Collaborative Evaluation, Research and Planning Panel

The Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (the Department) is seeking to establish a new panel, the Collaborative Evaluation, Research and Planning Panel (the Panel). The Panel will replace the current Participatory Planning, Research and Evaluation Panel (SON319744) which will expire on 1 October 2015.

The purpose of the Panel is to strengthen Indigenous community involvement, capacity and engagement in planning, collection, analysis and use of evidence to develop agreed approaches, solutions and outcomes between Indigenous communities, the Commonwealth government and key stakeholders.

The Department intends to use the new Panel to engage contractors as and when required, to deliver:
• evaluation, research and/or planning projects using collaborative and participatory methods; and
• training and/or mentoring to strengthen and develop capability in collaborative evaluation, research and/or planning methods.

The Department considers that collaborative or participatory methods include practices that promote participation by the people intended to benefit from the programme. Examples of methods which involve the ‘intended beneficiaries’ (sometimes also referred to as the direct beneficiaries, clients, participants, target population or primary stakeholders) include Participatory Action Learning, Action Research, Participatory Rural Appraisal, ‘stakeholder informed’ programme theory techniques such as outcome mapping, programme implementation, participatory planning and other related community development approaches that are grounded in the behavioural and social sciences. These methods are informed by the notion that participation in the project by the people affected will support self-efficacy and community development.