aes24 International Evaluation Conference

Authors: Gillian Kennedy (The University of Notre Dame Australia), Tammy Solonec (Kimberley Aboriginal Law and Culture Centre, AU)

Traditional Healers, known in the Kimberley as mabarn (medicine men) and parnany parnany warnti (group of women healers), have been practicing their craft for millennia, however, cultural forms of healing are not funded or incorporated into health services in Western Australia. In 2019 a Kimberley cultural organisation was funded to develop and trial a service delivery model of traditional healing. The trial ended in November 2023.

This presentation will reflect on a Developmental Evaluation (DE) that was undertaken throughout the model development and trial of this traditional healing service using a multi-method approach, incorporating participant observation; semi-structured interviews; small group discussions; and a client survey. Data was collated into a 'checklist matrix', using a traffic light system to show how each element of the model was tracking according to different stakeholder perspectives. This information was then provided back to the healing team iteratively to incorporate further into the model design.

The DE team acted as a 'critical friend' to the project. Two Aboriginal research assistants (one male and one female) were able to provide valuable cultural interpreting for the project to ensure that cultural sensitivities around the healing practices were carefully managed. The DE team also helped the healing team to develop a set of guiding principles and a Theory of Change to help the project stay true to their underpinning cultural values.

The DE process helped to inform a culturally-governed and owned clinic model, working with both men and women healers, that is unique to the Kimberley. DE puts the evaluation team inside the project. This relational element is reflective of Aboriginal worldviews but may bring challenges for perceptions of objectivity that are championed in traditional forms of evaluation. We argue that the evaluator as a trusted, critical friend was ultimately part of the success of the healing project.

Authors: Claire Treadgold (Starlight Children's Foundation Australia), Erika Fortunati (Starlight Children's Foundation, AU)

Our program creates personalised experiences of fun, joy, and happiness for families with a palliative child, aiming to foster family connections and celebrate the simple joys of childhood during this challenging circumstance. Evaluating the program is of utmost importance to ensure that it meets the needs of the families involved. Equally, due to the program's sensitivity and deeply personal nature, a low-pressure, flexible evaluation approach is necessary.
In our session, we will showcase our response to this need and share our highly engaging, low-burden tools to gather participant feedback that leverages concepts of gamification and accessibility to boost evaluation responses and reduce participant burden. In particular, we will focus on our innovative “activity book”, which evaluates the program through artistic expression. By emphasising creativity and flexibility, our tools aim to enrich the evaluation process and respect the diverse preferences and abilities of the participating families.
The core argument will focus on our innovative evaluation methodology, how it aligns with best practices in the literature, and our key learnings. Key points include the considerations needed for evaluating programs involving palliative children, empowering children and young people through their active involvement in the evaluation process, and how gamification and creativity boost participation and engagement.
Outline of the session:

• Introduction to the palliative care program and the need for flexible, creative, and respectful evaluation methods
• What the literature tells us about evaluation methods for programs involving palliative children and their families
• A presentation of our evaluation protocol
• Case studies illustrating the feedback collected and its impact

Our learnings and their implications for theory and practice

Authors: Milena Gongora (Great Barrier Reef Foundation)

Best practice in evaluation encompasses a crucial step of learning, yet it often receives inadequate emphasis, particularly within government-funded initiatives. Our paper documents the journey of transforming a top-down, prescriptive evaluation process within a government-funded program into an inclusive, consultative approach aligned with Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) principles.

Funded by Australian Government, and managed by the Great Barrier Reef Foundation, the Reef Trust Partnership (RTP) launched in 2018 aiming to enhance the resilience of the Great Barrier Reef. Within it, a $200 million portfolio aims to improve water quality working with the agricultural industry. A framework for impact evaluation was developed in its early days. Whilst appropriate, due to the need to comply with broader government requirements, it was top-down in nature.

Four years into implementation, the Foundation was ready to synthesise, interpret and report on the program's impact. The Foundation could have simply reported "up" to government. However, we acknowledged that in doing so, we risked missing critical context, simplifying findings, misinterpreting information and presenting yet another tokenistic meaningless report.

Interested in doing things better, we instead circled back with our stakeholders in a participatory reflection process. Through a series of carefully planned workshops, we invited on-ground program practitioners to ground-truth our findings, share contextual nuances, and collectively strategise for future improvements.

Despite initial reservations, participants embraced the opportunity, fostering an atmosphere of open dialogue and knowledge exchange. This reflective process not only enriched our understanding of program impact but also enhanced collaboration, strengthening overall program outcomes.

Our experience highlights the importance of transcending tokenistic evaluation practices, particularly in environments where top-down directives prevail. Participatory approaches can be implemented at any scale, contributing to a culture of continuous improvement and strategic learning, ultimately enhancing the impact and relevance of evaluation efforts.

Authors: Charlie TULLOCH (Policy Performance)

Evaluation logic modelling is a frequently used technique, looking at such things as inputs, activities, outputs and outcomes.
Since the early 2000s, the Department of Treasury and Finance (Victoria) has used an adapted logic modelling format called Investment Logic Mapping (ILM). It is now used nation-wide and internationally to support resource allocation planning, along with stakeholder engagement.

ILMs and evaluation logic modelling have many similarities, but some major differences.

This ignite presentation will compare and contrast both these tools, and describe when and why to use each.

Attendees will very quickly understand the main similarities and differences, their advantages and drawbacks.

Authors: Anabelle (Pin-Ju) Chen (NSW Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure)

Introducing Program Evaluation Fundamentals (PEF) in the NSW Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure, an eLearning course designed to facilitate a coherent journey of learning within the department. With learning and adapting together in mind, the design of PEF empowers individuals at all levels to navigate the fundamentals of evaluation. Through interactive modules, learners will understand key evaluation concepts and cultivate best practices. PEF promotes transformative growth by emphasising foundational evaluation knowledge. By leveraging PEF, we can shift our approach, embrace innovation, and advance the field of evaluation across the public sector, fostering a supportive community of forward-thinking evaluators.