CES - SCÉ 2019

Travelling to rural Rajasthan in 2018, the presenters supported a local organization to establish a mental health program by developing assessments, streamlining data collection forms, implementing an evaluation strategy, and planning for reporting to North American funders. Presenters found themselves challenged by their westernized approach to evaluation and outcomes measurement, highlighting parallels in serving a diverse, marginalized, and often isolated, population in both Canada and rural India. This presentation will address standards of assessment and evaluation, highlighting the challenges in reflecting a population being served, considering appropriate practice for the culture and individuals providing data, and whether strategies encourage the voice of the most vulnerable to be heard. Presenters will share key learnings to inform and enhance international collaboration to improve evaluation of programs working with vulnerable populations.