Missing in Action: Indigenous Knowledge Systems in Evaluation of Comprehensive Community Initiatives

Abstract

Comprehensive community initiatives (CCIs) coordinate social and structural change across multiple community sectors and represent promising approaches to complex social problems. Nowhere is this more relevant than for Indigenous children and families. However, strategies to evaluate initiatives to enhance Indigenous well-being must be meaningful to Indigenous communities. A review of literature regarding evaluation of CCIs identified various principles, case studies, methodologies, and methods grounded in Western ways of knowing and approaches to research. Research that engages with Indigenous led comprehensive community initiatives is needed to enhance evaluation practices for CCIs that enables resurgence of Indigenous traditions and worldviews.

Centering Indigenous Knowledge in Suicide Prevention: A Critical Scoping Review

“…In addition, it has been noted that there are considerable challenges related to suicide surveillance, including that national health data systems often lack Indigenous identi ers, do not capture data from some regions, and do not routinely engage Indigenous communities in data governance [109]. While we recognize that evaluation methodologies are heavily grounded in Western ways of knowing and constructs of "value" [110], evaluation outcomes are often crucial for justifying to funders (most often Western/colonial institutions) for continued resources for programming [108]. Moreover, evaluation can provide valuable insight into program goals, activities, strengths, areas for improvement, and cost-effectiveness [111,112] and do not have to rely purely on Western epistemologies.…”

“…Practices to uphold Indigenous self-determination in suicide prevention (i.e. community engaged, participatory approaches) should extend to the evaluation phase in order to ensure outcomes measured are also meaningful to community and re ect Indigenous worldviews and ways of knowing [110,113]. Evaluation processes that are culturally inclusive and community-driven have a number of crucial bene ts.…”

“…For instance, community-engaged suicide prevention evaluation ensures the needs and knowledge of the community remain central and community ownership, control, access and possession of evaluation outcomes and surveillance data are safeguarded. This includes how outcomes and surveillance data are shared, mitigating potential for harm that Indigenous communities have faced with non-inclusive research and surveillance [110,114]. Unfortunately, most of the suicide prevention initiatives examined for this scoping review did not extend community engagement processes to the evaluation phase and thus failed to develop measures and evaluation tools based in Indigenous knowledge, focused on community-level outcome measures, or inclusive of Indigenous culture.…”

Collaborative Evaluation Frameworks for Indigenous-Led Community Health Interventions: A Narrative Review

“…Te NCCAH guidelines also promote a fully participatory approach, including all relevant stakeholders in all processes, from needs assessment to knowledge mobilization. Gillespie et al (2020 ) report seven similar principles for examining the evaluation of community initiatives that aim to nurture Indigenous well-being: the centrality of community context, Indigenous community engagement and control, consultation with Elders and Knowledge Keepers, and viewing evaluations as connected to relationship, refection, empowerment, and ceremony. Chandna and colleagues' (2019 ) scoping review of the grey literature highlights similar conclusions about evaluation principles in Indigenous contexts in which evaluation research with Indigenous communities most ofen uses participatory community engagement throughout, is culturally appropriate, ref ects cultural values, and is specifc to the community's needs and context.…”

“…Broadly speaking, evaluation is the assessment of a program or initiative for the purposes of learning, making decisions, and/or improving ef ectiveness. Indigenous worldviews align with evaluation being used as an opportunity to learn and refect rather than pass judgment ( Gillespie et al, 2020 ). Culturally responsive approaches to evaluation can encourage capacity building, empowerment, and ownership and can inf uence shifs in understanding and awareness, including identifying how culture and one's positionality inf uence evaluation processes (Acree & Chouinard, 2020 ).…”