About
Since 2001, Johnston Research Inc. has been working closely with communities to provide Indigenous evaluation services across Canada from coast to coast; investing and sharing resources to support innovation, community success and promoting Indigenous-led program sustainability. Johnston Research strives to amplify the voices of First Nations, Inuit and Métis communities and the value they bring to their programs, research and communities. We seek to deconstruct the language and assumptions behind the evaluation system to support change and transformation so that evaluation practices can be more reflective of Indigenous urban knowledge, life experiences and ways of doing things.
Johnston Research has developed over 300 Indigenous evaluation frameworks and several evaluation tools that are used on both a national and global scale. The Waawiyeyaa Tool, which translates to coming full circle in a healing journey is designed to encourage healing through oral tradition and storytelling. Launched in 2010, the tool is still a valuable part of our methods, alongside JRI’s online training program “Honouring Reconciliation in Evaluation” which includes a number of workshops and exercises designed to support a process of reconciliation throughout evaluation.
Supported by Communities
Over the past three decades, Johnston Research Inc. has travelled across Canada, visiting communities. Johnston Research has found that many shortcomings continue to exist within the Western evaluation system today, contributing to inequity in the quality of research and evaluation efforts that don’t meet the unique cultural, language, health and social needs of Indigenous Peoples within Canada. However, it is also through these visits that we are engaging in a supportive, reciprocal knowledge exchange to transform evaluation. Both the Toronto Native community and the Canadian Evaluation Society supported the growth and development of Johnston Research Inc.
- 2005: Andrea L.K. Johnston won the Young Aboriginal Business Award, sponsored by Royal Bank
- In 2010 CES recognized Johnston Research for contributions to the field of evaluation with the honour of the Ontario Chapter, Canadian Evaluation Society’s Excellence in Evaluation Award
- In 2011, Andrea L.K. Johnston was recognized as a Credentialed Evaluator by CES.