History matters when evaluating First Nations' communities

I had the opportunity this week to participate on EY's Evaluation Practice Network panel event, 'Best Practice in First Nations' Evaluation', where I was joined by fellow First Nations' practitioners Dr Kylie Cripps, Alice Sciascia and Sonny Green. It was a great event facilitated by my colleagues Dr Melissa Kaltner and Kamilaroi man, Dylan Booth.

Consistent with the Productivity Commission's 'Draft Indigenous Evaluation Strategy', a key focus of the discussion centred on the importance of placing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples at the centre of evaluations. This is a no-brainer. We also unpacked some of the flaws with defaulting to co-design, recognising the power imbalance that sometimes occur, while also acknowledging the need for a strengths-based approach that considers First Nations' communities as assets rather than problems.

Something I would like to see more of when it comes to evaluating First Nations' issues is the importance of understanding the historical context of the community where the research is occurring. Too often this is neglected. In my view and, as I discussed on the panel, understanding the historical context enables a far more intelligent and nuanced understanding of the community, providing deeper insights to why certain issues manifest in the way they do. As we know, not all First Nations' communities are the same and nor is their history. By understanding the historical context, we see issues through a more profound lens, revealing critical information and understanding that can enrichen the research and contribute to an evaluation narrative that is fulsome and compelling.

Thanks to EY's Evaluation Practice Network for inviting me to be a part of this important event and thanks in particular to EY's Evaluation Practice lead, Mark Galvin, and my colleagues Dr Melissa Kaltner and Dylan Booth for organising this panel discussion.