 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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Prabin Chitraker, Chairperson, Community of Evaluators - Nepal
Our EvalIndigenous session, titled 'Integrating indigenous evaluation and culturally responsive evaluation practices into the M&E curriculum',' took place on Wednesday, 04th December 2024 during the ACADEMIC SYMPOSIUM on M&E EDUCATION, 2-4 December 2024, Colombo, Sri Lanka. Session Moderator - Dr. Fiona Cram, Co-Chair of EvalIndigenous The session was moderated by Dr. Fiona Cram the Co-Chair of EvalIndigenous from Aotearoa, New Zealand. Dr. Fiona warmly welcomed all the participants to the session. In her opening remarks she emphasized the importance of entering communities as respectful visitors, good listeners, and valuing cultural norms in the communities. Dr. Fiona introduced the keynote speaker and the panelists of the session, highlighting their diverse expertise and contributions to Indigenous evaluation practices in their respective countries. While introducing Ms. Naomi Lee Be-ilan who is the Indigenous Member of the Ikalahan tribe from Philippines, Dr. Fiona emphasised the importance of including voices and perspectives of the community in such forums and discussions. Lead PresenterDr Almas Fortunatus Mazigo, Dar es Salaam University College of Education (DUCE), TanzaniaDr Almas Fortunatus Mazigo delivered a keynote address titled “Integrating Indigenous Evaluations and Culturally Responsive Evaluation Practices into the Monitoring and Evaluation Curriculum: Lessons from the Master of Arts in Development Evaluation (MADE) Program.” In his keynote address, Dr Mazigo presented a comprehensive overview of the historical context that paved the way for the creation of the Master of Arts in Development Evaluation (MADE) program at DUCE, Tanzania. He elaborated on the significant events and developments that influenced this initiative, emphasizing its importance within the educational landscape. Additionally, he discussed the key findings and insights from the mid-review of the program conducted in 2023, shedding light on its evolution to embrace Indigenous and African-rooted evaluation insights and approaches.
The MADE program is a 24-month accredited program offered at the Dar es Salaam University College of Education (DUCE) in Tanzania. Its goals are twofold: (i) to advance the field of development evaluation within the country, and (ii) to train skilled scholars and professionals in development evaluation. Since 2021, the program has attracted 48 students who are eager to acquire the knowledge and skills needed to conduct high-quality and credible development evaluations. In 2023, a thorough mid-review of the MADE curriculum was carried out to ensure its alignment with the 2021 African Evaluation Principles and incorporate content focused on Indigenous Evaluations. As a result of this review, valuable insights from Indigenous People’s evaluation thoughts and practices have been thoughtfully woven into various courses, enhancing the learning experience and broadening perspectives on development evaluation practices. Some specific changes and updates to the curriculum are detailed below.
Dr Mazigo enriched his keynote presentation with compelling real-world examples that highlighted the active role students could play in community-led evaluation practices. He shared a particularly impactful instance where students collaborated closely with a rural Tanzanian community. Together, they engaged in a multifaceted approach to gathering evidence for their evaluation assignment, utilizing creative methods such as storytelling, digital voices, and community mapping. This hands-on experience not only deepened the students' understanding of evaluation but also fostered a genuine connection with the community. As he concluded his presentation, Dr Mazigo left us with a powerful message, emphasizing the urgent need for academic institutions worldwide to embrace and prioritize ethical and culturally responsive evaluation in the monitoring and evaluation (M&E) education curriculum. His call to action resonated with the audience, motivating us all to commit to these principles and enhance the impact of our educational programs. Panel Discussion
He expressed the benefits of engaging students and parliamentarians through different initiatives which would provide students with real-world experience, networking opportunities, and enhanced practical understanding, complementing their theoretical education. For parliamentarians, these interactions offer access to fresh perspectives and expertise, which can enhance their capacity for informed decision-making. Dr. Bajracharya proposed several collaborative activities, including internships, fellowships, workshops, joint research projects, advisory roles, public hearings, and mentoring exercises. He concluded by emphasizing the mutual benefits of such partnerships, where students gain valuable exposure and skills, while parliamentarians build capacity and develop a deeper understanding of evidence-based policymaking.
Mr. Chitrakar, in relation to the opportunities in Nepal for integrating M&E into the curriculum, stated that Nepal does not offer a dedicated program on M&E as a standalone program, and courses on indigenous evaluation. However, universities like Kathmandu University (KU), Tribhuvan University (TU), Pokhara University, and Purbanchal University incorporate M&E as a components in their courses such as Rural Development, Social Work, and Indigenous Education. KU’s Master in Indigenous Education and Development (MIED) focuses on cultural preservation and sustainable resource management, providing an opportunity to integrate culturally responsive evaluation. Similarly, TU’s Anthropology and Rural Development programs include broader rural development curriculum that includes Social and Cultural Dimensions. He further stated that the demand for skilled evaluation professionals, Nepal’s rich cultural diversity, constitutional commitment to inclusivity, Nepal's M&E Act 2024 which emphasizes accountability and evidence-based decision-making reflects the significant potential to advance M&E education by integrating Indigenous Evaluation into existing curricula and also in developing standalone M&E programs. Mr. Chitrakar expressed the need for a multi-stakeholder approach involving universities, VOPEs, government agencies, NGOs, and international partners which can ensure these opportunities into reality, and shared the following possible roles of stakeholders.
