Abstract
American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) communities have historically been subject to unethical research and evaluation practices imposed upon them by outsiders. Given this history and the often, strained relationships between state and tribal governments, tribes can be hesitant to work with and trust state agencies to conduct research and evaluation in their communities. This paper shares a collaborative process undertaken by the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services, American Indian Tobacco Prevention Specialists, and James Bell Associates, Inc., to successfully develop and implement a locally meaningful evaluation project. Together, we designed a culturally responsive evaluation study to examine the impact of the Montana Tobacco Use Prevention Program being implemented in tribal and urban Indian communities. We co-authored this paper to ensure the perspectives of all three groups were represented. We share lessons learned and recommendations for state agencies, tribes, and urban Indian organizations seeking to evaluate tribal public health programs.
Highlights
Many models and frameworks for collaboratively designing culturallyrelevant program evaluations exist
Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS) contracted with James Bell Associates (JBA) to develop a culturally responsive evaluation that was led and supported by American Indian Tobacco Prevention Specialists (AI TPS)
As a state government agency requesting an evaluation with tribal nations and communities, DPHHS wanted to ensure that the evaluation of Montana Tobacco Use Prevention Program (MTUPP) was done collaboratively, transparently, and responsively
Summary
Many models and frameworks for collaboratively designing culturallyrelevant program evaluations exist. Examples describing how these approaches have been applied through state-tribal collaboration are limited in the published literature. This paper shares the unique development and implementation story of an evaluation that involved collaboration between a state agency, a research and evaluation firm, eight tribal governments, and two urban Indian centers. The purpose of the paper is not focused on sharing results from the study, but rather sharing the process and offering lessons for state agencies and tribal communities seeking to design and implement triballyengaged program evaluations. Representatives from all parties served as coauthors to tell a comprehensive story and acknowledge all perspectives of the journey
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