GBRF have agreed to recruit two additional Traditional owner groups to take part in the strong people strong country pilot project. These groups are Jabalbina Yalanji Aboriginal Corporation and Yuku Baja Muliku Lands Trust. This is because the smaller than expected number of TO groups involved in the initial recruitment for the Pilot had the potential to limit its outcomes and the lessons that can be learned. Specifically, this is anticipated to create:
- More opportunities to learn about the delivery of MER programs at the local scale.
- More opportunities to explore alignment between local monitoring frameworks and the SP-SC framework.
- A larger locally-produced dataset of indicator evaluations, which will create opportunities to aggregate local outcomes according to the SP-SC framework. This in turn increases our ability to understand the effectiveness of the SP-SC framework in terms of its applicability.
We also see the recruitment of Jabalbina and YBM will enable us to apply some of the lessons that have been learned already in this project could be applied and retested, which will provide opportunities for future learning.
Why Jabalbina and YBM?
From our experience working with Jabalbina and YBM (as part of their ongoing Monitoring and Reporting Projects), we have recommended them as ideal groups to participate in the Pilot Project, because they:
- Have an established monitoring, evaluation and reporting framework, which includes targets, indicators, monitoring methods, evaluation procedures.
- These targets and indicators could be readily aligned with the SP-SC framework, which would assist to demonstrate applicability of the framework and serve as the basis for aggregation of local MER results.
- Are currently collecting data and are on-track to undertake indicator evaluations shortly.
- Wil be able to provide data that could be used for aggregating up to (and therefore testing) the SPSC framework.
- Have already implemented an ESS-built data management system with monitoring, evaluation and reporting (MER) functionality.
- Have skills and experience to use this data management system to execute their MER program.
- Have capable, enthusiastic and relatively experienced monitoring officers who could be transferred into the CRA roles.
- Are capable of developing and establishing data sharing agreements.
- Are at a critical point of their current monitoring evaluation and reporting program at which future investment would be highly beneficial to consolidate gains already made through the Stage Two IMR project.