Mr. Eroni Wavu, Co-Leader, EvalYouth Pacific, Fiji
He further shared success stories from Fiji, where community-led evaluations have empowered local populations to influence development initiatives. He shared about a recent evaluation where involved village elders and youth groups, who contributed valuable insights based on their experiences. This collaborative approach not only contributed the evaluation outcomes but also strengthened community. Mr. Eroni emphasized that demystifying M&E and making it accessible to grassroots communities is essential for ensuring that evaluations reflect the needs and aspirations of the people they serve. He further expressed the necessity of continued collaboration and attention to contextual dynamics to ensure meaningful and inclusive evaluation practices across the Pacific.
Ms. Erika shared that the participatory practices enriched the outcomes of a project aimed at preserving cultural heritage. Local youth were trained as interviewers and facilitators, enabling them to bridge the gap between traditional elders and external evaluators. Erika emphasized that such initiatives not only strengthen evaluation processes but also equip communities with the skills to conduct future evaluations independently. Mr. Erika emphasized the importance of mentorship programs that empower Indigenous communities to take control of their narratives. She stressed that evaluators must approach their work with humility and a genuine willingness to learn from the communities they serve. Ms. Naomi Lee Be-ilan, Indigenous Member of the Ikalahan tribe, Philippines
Mr. John Njovu, Africa Representative, Evallndigenous, Zambia
He argued for curricula that prioritize real-world challenges and integrate Indigenous knowledge systems with examples from Zambia. He attributed the failure of development aid in Africa to not having positive outcomes and impacts, and lifting the standard of living of the majority of citizens in developing nations during the past five decades, to focus on meeting donors’ conditionalities and insignificant participation and lack of ownership of the evaluation process by locals. He argued that the seven military coups in West Africa that were supported by ordinary citizens were a testimony of the failure of governance including evaluation supported by international development aid to deliver good public policy initiatives and reliable and effective supply of public services and goods. He cited the limitations of conventional evaluation frameworks that do not include aspects of an indigenous evaluation paradigm to not often address local realities. He also described the challenges of evaluations involving transient evaluators working in indigenous communities without local knowledge and not using culturally sensitive and indigenous evaluation approaches. e.g. dealing with power influences in his village. Citing that transient evaluators concentrate on dealing with males. Visibility at participatory evaluation meetings organised by transient evaluators is maybe mainly of males. However, it is the females through their sisterhood league, mbumba, that make final decisions on major communal issues. He decried the lack of presence of elected Members of Parliament in their constituencies in Zambia despite efforts to build their capacity in evaluation. He argued that it leads to bad governance as national policy making lacks adequate public consultation. Arguing for APNODE, the evaluation global VOPE of MPs to take note. On emerging evaluators possibilities of influencing evaluations in their communities: He was of the opinion that the youths in evaluation had the energies and skills to represent other young people and vulnerable people. He urged them to ask the right questions to their local and national leaders on behalf of the people. E.g. addressing unemployment in rural areas. He further stated that involving young people in every stage of the evaluation not only benefited the process but also empowered participants to advocate for policy changes. He emphasized that such initiatives are essential for building the next generation of indigenous evaluators. He argued that evaluation's main aim is to make the world a better place than we found it. The emerging evaluators could make this world better for everyone. Audience Engagement Highlighted innovative and participatory approaches for engaging vulnerable communities.
Key Takeaways
Conclusion Dr. Fiona Cram concluded the session by emphasizing the importance of fostering inclusive academic environments that empower Indigenous people and communities. Panelists and participants expressed a collective commitment to advancing indigenous evaluation practices through dialogue, collaboration, and education.  L-R: John Njovu, Dr. Almas Fortunatus Mazigo, Prabin Chitraker, Dr. Bhuban Bajracharya, Dr. Fiona Cram, Naomi Lee Be-ilan, Ana Erika Lareza, Eroni Wavu
PhotographersWe are most grateful for the photos and short clips in this blog. These were taken by Vishwa Gemunu Priyankara and Vinuja Sri Sankalpa.
