Indigenous Wellbeing Measures and Frameworks Research Report
Research Theme: Implementation Evaluation and Socio-Economic Impacts
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This report contributes to the work undertaken as part of the Modern Treaties Implementation Research Project’s Implementation Evaluation and Socio-Economic Impacts research theme, which aims to develop an approach to gathering evidence that will assist policy makers in improving Modern Treaty implementation. Drawing on Indigenous well-being assessment frameworks and initiatives in Canada and abroad, it explores the processes, approaches and benchmarks used to identify, measure and monitor Indigenous well-being through indicators. This report will allow the team to develop and identify meaningful quantitative and qualitative indicators of well-being to measure the impact of treaties on indigenous communities. Indicators are intended to measure whether treaties make a positive difference in the lives of collectives and individual indigenous peoples. Indicators will be inclusive of indigenous perspectives of well-being, and thus assess whether the treaty had a positive impact from Indigenous perspectives of well-being.
Aside from evaluating and monitoring the well-being of Indigenous communities and Nations, well-being frameworks and indicators are capable of fostering constructive public discussions over development priorities and objectives, to monitor trends across key dimensions, inform planning and decision-making process, and ultimately reinforces the legitimacy, capabilities, resources and accountability of governments. Frameworks should build on the conclusions drawn from academic studies, as well as relevant government and international initiatives, and promote cooperation between different societal actors, groups, organizations as well as governments. This report also highlights the importance of documenting the process and outcomes of initiatives currently being implemented to measure and monitor Indigenous well-being across Canada to allow other communities and nations, interested in potentially using data to inform planning and decision-making processes, to collaborate, to learn from their realizations, as well as their mistakes.