This award recognises the co-design of the National Link-Up Monitoring and Evaluation Strategy, and the co-design and implementation of the Monitoring Plan across eight independent Link-Up Services.
This nomination demonstrated excellent evaluation practice in a complex and challenging environment. This system clearly and successfully operationalised the AES First Nations Cultural Safety Framework to develop an evaluation system that was appropriate and fit for purpose. Stakeholders were meaningfully and thoroughly engaged throughout the process, building strong ownership, buy in and potential for future use. The NIAA is using lessons from this project as a case study exemplar to further develop the Agency’s maturity in conducting culturally safe evaluation. And some of you here may have had the privilege of hearing from Kathleen Stacey (beyond...Kathleen Stacey & Associates Pty Ltd), Cheryl Augustsson (Yorgum Healing Services), Raelene Rosas (NT Stolen Generation Aboriginal Corporation), Pat Thompson (Link-Up (Qld) Aboriginal Corporation) and Jamie Sampson (Link-Up (NSW) Aboriginal Corporation) on Wednesday when they presented an interactive workshop leveraging learnings and experience from this project.
In the NIAA’s statement of support they say the 'NIAA and Link-Up services have benefited from the strengths of working in open partnership, and actively listening and working through project challenges to reach a shared understanding and agreement on viable solutions. This approach has facilitated the development of a fit-for-purpose M&E Strategy that is supporting the collection and analysis of high-value monitoring data that is meaningful for Link-Up services and NIAA'.
In their statement of support the Link Up Leadership Group says 'the Monitoring and Evaluation Strategy created in close liaison and consultation with the Link-Up CEOs, Managers and Team Leaders [..] ensure[d] important key information was included to correctly reflect the “story”' … and that 'the importance of having and using these Tools to capture the client journey and our work as Link-Up Services speaks for itself'.
About the Evaluation System Award
This Award recognises the development of an exemplary integrated evaluation system and/or implementation of the evaluation system.
The work should be designed to be sustainable; and be undertaken in partnership with clients or users.
Nominees who have only developed an evaluation system will be considered for this Award. Nominees who can demonstrate excellent development and implementation will be assessed more highly than those who have only developed a system.