Miriam Dominick Mkombozi, Dar es Salaam University College of Education (DUCE), TanzaniaIntroduction Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) form the backbone of effective development initiatives, providing the tools to measure, understand, and enhance the impact of interventions. As a young and emerging evaluator, I embarked on an incredible journey highlighting the transformative power of education, mentorship, and hands-on experience. My participation in the 5th Asian Pacific Winter School for Young and Emerging Evaluators and the Academic Symposium on M&E Education held from 30 November to 04 December 2024 in Colombo, Sri Lanka, was not just an event—it was a pivotal chapter in my career growth, empowering me with new knowledge and perspectives. The Start of an Enriching Adventure When my supervisor informed me about the Winter School, I immediately saw it as a golden opportunity to gain practical insights into monitoring and evaluation. After meticulous preparation and application, I was selected to attend. Soon after, I was also invited to the Academic Symposium as a panelist, an honor that amplified excitement and challenges, particularly financial ones. With resilience and the collaborative support from EvalYouth Asia, EvalIndigenous, African Evaluation Association (AfrEA), and my supervisor's contributions, I could attend both events. These experiences underscored the value of perseverance and community support in professional development, fostering a deep sense of belonging and shared purpose among us, the young and emerging evaluators. Key Learnings from the Winter School The two-day Winter School, organized by EvalYouth Asia, was a masterclass in M&E principles and practices. One standout session was on the Theory of Change, led by Soma De Silva. The participatory activities and discussions deepened my ability to connect program activities to desired outcomes, emphasizing the power of evidence-based approaches. Another enlightening session was on the Fundamentals of Evaluation Design by Ziad Moussa, who described evaluators as “cloud breakers”—those who clarify the often-obscured link between interventions and impacts. This metaphor vividly illustrates the evaluator's role in guiding meaningful change. Equally impactful was the session on Indigenous Evaluation by Dr. Fiona Cram and Serge Eric Yakeu. They urged evaluators to move beyond colonial frameworks and embrace culturally responsive methodologies. Tools like social mapping and storytelling were emphasized for their ability to empower communities by reflecting on their lived realities, fostering trust, and ensuring inclusivity. These lessons reshaped my understanding of creating evaluations that honor cultural diversity and local knowledge.
The "Methodology Mall" session was another highlight, offering hands-on exposure to six diverse methodologies: Outcome Harvesting, Most Significant Change, Success Case Method, Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs), Contribution Analysis, and Document Review. Each methodology provides unique insights:
Exploring the Future of M&E Education The Academic Symposium, themed "The Future of Evaluation: The Role of Academic Education in M&E," brought together global experts to explore the evolving landscape of M&E. As a panelist in a roundtable discussion, I shared my journey from a novice to a confident evaluator, shaped by mentorship, volunteering, and education. This session reinforced the importance of standardized M&E curricula and practical training to bridge the gap between theory and fieldwork. We engaged in a crucial conversation about the future of our profession, discussing the need for more inclusive and culturally responsive evaluation practices, the role of technology in M&E, and the importance of continuous learning and mentorship in professional development. One particularly inspiring session centered on culturally responsive evaluation practices. Dr. Fiona Cram’s insights on decolonizing evaluation and embracing Indigenous worldviews resonated deeply with me. Her perspective emphasized how culturally rooted methodologies enhance the relevance of evaluations and empower the communities they serve. This reaffirmed my commitment to inclusive, ethical practices prioritizing stakeholder engagement and respect. Building Connections and Inspiring Growth Beyond the academic sessions, the symposium offered invaluable networking opportunities. I was privileged to connect with renowned experts like Ada Ocampo from IDEAS and Fiona Cram of EvalIndigenous. Conversations with peers from diverse backgrounds were equally enriching, opening doors to collaborative learning and mentorship opportunities that will undoubtedly shape my career trajectory. These interactions not only expanded my professional network but also inspired personal growth, fostering a deeper understanding of the global M&E community and the diverse perspectives that enrich our field.
As I look to the future, I am inspired to advocate for standardized M&E education that bridges the gap between academia and practice. By fostering knowledge-sharing, embracing diversity, and championing cultural inclusivity, we can build a more impactful evaluation profession capable of addressing complex global challenges. A Call to Action I am grateful to the organizations and mentors who made this journey possible. Their unwavering support enabled me to gain insights and experiences that will guide my career for years to come. I urge stakeholders in the M&E field to continue investing in young and emerging evaluators. By creating platforms for growth and collaboration, we can empower the next generation to lead transformative change in global development.
I flew into Colombo in Sri Lanka on Sunday 1st December 2024 as an African representative for EvalIndigenous. Colombo that evening was adorned in bright decorative lights depicting Christmas trees, stars of David and reindeers. The music piped out in many places heralded the coming of a saviour. I was as an agent of a network attending a major and first-time Symposium in Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) education. It was held in at the Ramada hotel, with the opening graced by the Prime Minister of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka and renowned Evaluator, the Hon. Dr. Harini Amarasuriya
