2024-25
In 2024-2025, EvalIndigenous members are collaborating on a new program of work...
Seeding grants
For small projects that are responsive to the aspirations of Indigenous peoples for evaluation that is a good cultural 'fit' for them. These grants will encourage innovations in evaluative thinking that reflect Indigenous ways of knowing.
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Germinating grants
For those who received seeding grants in 2023, so they can build on, or perhaps innovate on, their seeding project work with Indigenous peoples.
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Growing
For in-person and virtual meetings with Indigenous peoples, to share knowledge, spark dialogue and influence evaluation policies and practices.
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Blossoming
Collaborative development with Indigenous peoples of evaluation methodologies that reflect Indigenous decision-making processes and ways of knowing,
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EvalIndigenous-LAC
The LAC team is: Adriana Anacona, Alcides Gussi, Breynner Oliveira, Celeste Ghiano, Martha Lanza (Lizzi Montaño - assistant), Raquel Herrera (Cristhian Gonzalez -assistant)
In September 2024 our LAC colleagues - Raquel Herrera and Celeste Ghiano updated us about the projects they have been doing, and their plans for 2024-25.
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SEEDING GRANTS
The call for Seeding grant applications was made in September 2024 and expressions of interest were received (México, Chile, Ecuador, Venezuela and Costa Rica).
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GROWING: STRENGTHENING VOPEs
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For the first part of the project, which is related to producing a State of the Art and gaining a broad perspective on how the topic of relational guides has been worked on in the region, as well as the ethical principles that should prevail in evaluation processes with an indigenous perspective, Cristhían González, a Boruca indigenous person and specialist in Indigenous Rights, was hired to lead the research process and assist in the subsequent participatory process. The research work is expected to be completed by December. The participatory consultation sessions with the VOPES are scheduled to begin in January 2025.
Cristhían González was part of the Indigenous Fellowship Programme of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and has a Diploma in Human Rights of Indigenous Peoples from Deusto University.
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Cristhían González
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Additionally, as part of the activities resulting from the first research phase, there are plans to extend the work to build a methodological approach to evaluation based on the activity of the Bribri People called Ak Kue "El Jale de la Piedra," (The Pull of the Stone) which is a community effort to move a large and heavy stone (or boat) across the closed mountain and through the river in response to a request of one of the community members to take the stone to her house for the daily house chores. This activity has specific stages, tools and roles for the participants, as well as a delicate perspective of the surrounding elements that could affect the movement of the stone. Making it a perfect metaphor to understand a necessity and how to address it in a communal way.
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BLOSSOMINGMINGAS: MINGAS IN MACIZO (Cauca, Valle de las Papas), CALI, AND AMAZONIA (Leticia) -COLOMBIA
Following the experience of last July, the team has started to prepare the Accountability sheet and gather the material (videos, photographs, interviews) to decide on the products to be delivered. The team has been writing the scripts and editing the audiovisuals centered in the Chakana`s orientation of Lifeand its four dimensions - Spiritual, Material, Emotions and Reason/Knowledge- , with December 2024 being the deadline to have the documentaries and their trailers ready in Spanish. The English translations, as in the proposal, are expected to be ready by the end of December 2024. |
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EvalIndigenous-Asia Pacific
SEEDING & GERMINATING
The Seeding grants for new project work and the Germinating grants for the continuation of project work (by previous Seeding grant recipients) have been announced by APEA.
Four germinating grants were awarded to the previous seed grant winners 2023 from Community of Evaluators-Nepal, Nepal Evaluation Society, EvalYouth Pacific, and Kalahan Educational Foundation, Philippines. They will implement their project activities from August to March 2024.
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EvalIndigenous Africa
BLOSSOMING
In September 2024 Dr. Awuor Ponge and Grace Wanjiru Murigo) travelled to Kilifi County in the Coastal region of Kenya to complete the study on the remaining Kayas namely: Kaya Ribe, Kaya Kambe and Kaya Jibana.The Study was titled, Traditional Decision-Making: Developing Indigenous Evaluation Methodologies with Kenyan Communities, Below are the YouTube clips and some pictures from their work, and you can also read their Blog post about their visit.
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2023
Over the course of 2023 EvalIndigenous projects undertook projects funded by a Ford Foundation’s grant to EvalIndigenous. In addition to gathering the voices of Indigenous knowledge holders and evaluators for the Indigenous Voices project, the projects included seed grant funding, the development of a directory of Indigenous evaluators, and peer-to-peer (P2P) collaborations.
APEA EvalIndigenous Projects 2023
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The Asia Pacific Evaluation Association (APEA) and EvalIndigenous worked together to promote Indigenous approaches and strengthen the demand for culturally responsive Indigenous evaluation practices in the Asia Pacific region. One of the goals of our 2023 program was the promotion of the voices of Indigenous Evaluators and Indigenous people in the community undertaking similar roles as an evaluator. We funded four seeding grant projects in Nepal, the Philippines and Fiji. Reports on this work can be found on the Reports page. We also undertook local case studies with Indigenous evaluators and Indigenous communities. The focus of the case studies was on showcasing Indigenous evaluation practices and Indigenous evaluator and knowledge holder journeys. Our work has culminated in the production of a Toolkit on Indigenous Evaluations for Asia Pacific Region.
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African EvalIndigenous Projects 2023
Atlas Project
Based on survey findings, a draft directory has been developed so that Indigenous evaluators and non-Indigenous evaluators working in Indigenous/Tribal communities in Africa can be located. This directory has been incorporated into the Evaluator Locator. Voices Project
Interviews with evaluators and knowledge holders can be found on our YouTube channel. In 2024, people will be invited to talk in small groups during the AFrEA Conference. |
Africa Seeding Projects
Five seeding projects were funded in 2023.
