalIndigenous continues to nurture these blossoms, the work of Mr Njovu and Dr Ponge and his team reminds us of the fire we carry: that evaluation, when reclaimed by Indigenous communities, can be a force for renewal, healing, and sovereignty.
Growing Seeds of Indigenous Evaluation in Asia-Pacific: Lessons from Three Germination Grants4/25/2025 The Asia Pacific Evaluation Association (APEA) and EvalIndigenous launched their Germination Grant Programme to spark new Indigenous-led initiatives across the region. The three projects supported in 2024–25 — in Nepal and the Philippines — have now been completed. Together, they offer important lessons for the future of Indigenous evaluation. Lessons for Indigenous EvaluationAcross the three projects, some powerful common lessons emerged:
Strengthening Indigenous Evaluation Practices in Nepal
Empowering Indigenous Journalists in Nepal
Laying Foundations for the Future: IKAYO in the Philippines
As these seeds continue to grow, they offer hope for an Indigenous evaluation movement across Asia and the Pacific that is bold, sovereign, and transformative.  0 – Author (right) at the end of a presentation in one of the Sessions, with fellow presenters: Emmanuel Anobir Mensah (left) from the Mississippi State University; Dr. Gabriel Keney (second left) and Eunice Oduro (second right) from the University of North Carolina, Greensboro, USA Day 1 - Wednesday, 9 April 2025I credit my participation to the CREA VIII Conference in Chicago, Illinois to two main sponsors. KATOA Limited, New Zealand through Dr. Fiona Cram, the Co-Chair of the EvalIndigenous Global Network, paid for my ticket; and the Center for Culturally Responsive Evaluation and Assessment (CREA) at the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign for the Conference registration. Without your support, I couldn’t have made it to Chicago, Illinois. Special thanks to Prof. Denice Ward Hood, the Director of the Center for Culturally Responsive Evaluation and Assessment (CREA) at the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign; the Administrator of the CREA program, Timothy A. Leyhe and Dr. Anthony B. Sullers Jr., a Post-doctoral Research Fellow at CREA. Thank you so much! I wish to state that this was my first ever CREA Conference. So far, seven similar Conferences have been conducted and this was the 8th. The Conference ran from 8 – 11 April 2025, with the first day and half of the second day, set aside for pre-Conference Capacity-building Workshops. The official Opening Session for the Conference was on Wednesday, 9 April 2025 and ran from 12.30pm to 2.00pm, characterised by Indigenous entertainment and Welcome Remarks by Prof. Denice Ward Hood, the Director of the Center for Culturally Responsive Evaluation and Assessment (CREA) at the University of Illinoisat Urbana Champaign.  1 – Author (Right) with the incoming President of the International Evaluation Academy (IEA) and Former President of the Canadian Evaluation Society (CES), Andrealisa Belzer (left) and Co-Chair of EvalIndigenous Global Network, Dr. Fiona Cram (Centre) After the official opening, my next session was: a multi-paper presentation session dubbed: 1.2: Paper Session – Indigenous Evaluation. The Session Chair was Nicole R. Bowman-Farrell, of Bowman Performance Consulting, LLC. The first paper presentation in this session was titled: “Cultural Compass: Navigating assessment data through Indigenous wayfinding.” This presentation was made by Chiara Logli, an Assistant Professor and Institutional Assessment Specialist at the Honolulu Community College and Ululani Kahikina, the Kūkalahale Title III Grant Manager and lead facilitator of the E Hoʻi Nā Wai Indigenous Education Professional Learning Program located at Honolulu Community College, United States of America. The presenters explored how Hawaiian paradigms can enhance higher education assessments by integrating culturally responsive strategies that prioritise diversity, equity, and inclusion while addressing the limitations of standardized indicators. Using Grounded Theory methodology, they analysed faculty reflections from 2000 to 2024 to identify supports and barriers to student learning, emphasizing the need to contextualize both instruction and assessment practices. Their study advocates for learning environments rooted in Hawaiian cultural perspectives, aiming to inform institutional decision-making and professional development through contextualised data analysis.