The guidelines from the event organisers stated that the dress code was to be formal. I was in a flat mood as my suitcase had not accompanied me on my flight to Colombo. An hour's delay departing from Lusaka’s Kenneth Kaunda International Airport on 30th November was probably the reason. I learned from a fellow participant at the symposium that I was supposed to have been sent $200 by the faulty airline to enable me to pay for a set of new clothes. However, neither airline helped with any financial compensation to enable me to quickly buy 'formal attire'. If I was an ostrich, I would have buried my head in the sand for appearing in my t-shirt and sneakers at an official grand occasion. The alternative would have been to wear a bed sheet or tablecloth and loop an end over my shoulder, toga style. I needed sandals and bling-bling of a heavy gold chains and armlets to pass as a royal from a distant land far away across the African Ocean. However, I didn’t have enough cash for this sort of 'form'. I was very apologetic and explained to people that I exchanged greetings with that I had not yet got my suitcase. The suitcase arrived two days later without any apology or financial compensation, but its arrival didn’t lift my melancholy state; I had missed once in a lifetime major photo opportunity. During the session on Indigenous M&E in education (Session#10), Dr Cram moderated in her pyjamas. Her aim was to make a point about not being judgmental as evaluators when we go to premises of Indigenous people. Based on academic, personal and professional experiences we all advocated for inclusion of Indigenous and culturally responsive evaluation practices in the M&E curriculum. Dalada Maligava (“Temple of the Tooth”) After the Symposium, we visited Temple of Tooth Relic in Sri Dalada Maligawa. It is of major spiritual significance to Buddhists as it has a tooth of the revered Buddha and the World Buddhism Museum. The Buddha, also known as Siddhartha Gautama or Shakyamuni, lived in South Asia in the 6th or 5th century BCE. He is the founder of Buddhism, a religious faith followed mainly in many countries of Asia and the Pacific. There were flowers and incense vendors on the ground near the temple and security was visibly tight. We bought a pass into the main Temple, leaving our shoes at the entrance. I was worried about the heat of the concrete encased pathways so I kept my socks on. It is common in many cultures when in a sacred place for people to take off their shoes. Dambana VillageAs Coordinator of the EvalIndigenous Voices and Atlas Projects, I had already been to the Dambana village. My first time in Sri Lanka was from 14th to 20th September 2018, when I attended on the eve of the EvalColombo2018 conference of the Global Parliamentarians Forum for Evaluation (GPFE). I met the King, Honorable Wannila Aththo and the village Coordinator, Mr. Rathnapala, of the Vedda to learn more about their ethnic group and to witness their spiritual ceremony. My guides during that visit also passed on to the King an invitation to the assembly (see picture of that visit on the left below). The members of the team to Dambana during my second visit consisted of myself, Dr Fiona Cram, Bhuban and his wife, Prabin and his wife and son, Brian, young evaluators Randi, Chama of Sri Lanka, and Erika and Naomi of the Philippines, and a crew of two. Seeing the young members of EvalIndigenous in the field very much gladdened my heart. The small spark of decolonising M&E lit during the launch of EvalIndigenous in Bishkek in 2017 had lit flames in hearts of similar thinking indigenous people. Seeing the torch that we brought to Sri Lanka in 2018 being carried by local emerging evaluators gave me great hope that the fight would be sustained. When it was my turn to greet the King, I stretched both my hands and held his lower arms below the elbows in traditional greeting style. “Greetings, your Royal Highness. I bring greetings to your land, yourself and people from my land of Africa and people across the African Ocean. I come here once more as a fellow member of the indigenous peoples across the globe. I am glad to see that our children followed my footsteps from my first visit and have been working closely with you these past years.” The King usually receives a lot of visitors and there were people outside the gazebo waiting to see him. Apart from being a traditional leader, he is also a renowned herbalist. The emerging evaluators of Sri Lanka had embarked on a program of working closely with the people of Dambana. This had resulted in the preparation of a Toolkit to guide evaluators in carrying our indigenous evaluations across Asia and Pacific. The Toolkit was presented to the King by Dr Cram. It was pleasant to witness an occasion of evaluation practitioners going back to the community that they have worked with and presenting their leaders the product of that work. Often, evaluators and researchers do not go back to communities where they have been doing their work. They instead present to donors, technocrats, politicians and government officials in flashy premises away from poor communities. The King reported to the team the challenges of his people. They had been promised by the government to have their traditional rights over their land restored so they would be able to hunt wild animals and collect wild plants. He asked whether there was a way EvalIndigenous could assist his ethnic group to get their government to act and honour its pledges. Dr. Fiona answered that EvalIndigenous could assist by writing to the Members of Parliament and the Prime Minister to urge the government to honour its promises on land protection and hunting rights. The challenges of Dambana over the land ownership and hunting rights are common to most indigenous people. Independent governments have inherited laws from colonisers. They were meant to disadvantage indigenous communities. Naomi narrated that in the Philippines they had overcome such disadvantages by signing agreements between the indigenous communities and the government. Performance by village cultural and drama group In a clearing in the dense forest there was an arena. The village cultural and drama group put up a splendid cultural art performance there for our visiting team. They mesmerised us with their drama of sketches, dances, drumming and songs on their traditions and culture. We even joined in a spiritual dance to their ancestors. Our many thanks to the peoples of the Dambana Village for a wonderful visit with themAlso see related blogs by Bhuban B Bajracharya, Chairman, Nepal Evaluation Society: Part 1. About the community Part 2. Visiting the community
EvalIndigenous was represented by John T. Njovu (Zambia), Dr Dereje Mamo (Ethiopia) and Dr Almas Mazigo (Tanzania). Dr Mazigo (Taboos group) and John T. Njovu (Spirituality group) were invited as Technical Advisors and Dr Dereje Mamo (Spirituality group) as an expert and secretary. It was a very intensive lab. The University plans to use the information gathered to test the tools and design a workshop on Indigenous evaluation. As members of EvalIndigenous, we plan to use what we observed in Botswana to better organise our own workshops and deliberation on decolonising evaluation in our future programs. We noted some challenges that made us realise why we have many management challenges in evaluation bodies. Being good critics (evaluators) may not mean that we can be best artists (operators and administrators). We noted that top-down initiatives and hidden power plays had resulted in pre-determined outcomes in the past in favour of those with financial resources. The local elite and notable people of colour (black peacocks) end up rubber stamping foreign initiatives. They prop up and defend foreign dominance in development. This had laid to the current challenges in development evaluation and increasing calls for decolonisation. Therefore, we hope the Botswana workshop is different and will have positive effects in the decolonisation of evaluation.