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Indigenous Knowledge: Boran, Meru and Kalenjin communities in Kenya
These three communities are located in different parts of Kenya and are quite different in terms of their history, values and practices. One is in north, one in the east, and the third is in the Rift Valley part of Kenya. This project has been about if and how Indigenous Knowledge has been captured in evaluation, especially in relation to the SDGs. Discussions with elders and with the keepers of sacred places has highlighted the importance of longer stays in communities, because we have only scratched the surface in terms of our understandings. Story clips have been developed. Three are presented below and all can be found on our YouTube channel. Study reports are in the Reports section of this website.
These three communities are located in different parts of Kenya and are quite different in terms of their history, values and practices. One is in north, one in the east, and the third is in the Rift Valley part of Kenya. This project has been about if and how Indigenous Knowledge has been captured in evaluation, especially in relation to the SDGs. Discussions with elders and with the keepers of sacred places has highlighted the importance of longer stays in communities, because we have only scratched the surface in terms of our understandings. Story clips have been developed. Three are presented below and all can be found on our YouTube channel. Study reports are in the Reports section of this website.
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Encouraging peer-to-peer (P2P) collaborations - Project Activity Report 2023
Activities:
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EvalIndigenous-LAC 2023
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Peer-to-Peer Connections
Peer-to-peer exchanges in Latin America and the Caribbean provided opportunities to consider the aspects of Knowledge, worldview, and evaluation; Indigenous evaluation; Colonialism/Decoloniality; and Transformation of power through indigenous valuation. This methodology aimed to create a dynamic and inclusive platform for evaluators in Latin America and the Caribbean to learn from each other, share experiences, and contribute to the advancement of evaluation practices in the region. |
EvalIndigenous-LAC Webinars: Reflecting on a Transformative Journey
We are thrilled to share the success of our recent EvalIndigenous-LAC webinars, where our overarching goal was to delve into meaningful reflections, generate innovative proposals, and increase awareness regarding the invaluable contributions of indigenous worldviews and knowledge—ranging from Amazonian, Andean, Afro, to other perspectives from Central and South America. These insights have enriched critical perspectives on evaluation. Throughout the four engaging webinars, we explored diverse perspectives on the decolonization of evaluation. Our discussions involved indigenous evaluators, specialists in indigenous evaluation, decision-makers, representatives from academia, and cooperation agencies. Here are the recordings of our webinar series:
We are thrilled to share the success of our recent EvalIndigenous-LAC webinars, where our overarching goal was to delve into meaningful reflections, generate innovative proposals, and increase awareness regarding the invaluable contributions of indigenous worldviews and knowledge—ranging from Amazonian, Andean, Afro, to other perspectives from Central and South America. These insights have enriched critical perspectives on evaluation. Throughout the four engaging webinars, we explored diverse perspectives on the decolonization of evaluation. Our discussions involved indigenous evaluators, specialists in indigenous evaluation, decision-makers, representatives from academia, and cooperation agencies. Here are the recordings of our webinar series:
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Knowledge and Worldviews: A Look at Evaluation from the Territories
Decolonizing Evaluation/Decolonization of Evaluation: Challenges and Perspectives
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Decolonizing Proposals and Experiences of Evaluation
Decolonizing Evaluation: Toward the Transformation of Power Relations
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At the end of this enlightening series, participants received a virtual certificate of participation. We extend our gratitude for the continuous support from ReLAC, ensuring ongoing reflections for the future. Special thanks to Martha Lanza Meneses for her leadership in making this initiative a success.
Stay tuned for more exciting opportunities as we continue our journey of promoting inclusivity and diverse perspectives in the evaluation landscape!
Stay tuned for more exciting opportunities as we continue our journey of promoting inclusivity and diverse perspectives in the evaluation landscape!
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Indigenous Voices in Central and South America
Indigenous Voices have been uploaded onto the EvalIndigenous YouTube channel |
Kemly Camacho – Evaluadora mestiza / Mestiza evaluator, Costa Rica
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Johanna Mahut – Evaluadora Urbana / Urban Evaluator, Colombia
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Christian González, Boruca
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Promotion of the Atlas EvalIndigenous-Latin American Chapter
The overarching goal is to create a comprehensive directory of Indigenous evaluators and indigenous individuals involved in evaluation, fostering active participation of indigenous communities in assessment and development processes. Specifically, the project aims to: i) identify and document indigenous evaluators in the region, gathering detailed and precise information about their experiences, knowledge, and areas of expertise, and ii) promote collaboration and knowledge exchange among Indigenous evaluators in the region, creating a robust network. This network will facilitate communication, sharing experiences, and collaboration on evaluation and development projects. This initiative will strengthen the capacities of Indigenous evaluators and promote best practices in evaluation from an Indigenous perspective.
The overarching goal is to create a comprehensive directory of Indigenous evaluators and indigenous individuals involved in evaluation, fostering active participation of indigenous communities in assessment and development processes. Specifically, the project aims to: i) identify and document indigenous evaluators in the region, gathering detailed and precise information about their experiences, knowledge, and areas of expertise, and ii) promote collaboration and knowledge exchange among Indigenous evaluators in the region, creating a robust network. This network will facilitate communication, sharing experiences, and collaboration on evaluation and development projects. This initiative will strengthen the capacities of Indigenous evaluators and promote best practices in evaluation from an Indigenous perspective.