This next presentation was titled: “Ho'okahi ka 'Ilau Like Ana (Wield the Paddles Together): A collaborative approach to indigenous assessment, cultural validity and outcomes in early childhood”and was made by Landry Leimalami Fukunaga, on behalf of the other authors: Shelli Aiona Kim, Nicole Mokihana Souza, all of the Kamehameha Schools, United States of America. The presenter highlighted a three-year initiative to develop and implement culturally valid, standards-based assessments for Hawaiian culture-based early childhood education, emphasising culturally defined outcomes over traditional Western frameworks. Through engaging multiple stakeholders and cultural experts, their study demonstrates the reliability and impact of these assessments in fostering Native Hawaiian identity, cultural learning, and social-emotional well-being, offering insights for broader applications in indigenous education. This last presentation in this session was made by Jackie Ng-Osori but the other authors who did not make it for the Conference included: Noilyn Mendoza, Patti Dayleg, 'Alisi Tulua, Alyshia Macaysa, Jason Lacsamana, and Amy Huang. In her presentation titled: “Pilina and Waialeale: Building Relationships and Connections Through the Rippling Waters”, Jackie Ng-Osori highlighted about The Healing Tides initiative, funded by the St. Joseph Fund, and how it unites nine Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander organizations in Southern California to address inequities through culturally responsive, community-driven strategies rooted in trust, traditional knowledge, and resilience. She emphasised that through relational responsibilities and co-creating culturally relevant metrics, the initiative creates an environment of mutual learning, accountability, and systemic change while respecting the unique identities of each participating organization. This approach demonstrates how culturally responsive evaluation can balance individuality and collective action to amplify community strengths and promote equity and well-being.  3 - Co-Chair of EvalIndigenous Global Network, Dr. Fiona Cram delivering her Keynote address I then headed to the Atlantic Ballroom for the Opening Keynote address by Dr. Fiona Cram of Katoa Limited, who also happens to be the Co-Chair of the EvalIndigenous Global Network. Dr. Fiona Cram’s keynote address titled: "Standing Firm to Move Forward: Place, History, and the Future of Indigenous Evaluation", emphasised that Indigenous evaluation must be rooted in place, history, and relationships to foster transformation and justice. She highlighted the importance of ancestral knowledge, cultural sovereignty, and relational accountability in evaluation practices. Dr. Cram advocated for methodologies like Kaupapa Māori, which centre Indigenous values such as self-determination (tino rangatiratanga), collective well-being (whānau), and respect for land (whenua). She addressed global grief stemming from colonization and environmental crises, urging evaluators to use evaluation as a tool for healing rather than oppression. Relational evaluation, grounded in trust and care, was presented as a pathway to empower communities and uphold Indigenous worldviews. Ultimately, Dr. Cram called for evaluations that honor Indigenous rights, strengthen relationships with land and people, and ensure outcomes reflect cultural aspirations—charting a transformative path forward for Indigenous evaluation practices. Dr. Cram urged evaluators to:
The address that earned Dr. Fiona Cram a well-deserved standing ovation from the participants, advocated for evaluations that are culturally responsive, transformative, and rooted in Indigenous values – ensuring they serve as instruments of justice and empowerment for present and future generations. Day 2 - Thursday, 10 April 2025On the second day of the Conference, I started my day by attending the morning plenary session which involved a powerful Panel made up of CREA Partners in the Atlantic Ballroom. The session was Chaired by Dr. Anthony B. Sullers Jr., from the Center for Culturally Responsive Evaluation and Assessment (CREA) at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. The Panelists included: Dr. Dominica McBride, a Community Psychologist and Founder at BECOME; Prof. Joe O’Hara, a Full Professor of Education at Dublin City University, Director – Centre for Evaluation, Quality and Inspection (EQI); Dr. Palama Lee (CREA Hawai’i, Liliuokalani Trust) (LUH-LE + UH WOKE + KUH LAA NEE), and Dr. Rick Alan Sperling, Associate Professor of Psychology and Director of Community-based Research at the St. Mary’s University. The key messages delivered by the Panelists were an emphasis on the transformative potential of culturally responsive evaluation and assessment (CREA) in fostering liberatory relationships and advancing social justice globally, particularly in the face of challenges like the erosion of diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. They shared insights on relational responsibility, positionality, and strategies for leveraging CRE to protect, uplift, and empower communities through affirmation, resistance, and hope. After the plenary session, I attended my next session which was a multi-paper session on the sub-theme of: “Relational Validity”. The Chair of the Session was Karen E. Kirkhart, of Syracuse University, while the Discussant was Melissa Goodnight of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. In this session, Karen E. Kirkhart made the first presentation which was on: “Relational Responsibilities and Validity.” Karen emphasised that validity in evaluation is a relational responsibility, deeply rooted in culturally responsive practices that honour local knowledge, history, and land; while requiring evaluators to critically reflect on their positionality and privilege. She argued that relationships must be held accountable for their impact on equity and justice, as relational dynamics can either enhance validity or perpetuate marginalisation and complicity.