As participants from EvalIndigenous focusing on decolonising evaluation for the benefit of indigenous communities, we plan to continue discussing the following:
The conference began on Wednesday, at 2.30 PM, with a welcome from the AEA24 President, awards of the AEA 24 Recipients and a Plenary opening session, titled: ‘Learning from the Life and Legacy of Ricardo Millet: Mentor, Scholar, Field Builder’. This was a tribute to the late Ricardo Millet from David Chavis, Rodney Hopson, and Maria Montenegro. Dr Ricardo Millet was a friend to many and focused his professional life to creating a community in Evaluation and shaping the lives and careers of evaluators and practitioners of color who were often unseen and had not found their way/ place in the AEA and the broader field of Evaluation. Dr. Millet was honored and will be greatly missed. After the plenary session, I went to another session; Engaging Youth as Leaders as DRG & Evaluative Practice: Cross-TIG, Cross-Cultural & MultiLinguistic Lessons Learned in the U.S. and African Contexts to Amplify and Empower Youth Voices in Evaluation. The session was a roundtable presentation, Chaired by Julie Poncelet, and the presenters being Dr Awuor Ponge, EvalIndigeous member, who spoke on behalf of AfrEA, and was joined by Ian Hopwood, Denise Baer, Safyatou Diallo. They were all in support of engaging the Young Emerging Evaluators (YEEs) in the organizational level or the Voluntary Organization of Professional Evaluators (VOPES), since the YEES are the future/ innovators of Evaluation, and the change makers with their fresh perspectives and innovative minds.   Dr Awuor Ponge On Thursday, I attended a plenary Session: Generative AI: Navigating Pthe Ethical Frontier in Evaluation, moderated by Meredith Blair Pearlman- of the David and Lucile Packard Foundation. He was joined by Olivia Delch, Linda Raftree, Dr. Aileen M. Reid, and Zach Tilton. Their presentation sought to identify the transformative impacts of Generative AI on the evaluation practices, the opportunities and the challenges brought by AI in evaluation. They shared their personal insights about integrating AI in Evaluation, and having a balance between the risks associated and the benefits AI brings in Evaluation. On Friday, the day began with a plenary session: ‘Participatory MEL and MEL Tech- Friends or Frenemies’, presented by EvalIndigenous member Eddah Kanini, Hanna Camp, and Josh Dewald. The session focused on elevating the voices of the voiceless and emphasizing the need for involving program participants in the design, implementation and evaluation of program MEL and accountability processes. Eddah Kanini, a passionate advocate of the marginalized talked about empowering the voices of the voiceless/ already silenced voices. This includes those with hearing and vision impairments, and other disabilities, who may be sidelined by the use of MEL tech technologies in evaluation. Eddah Kanini was able to outline the balance between missing people out and the advantages that MEL brings to evaluation field.
After the plenary session, I made a presentation with my Co- presenter, Dr. Awuor Ponge on ‘Amplifying and Empowering Voices of the Indigenous Communities in Evaluation in Kenya: Case of the Indigenous Ogiek and the Mijikenda of Kenya.’ Our presentation was drawn from two studies conducted among the indigenous communities in Kenya, namely the Mijikenda and the Ogiek. The studies were funded by the Ford Foundation under the auspices of the EvalIndigenous Global Network. Our presentation highlighted the importance of engaging the indigenous voices in the evaluation process, and fostering a meaningful partnerships between evaluators and indigenous communities. It was such an honor making this presentation as a YEE. I’m looking forward to making more presentations at AEA Conferences to come. Big thank you to everyone who attended and listened to my presentation. That meant a lot to me.
The climax of the AEA 2024 Conference was the closing plenary session by Prof Bagele Chilisa; ‘Breaking the Echo Chamber: Amplifying Marginalized Voices to Resonate with the Dominant Narrative.’ The session was very engaging and mind blowing as Prof. Bagele shared her lif and academic journey, and the lessons learnt along the way about paradigms and the need for the inclusion of an Indigenous evaluation paradigm in any evaluation taxonomy. She emphasized on the need for evaluators to include Indigenous knowledge in evaluation and acknowledge the importance of Indigenous evaluation methodologies in the hope that evaluation will not only be evaluation but evaluation in service of Indigenous peoples.
Fiona Cram shares about some of her experiences at the American Evaluation Association Conference, Portland Oregon, 21-26 October 2024 I arrived ready for the AEA Conference on Wednesday 23 October, and it began at 2:30pm with a welcome, awards ceremony, and opening plenary. This opening plenary was a tribute to our beloved colleague, Ricardo Millett who had passed away. It was entitled ‘Learning from the Life and Legacy of Ricardo Millett: Mentor, Scholar, Field Builder’ and included tributes from David Chavis, Rodney Hopson, Maria Montenegro and other friends and colleagues of Ricardo. He will be much missed.
