Measurement and Evaluation Framework for the National Justice Reinvestment Program

The Measurement and Evaluation Framework (MEF) is a guide to measuring and assessing the effectiveness of the National Justice Reinvestment Programs. It reflects how justice reinvestment programs are:

• creating change
• supporting community-led solutions. 

The MEF sets out how the program’s funded initiatives, and the Attorney-General’s Department, will listen, learn and reflect together. This includes understanding what is working well in the programs, what can be strengthened, and how the programs are supporting positive community outcomes.

The MEF guides future evaluations by independent evaluators, ensuring that evaluations respect First Nations voices, knowledge and priorities. It helps justice reinvestment initiatives choose ways of measuring progress that make sense to their community.

The framework focuses on contribution, looking at how the programs support change in systems, justice outcomes and self-determination. It is a living document, shaped and updated through learning, evaluation findings and ongoing relationships.

The MEF is a starting point, not the final word. It will continue to grow and change as First Nations communities guide what success looks like and how it should be understood.

The MEF provides high-level guidance on how programs should be evaluated. It does not replace community decision-making or co-design. It will not be used to evaluate, monitor or compare individual justice reinvestment initiatives or communities.

Initiatives and communities do not have to use this MEF. Some communities may already have their own. You can choose the parts that are most relevant to your work.

Key topics

Some of the topics covered by the Measurement and Evaluation Framework (MEF) include:

• theory of change
• program logic
• measures of success
• ideas on ways to collect data
• the purpose of evaluations
• evaluation scope
• reporting tools.

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