The AES is committed to strengthening and building First Nation peoples’ evaluation capacity in culturally safe evaluation theory, practice and use. We will work with our members to ensure that there is a strong community of First Nations evaluators and that evaluations are culturally safe in both process and product. We are committed to leading the evaluation community on reconciliation.
What we want to achieve
Our commitment to creating a strong community of First Nations evaluators is reflected in the increasing number of Indigenous evaluators at Board level and the influential work of the Indigenous Culture and Diversity Committee.
Our Reconciliation Action Plan provides us with clear direction.
We are committed to supporting emerging First Nations evaluators through the conference support grants and promoting excellence in Indigenous evaluation through the our annual awards.
As outlined in the current strategic plan, our aims are:
- A strong community of First Nations evaluators
- Career pathways for First Nations evaluators
- Commissioners value culturally safe evaluation
- Evaluations are culturally safe in both process and product
- All evaluators are culturally competent
- Cultural competency is an essential evaluation competency
- Ethical practice is followed
How you can assist
Here are a few suggestions how your organisation can take meaningful action to advance reconciliation (click on the list to read more):
Sponsorship Is your organisation interested in sponsoring the Conference support grants for emerging Indigenous evaluators program? Sponsorship will assist us to cover all the costs delegates incur in travelling away from their communities and their lands. Sponsors are named in the official conference program, on the AES conference website and in other promotional material.
Promotion Help promote the conference support grants to potential applicants or any organisation or individual who may know of a potential applicant.
Mentoring Provide mentoring and support to grant applicants.
Donation Make a donation to the Conference support grants for emerging Indigenous evaluators when registering for the annual AES conference.
A RAP is a strategic document that supports an organisation’s business plan. It includes practical actions that will drive an organisation’s contribution to reconciliation both internally and in the communities in which it operates. The AES RAP has been instrumental in providing our organisation with a clear set of goals. Detailed information can be found on the Reconciliation Australia website.
To create a more culturally responsive and inclusive workplace, the AES Board and staff regularly participate in cultural respect and safety workshops, led by external Indigenous facilitators. There are many organisations offering face-to-face, in-house and online training courses.
When people of different groups interact, it’s essential to have an idea of the protocols that each of them follow. The AES has introduced cultural protocols (i.e. Acknowledgement of Country) for the start of every AES meeting or event, and on the AES website.
Raise awareness and share information about NAIDOC Week and National Reconciliation Week amongst your staff and community. Facilitate your staff attending one of the many events on offer.