I then went to the session on ‘Engaging Youth as Leaders as DRG & Evaluative Practice: Cross-TIG, Cross-Cultural & MultiLinguistic Lessons Learned in the U.S. and African Contexts to Amplify and Empower Youth Voices in Evaluation.’ EvalIndigenous member Dr Awuor Ponge spoke on behalf of AfrEA, and was joined by Ian Hopwood, Denise Baer, Safyatou Diallo and others. They all spoke with passion about the importance of investing in the capacity of young and emerging evaluators (YEEs). These YEEs are and will be the innovators and change-makers in our field I presented on Thursday afternoon on behalf of Phuntsho Choden, in a roundtable session entitled ‘How do we evaluate the contribution of development initiatives to Gross National Happiness (GNH)’. Phuntsho and I have been talking together for the past 5-6 years. The AEA conference was a great opportunity to catch people up with the development of the Wholesome Evaluation (WE) framework from Bhutan, to get their feedback, and to pick their brains about the outcomes for the GNH Domains and the WE principles. I am very grateful for people’s feedback.
Friday’s plenary was ‘Participatory MEL and MEL Tech – Friends or Frenemies’. EvalIndigenous member Eddah Kanini spoke about the importance of not further marginalising those whose voices are already silenced or who are considered ‘hard-to-reach’. This includes those with hearing and vision impairments, and other disabilities, who may be sidelined by the use of MEL tech technologies in evaluation. She is a passionate advocate who understands the advantages that MEL brings to evaluation, but who is able to balance this with words of caution about missing people out.
EvalIndigenous members Dr Ponge and Grace Wanjiru Murigo presented their work on ‘Amplifying and Empowering Voices of the Indigenous Communities in Evaluation in Kenya: Case of the Indigenous Ogiek and the Mijikenda of Kenya.’ It was good to see them present at AEA and their paper was well-received. Another standout panel on Friday was a panel that included EvalIndigenous member Gladys Rowe, along with Natalie Nicholson, Pearl Walker-Swaney, Millicent Simenson (via video clips) and Roxanne Johnson from Mewinzha Ondaadiziike Wiigaming. Their session, entitled ‘Crafting an Anishinaabe Evaluation Framework: Co-Creation, Iteration, and Community Alignment in Evaluation Practices’, provided wonderful insights into the provision of tribal health services that are of the community and what this then means for culturally responsive evaluation. I presented with my wonderful colleagues Joan LaFrance, Pālama Lee and Kathy Tibbetts on Friday afternoon. Our session on ‘Lifting the Voices of ʻĀina (Land, Sky, Ocean) in Evaluation: Three Indigenous Perspectives’ reflected on our relations – the Land, Sky and Ocean – and how we need to include them in our evaluation if our work is to be in the service of decolonisation. My many thanks for those who attended this session for your attentiveness and ensuring our session was well held in ceremony.
On Saturday morning I attended Monique Liston and Drew Koleros, about ‘The Evaluative Power Fellowship Model: Demonstrating Dignity-based Data Collection to Empower and Amplify Voices in Evaluation’. This was a powerful session about the importance of engaging with community housing advocates to build’ social movements’ power while ensuring completeness and fidelity in our data collection process.’
The finale of the conference was Saturday’s plenary by Bagele Chilisa, ‘Breaking the Echo Chamber: Amplifying Marginalized Voices to Resonate with the Dominant Narrative.’ This did not disappoint. Bagele shared story about her academic journey and the lessons she learned along the way about paradigms and the need for the inclusion of an Indigenous evaluation paradigm in any evaluation taxonomy. She encouraged us to include Indigenous knowledge in our evaluation and acknowledge the importance of Indigenous evaluation methodologies. She uplifted us and left us feeling hopeful that the messages she shared will help ensure that evaluation is in the service of Indigenous peoples.
As always, this conference was about the opportunities to catch up with old friends, to meet new colleagues, to eat together, and to hear messages of provocation, encouragement and resistance. Dr Ponge also ended on a note of thanks from AfrEA and an invitation to the next AfrEA conference. Kia ora koutou – greetings to you all. My participation at the Australian Evaluation Society (AES) 2024 Conference in Melbourne /Naarm, Australia, 17 – 20 September 2024, was made possible through the generous support from the EvalIndigenous Global Network, through the support from EvalPartners and the International Organization for Collaboration in Evaluation (IOCE). Additional support for conference registration was obtained from AES and from Katoa Limited.
