Good evaluation can shape better services, stronger policy and more useful outcomes for communities. That is the focus of new Aboriginal health research co-authored by UCRH researchers Kris Vine, Jo Longman, Alison Laycock and Veronica Matthews.
Published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, the paper is titled Culturally Informed Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Evaluations: A Scoping Review. It looks at how evaluation is being done in programs involving Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities across Australia, and what can be improved.
The review examined academic and grey literature published between 2003 and 2023, with 57 studies included. It found that culturally informed evaluation has become more common over time, especially in health and wellbeing. That is encouraging, but the findings also show there is still work to do.
Only around a quarter of the studies used a tool designed specifically for Indigenous evaluation. About half included Indigenous authorship. Most did not clearly explain how communities were involved in the evaluation process, which makes it harder to share learning and build better practice.
The paper highlights something that should be obvious but is not always reflected in research and service design: evaluations work better when they are shaped by community leadership, trust and cultural knowledge. It also points to the need for better tools and clearer reporting so future evaluations are more useful, respectful and culturally safe.
