This evaluation toolkit is designed to offer guidance during the evaluation process as you implement EBIs in your community. As such, we envision the evaluation of GPCCSI to be a collaborative process involving feedback from subawardees to report on shared outcomes. The evaluation framework we use at GPTCHB is the Indigenous Evaluation Framework developed by the American Indian Higher Education Consortium.
The Indigenous Evaluation Framework draws on the traditional values, knowledge, and histories of tribal people in the U. S., with evaluations developed to respect, honor, and serve tribal goals for self-determination and sovereignty. This framework incorporates opportunities for learning and reflection to effectively create strong, viable tribal communities. Hence, the GPCCSI evaluation is guided by the six principles of the Indigenous Evaluation Framework:
- American Indian tribes have ways of assessing merit or worth based on traditional values and cultural expressions. This knowledge should inform how evaluation is conducted and used in our communities.
- Indigenous framing for evaluation incorporates broadly held values while remaining flexible and responsive to local traditions and cultures.
- Responsive evaluation uses practices and methods from the field of evaluation that fit our needs and conditions.
- By defining evaluation, its meaning, practice, and usefulness in our own terms, we take ownership. We are not merely responding to the requirements imposed by Western practices.
- Evaluation should respect and serve tribal goals for self-determination and sovereignty.
- Evaluation is an opportunity for learning from our programs and effectively using information to create strong, viable tribal communities.