Collective Capability Within Indigenist Evaluation: Elements and a Definition

Evaluation is essential for assessing whether policy and program outcomes align with their intended goals. A key critique of Western evaluation approaches is their failure to incorporate Indigenous ways of knowing, being and doing. Developing an Indigenist evaluation concept can enhance evaluation quality by recognising Indigenous perspectives. This study draws on Indigenous Lifeworlds as a theoretical basis to explore the idea of ‘collective capability’, asserting Indigenous societies operate at the ‘collective’ level over the individual and focus on ‘capability’ as a way of realising potential through collective effort. We conducted 20 in-depth interviews with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Knowledge holders involved in evaluation to identify attributes of collective capability. Through manifest and latent content analysis, we defined collective capability and its key components. Our definition describes it as people coming together in a relational, collaborative environment to pursue a common goal, where cultural values are prioritised, knowledge is shared and the process is as important as the outcome . The two main elements of collective capability are relationality and knowledge sharing, each with several sub-elements. The next phase of the research will focus on integrating these elements into the context of Indigenist evaluation, developing criteria and processes for their operationalisation.