The first Keynote address at the AES 2024 International Evaluation Conference in Melbourne, was delivered by June Oscar AO, a proud Bunuba woman from Fitzroy Crossing in Western Australia's Kimberley region. She is the Inaugural Chair of The Wiyi Yani U Thangani Institute for First Nations Gender Justice. June Oscar is known for her work on First Nations gender justice and women's voices. Her keynote address was titled: “Re-imagining evaluation with a gender justice lens." Her address touched on themes related to Indigenous rights, gender equality, and the importance of incorporating First Nations perspectives in evaluation practices. She shared the voices of the women from First Nations women whom she had spoken to during her term as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner. Some of the notable quotes include:
The second keynote address was delivered by Prof. James Copestake. He is a Professor of International Development at the University of Bath in the UK. He has background in international development and evaluation. Prof. Copestake addressed two key points: promoting useful forward-looking evaluative practice, and exploring examples of forward-looking evaluative practice. He then made suggestions on specific approaches for forward-looking evaluation that included increased use of causal mapping and more backcasting. He argues for a shift towards more forward-looking evaluative practices that integrate anticipation and backcasting into evaluation processes. He also emphasised the need for evaluators to adopt a transformational role, moving beyond conventional methods that focus primarily on past outcomes. Ultimately, Prof. Copestake advocates for a more inclusive and anticipatory evaluative practice that can inspire radical change and enhance the impact of evaluations on public action. His keynote address also touched on themes related to impact evaluation, mixed methods approaches; and the Qualitative Impact Protocol (QuIP) which he has worked on extensively.
The other paper in the session where I presented was by Steven Legg, Associate Director, NSW Treasury and Eugenia Marembo, a NSW Treasury, Senior Analyst, First Nations Economic Wellbeing. Their presentation was titled: “Culturally Responsive Initiatives: Introducing the First Nations Investment Framework.” In their presentation, they argued that there is a need for practical guidance to improve capability across the sector in evaluating and implementing initiatives that impact First Nations people and communities. They mentioned that the First Nations Investment Framework had been developed to address this need. The framework provides structured guidance across several key areas, including foundations for genuine relationships, partnership for shared decision-making, community-led design, data collection and analysis, and transparency and accountability. They concluded their presentation by asserting that implementing culturally responsive approaches can lead to tangible positive impacts for First Nations people and communities. I attended a presentation by Dr. Sandra Ayoo and Stacy Huff titled: “Evaluating Meta-Evaluations: Addressing Social Justice in Program Evaluation.” The presentation focused on the importance of integrating social justice into program evaluation, particularly through the lens of meta-evaluation. It highlighted the current lack of consensus on standards for conducting meta-evaluations and emphasised that addressing social justice is context-dependent rather than based on fixed guidelines. The findings shared advocate for evaluators to prioritise social justice in their designs and methodologies, while also selecting quality assurance tools that align with their specific evaluation contexts. The presentation underscored the shared commitment of organisations like the United Nations and the American Evaluation Association (AEA) to enhance evaluation quality by embedding social justice considerations throughout the evaluation process, aiming to ensure that evaluations benefit both individuals and society at large.  The Author, Awuor Ponge, establishing brotherhood with Indigenous Aborigines from Australia On Day 2 of the Conference, Thursday, 19 September 2024, the first Keynote address was delivered by Elizabeth Hoffecker. The presentation was titled: “Wayfinding Tools for Learning and Evaluation in Complex Systems.” The presenter talked of the context for a systems-aware evaluation, mentioned the key systems components as: elements – whether living or non-living, relationships and purpose and function. She also talked of the need for capacity development – which is a learning-focused activity and research. The presenter then addressed the navigational strategies and tools for systems-aware evaluation. The strategies included:
 Establishing brotherhood with Indigenous Dunghutti from Australia Dr. Ellie Taylor and Ellen Hays made a presentation titled: "Nothing about us, without us": Developing evaluation framework alongside victim-survivors of modern slavery using representative participatory approaches.” The presentation outlined the development and implementation of an evaluation framework for the Lived Experience Engagement Program (LEEP), which aims to involve survivors of modern slavery in shaping policies and responses to this issue. Using a representative participatory action research approach, the evaluation sought to understand the program's impact on stakeholders, particularly survivors, while adhering to principles of trauma-informed, strengths-based, and culturally safe practices. Key findings highlighted the program's success in facilitating survivors' transition from lived experience to lived expertise, increasing confidence, fostering peer connections, and developing knowledge and skills. The evaluation process itself emphasised sustainability, fairness, and respect for human rights principles, while allowing for iterative improvements and the integration of diverse perspectives from survivors, staff, and government stakeholders. On Day 3 of the Conference, on Friday, 20 September 2024, the keynote address was delivered by Indy Joharon the topic: “Addressing transitions through risk and uncertainties.” Indy is a celebrated personality, who is a RIBA register architect, serial social entrepreneur, and Good Growth Advisor to the Mayor of London, UK. He is a co-founder of Dark Matter Labs and of the RIBA award winning architecture and urban practice Architecture00. Indy emphasised the need for large-scale, systemic transitions to address planetary-scale challenges. He argues that we're moving from small experiments to "micro-massive" swarms of interventions happening simultaneously. He therefore concluded his speech by advocating for the development of new capabilities to build and coordinate these distributed interventions, rather than relying on top-down, centralised approaches.  