Ketan Mathavan, a Doctoral Candidate at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, United States of America and Melissa Rae Goodnight, an assistant professor in the Department of Educational Psychology as well as Educational Policy, Organization, and Leadership at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, made their presentation on: “Large-scale Assessment Alchemy: Lessons from India on Blending Culture and Citizen-engagement for Stronger Validity.” The presenters highlighted the urgent need for culturally responsive assessments that account for students' unique identities and cultural perspectives, proposing an expanded framework to address the entire assessment process, including stakeholder involvement and culturally relevant design decisions. Using India's Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) as a case study, Ketan demonstrated how citizen-led assessments can effectively monitor foundational learning in diverse contexts, emphasising grassroots engagement and cultural sensitivity. Kerry S. Englert of Seneca Consulting, USA and Pōhai Kūkea Shultz of University of Hawaii, Mānoa College of Education made a presentation on: “Using a Cultural Lens to Examine Validity Based on Relationships to External Variables”. The presenters emphasised on the importance of using a cultural lens to examine the validity of educational assessments, particularly in contexts like Hawaiian language immersion programs. They highlighted the Kaiapuni Assessment of Educational Outcomes (KĀʻEO) as an example of prioritising equity, community engagement, and cultural relevance over traditional comparisons to external assessments that lack social justice aims. Their study underscored the value of incorporating teachers' perceptions and community partnerships to build evidence for validity while advancing culturally sustaining and innovative assessment practices. The last presentation in this session was by Prof. Robert Stake, a Professor Emeritus, Educational Psychology , University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, USA, who made a powerful presentation titled: “Judgmental Validity”. Prof. Stake emphasised that the concept of "judgmental validity" in evaluation pertains to the quality and representativeness of a report synthesising an evaluand, beyond traditional psychometric validity measures. He argued that evaluators ensure this validity through collaborative, iterative reviews of language, calculations, and interpretations to faithfully represent cultural contexts and meet practical utility. The key messages coming from his presentation were:
During the lunch break, we had the Edmund W. Gordon Distinguished Lecture and Luncheon which was delivered by Prof. Nelson Flores. Prof. Nelson Flores is a professor in educational linguistics at the Graduate School of Education, University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia; and affiliated faculty with the Center for Latin American and Latinx Studies. The compelling keynote address focused on the intersection of language, race, and colonialism in shaping U.S. educational policies and practices. He highlighted how raciolinguistic ideologies have historically framed the language practices of racialized communities as deficient, perpetuating systemic inequities. Prof. Flores emphasised the need to challenge these colonial logics embedded in bilingual education and educational linguistics, advocating for decolonial approaches that empower racialized bilingual students to redefine their identities beyond deficit narratives. Prof. Flores also discussed how foundational concepts in educational linguistics contribute to harmful policies and practices by reinforcing colonial frameworks. He called for reimagining bilingual education as part of a broader political project aimed at fostering inclusive ways of being and knowing, challenging the white supremacist status quo. After lunch on Day 2, I attended a multi-paper session, in which I was also a presenter. The session was: 3.3: Paper Session – International Evaluation II and run from 2:15pm - 3:45pm. The Session was Chaired by Prof. Joe O’Hara, a Full Professor of Education at Dublin City University, Director – Centre for Evaluation, Quality and Inspection (EQI), President, EASSH and President Elect, World Educational Research Association; while the Discussant was: Martin Brown, also a Professor of Education at Dublin City University in Ireland. Prof. Joe O’Hara led a team made up of Sarah Gardezi, Martin Brown, Gerry McNamara, and Aideen Cassidyfrom the EQI/CREA Dublin City University, Ireland, in making the presentation titled: “‘Who you are can shape what you do’ – Exploring the reality of early school leaving and underachievement in Europe through a culturally responsive lens.” In their presentation, they emphasised the critical role of cultural responsiveness in addressing early school leaving (ESL) and underachievement in Europe, highlighting how systemic cultural dissonance, socioeconomic factors, and teacher expectations disproportionately affect marginalized and culturally diverse students. They advocated for integrative, culturally informed policies and practices—centered on family involvement, inclusive curricula, and professional development for educators—to transform educational systems into equitable spaces that leverage cultural diversity as an asset rather than a deficit.
