Evaluating Indigenous Eye Health

Programs aimed at improving the health and wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people should be evaluated – both to improve program design and delivery, as well as to increase accountability for those delivering and funding such programs.

The Indigenous Eye Health (IEH) Unit, within The University of Melbourne’s School of Population and Global Health, has recently undertaken such an evaluation, looking at the progress and effectiveness of regional implementation of The Roadmap to Close the Gap for Vision (the Roadmap).

The Roadmap is a whole-of-system framework, developed in 2012, with the goal to collectively address Indigenous eye health equity and, in doing so, close the gap for vision. Annual updates have demonstrated progress against the Roadmap since 2013, but this is the first formal evaluation of the work.

The evaluation was undertaken in a collaborative partnership with ARTD Consultants and Clear Horizon, providing independence and evaluation expertise. A co-design process underpinned the project and an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Reference Group was established, providing guidance and ensuring the voices of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people were prioritised throughout.

Read the full article by Partyline here