Celebrating a Creation Space for the First Nations of Australia by Kowa and Gilibanga Mitchell Rice-Brading, a Consultant with ARTD Consulting Australia made a presentation titled: “Involving children and young people in evaluations: Equity through active participation” The presentation addressed three key issues regarding involving children and young people in evaluations. It explored the ethical considerations of balancing risks and rights, emphasising the tension between protecting children from unnecessary risks and respecting their right to participate in matters affecting them. The importance of careful ethical protocols and informed consent was equally highlighted. The presentation also discussed recruitment challenges, including obtaining approvals, limited participant pools, and low confidence among potential participants, while suggesting strategies for strong engagement and obtaining consent. Lastly, it outlined the approaches to data collection and engagement, emphasising person-centered and strengths-based principles. This presentation provided practical suggestions for age-appropriate data collection methods, such as focus groups, adapted surveys, and interactive activities, while stressing the importance of making participants feel comfortable and addressing power imbalances. Julian King and Adrian Field made a presentation titled: “Evaluation and Value for Money – Value propositions: clearing the path from theory of change to rubrics.” The presentation discussed key issues related to value propositions in program evaluation. It touched on the distinction between impact and value, emphasising that a theory of change should explicitly address value creation. Impact refers to changes caused by a program, while value relates to what matters to different stakeholders. It also discussed the usefulness of value propositions in bridging the gap between theories of change and evaluation rubrics. They mentioned that by articulating to whom a program is valuable and in what ways, value propositions add depth to theories of change and facilitate the development of clearer evaluation criteria. Lastly, they highlighted the process of developing a value proposition, which involves answering questions about stakeholders, resource investments, ways of working, equity considerations, and factors affecting value creation. This approach helps evaluators define context-specific aspects of good resource use and value creation, leading to more meaningful evaluation criteria.  Sharing a light moment with other Indigenous Participants from Australia at the close of the Conference The closing keynote address was delivered by John Gargani. He is the President of Gargani + Company and a former President of the American Evaluation Association (AEA). His areas of expertise include impact evaluation, scaling impact, value for money, and the use of AI in evaluation. His address was titled: “Finding our way to the future profession of evaluation”. His address focused on impact evaluation and scaling impact. He discussed how evaluators will need to focus more on assessing and helping scale the impact of programs and innovations; the need for integration of AI and technology in evaluation practice and developing new methods for evaluating "value for money" from multiple perspectives and more nuanced ways of assessing value beyond just monetary measures. He also argued that quantitative methods can deepen qualitative understanding of impacts, thereby stressing on the importance of continued use of mixed method approaches in evaluation. At the close of the event, by AES President Kiri Parata, the 2024 Conference Organising Committee officially handed over to the next Conference Organising Committee for aes25 to be held in the Australian Capital City of Canberra / Ngambri. All in all, this was a wonderful event full of learning in the ever-evolving field of evaluation practice! Canberra 2025, here we come!
Attending the Indigenous Evaluation Gathering and Canadian Evaluation Society Conference 2024 (CES 24) from May 4th to 8th in Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada, was an exceptional experience. Organized by EvalIndigenous, the Canadian Evaluation Society, and the Atlantic Indigenous Evaluation Stewardship Circle, the event offered unique opportunities to engage with Indigenous communities and evaluation professionals. One of the highlights was participating in a Sweat Lodge ceremony led by a First Nation Chief. It was a deeply spiritual and novel experience. This event underscored the communal sharing of experiences, joy, sorrow, and reverence for ancestors. The Indigenous Gathering provided a platform for sharing personal journeys and organizational roles in Indigenous evaluations. Hearing firsthand accounts from North American Indigenous evaluators broadened my understanding and highlighted the challenges they face, offering a comparative perspective to the Asia Pacific Region. The conference featured diverse sessions, including presentations, experience sharing sessions, nature walks, indigenous cultural events and acted as a great platform for networking. Alongside my colleagues from Asia Pacific Evaluation Association, we presented EvalIndigenous initiatives and the Toolkit for Indigenous Evaluations in the Asia Pacific in the conference. Sharing our work and engaging in discussions during the Q&A session was gratifying, highlighting the impact and appreciation from an international audience. In conclusion, the Indigenous Evaluation Gathering and CES 24 were not just conferences but transformative experiences. They provided unparalleled networking opportunities, a chance to showcase our own efforts, and a rich learning environment. I extend my heartfelt gratitude to EvalIndigenous for this valuable opportunity, which has significantly enriched my professional and personal journey.
I am grateful for the support given by EvalIndigenous for me to attend the Indigenous Evaluation Gathering and the Canadian Evaluation Society (CES) Conference at Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada from May 3rd 2024 to May 9th, 2024. Our team members from Asia Pacific Evaluation Association (APEA) had the honour of presenting at the CES Conference for the session titled “Amplifying Indigenous V oices: Advancing Equity and Inclusion in Evaluation Practices.” During this session, the APEA team presented the Toolkit for Indigenous Evaluations in the Asia Pacific Region and on the seed grant projects supported by EvalIndigenous. Also, attending the Indigenous Evaluation Gathering was a life-changing experience for my personal & professional life. It opened my eye and broaden my knowledge on self-love, appreciation, gratefulness & mindfulness. Also, it further deepened my appreciation for the resilience, knowledge, and strength of Indigenous communities. Seeing their commitment to preserving and revitalizing nature, their cultures and languages & practices was incredibly a remarkable experience. Therefore, I learned that as evaluators we need to respect their cultural beliefs, practices, while working with indigenous communities regardless of their origin, social & economical background. Finally, I am thankful & grateful for all those beautiful new friends I met & the new connections I made during the conference.
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