Using a Case Study of a project funded by the Ford Foundation through EvalIndigenous Global Network, a study titled: “Traditional Decision-Making as Evaluation: Developing Indigenous Evaluation Methodologies with Kenyan Communities – Comparative Study among the Ogiek and the Mijikenda Communities”, I made the following key conclusions from the study:
The Team of Aideen Cassidy, Prof. Joe O’Hara, Anne Rowan from the Centre for Evaluation, Quality and Inspection / CREA / Dublin City University, Ireland, made a presentation on: “Exploring the role played by culture in a University community outreach programme - lessons from the evaluation of an Irish Higher Education initiative.” The presenters evaluated the Community Outreach Programme at the Technical University (TU) of Dublin, emphasising its focus on community-engaged research (CER) to address inequalities in university participation among minority groups through collaboration, mutual respect, and actionable knowledge. They highlighted their key recommendations which include fostering genuine partnerships with community stakeholders, addressing cultural barriers, and empowering underserved communities to ensure sustainable and inclusive engagement in higher education. My next session was 4.3: Paper Session – International Evaluation III. This Session was Chaired by Dr. Gabriel Keney, a recent Doctoral Graduate from the University of North Carolina, Greensboro. In the first presentation in this session, Emmanuel Anobir Mensah and Prof. Nesma Osman from the Mississippi State University, United States of America, made a presentation on: “Rethinking Evidence of Effectiveness: A Culturally Responsive Framework for Evaluating Interventions in African Communities.” The presentation was made by Emmanuel, who highlighted the inadequacy of traditional Western evaluation frameworks in capturing the cultural complexities and lived realities of African communities, advocating for culturally responsive approaches that integrate local knowledge, Indigenous practices, and community participation. He proposed practical strategies and highlights case studies to guide practitioners and policymakers in developing inclusive evaluation models that respect African-centered frameworks and foster equity and justice. He anticipates coming up with an all-inclusive framework that not only complements the exisiting ones, but a possibility of harmonising the indigenous evaluation frameworks.
Eunice Oduro and Dr. Gabriel Keney from the University of North Carolina, Greensboro, USA, made a presentation on the title: “Exploring Relational Responsibilities of Village Savings and Loans Associations (VSLAs) in Enhancing Women's Livelihoods in Rural Communities in Ghana.” Drawing on real-life experience from a project implemented in Ghana by CARE International, the presenters highlighted the critical role of Village Savings and Loans Associations (VSLAs) in improving women's livelihoods in rural Ghana by fostering financial inclusion, economic empowerment, and social benefits such as stronger networks and decision-making power. However, they also emphasised the need for supportive interventions, including financial literacy training and capacity building, to address persistent challenges and maximize the impact of VSLAs on women's economic and social well-being. Day 3 - Friday, 11 April 2025On the third day of the Conference, Friday, 11 April 2025, the first session I attended was: 5.2: Paper Session – Radical Resistance and Transformation in Evaluation. This session was chaired by dr. monique liston, the Executive Director of UBUNTU Research and Evaluation, United States of America. In the first presetation in this Session, Deja Taylor and Koren Dennison, MA both of UBUNTU Research & Evaluation, United States of America, made a presentation on: “Urban Assessments Rooted in Resistance: Reclaiming Our Responsibility of Belonging Through the Built Environment”. The presenters highlighted the need for urban planning to shed historical biases and embrace Black, Brown, and Indigenous perspectives, proposing a paradigm shift rooted in community resilience, creativity, and cultural connection to place. They advocated for decolonizing urban planning practices by amplifying marginalized voices, engaging deeply with community histories, and co-creating spaces that honour past legacies while fostering equitable futures. Kimolee Cowell and Lael-Marie Saez of Artists of Color Unite;and Kimberly Harris of Educa Consulting, USA, made their presentation titled: “The Art of Transformation and Reclamation”. In their presentation, they highlighted the importance of culturally responsive evaluation in addressing systemic inequities in Hartford's arts sector, particularly for artists of color, emphasising relational responsibilities to ensure underrepresented voices are central to the process. They examined the transformative impact of radical inclusion through Community Evaluation methodology, drawing lessons from a partnership between Educa Consulting, Hartford Foundation for Public Giving, and Artists of Color Unite! to build equitable ecosystems. Koren Dennison, MA of UBUNTU Research and Evaluation; Aurealia Johnson of YWCA Madison, and Prof. Carolina S. Sarmiento of University of Wisconsin, made a presentation on: “Evaluation as a Tool for Liberation”. They highlighted how evaluation can be leveraged as a tool for liberation by utilising inclusive methodologies like photovoice and journey mapping to amplify community voices and lived experiences. Using a Case Study involving UBUNTU and YWCA they demonstrated the impact of participatory evaluation in fostering deeper connections, generating valuable insights, and driving equitable programmatic decisions that align with evolving community needs. dr. monique liston, the Executive Director of UBUNTU Research and Evaluation, in her presentation on: “Radical Relationship Building through Evaluation: A Framework for Practice” fired up the participants by emphasising on the transformative potential of integrating a dignity framework into program evaluations, particularly for equity-focused initiatives. She highlighted how centering humanity, lived experiences, and systemic inequities, this approach fosters inclusive, culturally responsive evaluations that amplify marginalized voices, challenge traditional norms, and drive more equitable and effective outcomes. The audience was all fired up at the end of her presentation, earning her a standing ovation.
