Performance-measurement framework for an Indigenous youth wellness initiative
24 community-validated indicators were co-designed with youth and elders, replacing a previous Western framework that the community had rejected.
Problem
A consortium of Indigenous youth organisations had inherited a Western performance-measurement framework that community members rejected as culturally inappropriate. Funders required measurement, but the existing instrument was producing measurement without meaning.
Approach
We facilitated a year-long indicator co-design process with youth advisory councils, elder advisors, and program staff across six communities. We followed OCAP principles throughout (Ownership, Control, Access, Possession of data).
Method
Three rounds of structured workshops generated candidate indicators across four wellness domains (cultural, mental, physical, relational). Indicators were field-tested with 84 youth over 4 months and refined based on response patterns and qualitative feedback.
Finding
24 indicators were validated and adopted. The framework explicitly named what would not be measured and why — a position that funders accepted after the consortium presented the rationale.
Impact
The consortium owns the indicator framework. Three other Indigenous youth organisations have adapted it for their own contexts.
Representative case study — methodology accurate, identifying details changed.