The second last session that I attended was 6.3: Paper Session – Relational Positionality in Evaluation.This was on Friday, 11 April 2025 from 10:45am - 12:15pm. The Session was Chaired by Cecilia Vaughn-Guy, from CREA, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign; while the Discussant was dr. monique liston, the Executive Director of UBUNTU Research and Evaluation. During this session, a Team from CREA University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, made up of Cecilia Vaughn-Guy, Dr. Anthony B. Sullers Jr., and Cherie Aventorganised a short Panel discussion on: “What do you see when you see me?: Explorations of physical positionality and the impact on evaluation relationships” The Panelists discussed how evaluators’ physical and social positionalities, including visible traits like race, age, and appearance, shape their relationships with evaluation clients, particularly in culturally responsive evaluation (CRE) contexts. Drawing on their experiences and case studies as Black evaluators in predominantly white academic spaces, they highlighted how these positionalities serve as both resources and barriers to building rapport, navigating power dynamics, and advancing social justice in marginalised communities. In the same session, Min Ma from Data+Soul Research, USA presented on a topic titled: ”How do we begin? Practices and Tools for Examining Evaluator Positionality, Assumptions, and Bias”. On her part, she discussed the critical need for evaluators to examine their own positionality, assumptions, and biases, emphasising that unchecked assumptions can lead to blind spots and flawed decision-making, particularly when influenced by underlying stereotypes. She highlighted practical tools and approaches for fostering introspection and dialogue within evaluation teams, aiming to honour diverse expertise and create conditions for more equitable and contextually informed evaluation practices. The third presentation in the session came from dr. monique liston from UBUNTU Research and Evaluation, USA titled: “To Pimp a Butterfly: Afrofuturist Relationship Building to use Evaluation for Liberation”. Firing up the participants with music and dance, she highlighted how Kendrick Lamar’s music, particularly “To Pimp a Butterfly” and “DAMN”, serves as a model for an Afrofuturist evaluation framework that centers Black resilience, trauma, healing, and transcendence, urging evaluators to prioritise lived experiences, cultural identity, and speculative re-imagination over traditional quantitative measures. She argued that integrating Afrofuturist principles into evaluation practices – such as dignity, relational responsibility, and artistic expression – can transform evaluations into tools for liberation, justice, and the envisioning of empowered Black futures. The fourth presentation in the session was by Deja Taylor and Koren Dennison from UBUNTU Research & Evaluation, USA; Radaya Ellis from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee; and Ryeshia Farmer from African American Roundtable (AART), jointly presenting on: “Decolonizing Needs Assessments Through Asset Based Community Development: A Culturally Responsive Approach to Community Power Building”. In this presentation, they discussed a 14-month participatory asset mapping project in Milwaukee’s Northwest side that used a culturally responsive, strengths-based approach, centered on Afrofuturist Evaluation, to elevate Black residents’ voices and cultural perspectives in community assessment. Key strategies highlighted included engaging local elders as “Knowledge Keepers,” training community members as co-investigators, and using interactive mapping tools to visualize community assets, ultimately offering practical guidance for equity-focused, culturally grounded evaluation and power building. The final session was the Closing luncheon, during which time, Dr. Warren Chapman delivered his closing Keynote, titled: “Movements and Rivers”. Dr. Chapman has served as the Chief Advancement Officer at the Chicago Lighthouse; Senior Vice President and Interim Vice President for Institutional Development at Columbia College Chicago; Vice Chancellor for External Affairs at the University of Illinois at Chicago; Vice President and National Philanthropic Advisor at JP Morgan Chase; President of the Bank One Foundation; and Lead Program Officer at the Joyce Foundation. As a visiting Assistant Professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, College of Education, he taught graduate courses in sociology of education and educational leadership. In his closing remarks, Dr. Chapman emphasised that Culturally Responsive Evaluation (CRE) is a dynamic, ever-evolving force that shapes and is shaped by the diverse cultural landscapes it encounters, much like a river carving new paths and nourishing all it touches. He called on evaluators to embrace this fluidity and relational responsibility, urging them to actively challenge inequities and translate evidence into meaningful action that uplifts and transforms communities  10 – Shining Home and Away – African participants shining at the CREA Conference My key take-aways and message from my participation at the CREA VIII Conference can be summed as follows:
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