Kowa Collaboration: Supporting people and planet to thrive

About the learning community

This is a peer-led learning community for First Nations social enterprises and leaders working in evaluation. It provides a dedicated space for sharing principles, insights, challenges, and applications of Indigenous-led evaluation practice to the broader social enterprise sector.

This learning community will explore:

• Consolidating learnings from Gilibanga: Supporting and consolidating insights and practices from Gilibanga - Australia’s peak First Nations evaluation network.
• What should the future look like? Exploring collaboration partnerships for social enterprise development and Aboriginal business approaches.

There will be set key areas for exploration, while also allowing the yarn to follow the energy and passion of the group, valuing self-determined conversation.

About the convenors

These Learning Circles are proudly convened by Kowa Collaboration and Ngimiliko Kunta.

Kowa Collaboration is a First Nations, profit-for-purpose enterprise founded by Dr Skye Trudgett in 2019, created from a vision for First Nations communities to lead in shaping their futures. Named after the Awabakal word for “purpose,” Kowa is a national leader in First Nations-led Understanding, Measurement, Evaluation and Learning (UMEL) practice. They deliver the Two Worlds UMEL (2WUMEL) program and are committed to embedding Indigenous Data Sovereignty and Governance, challenging the surveillance paradigm of data use. As partners, collaborators and advocates, they work to ensure First Nations communities have the power to shape their own narratives and drive meaningful change.

Ngimiliko Kunta (NK) is the charitable arm working alongside Kowa, dedicated to centring First Nations languages, cultures and worldviews in shaping new spaces and transforming existing systems. Rooted in a belief in First Nations leadership and self-determination, NK works to advance lasting, just and equitable change. A key focus of the organisation is securing diverse funding to ensure the long-term sustainability of impactful programs such as Gilibanga.

How will this learning community work?

• Peer-to-peer Yarns/Circles: Three virtual sessions where participants come together to yarn, reflect and explore the key topics.
• Visual Yarning and Sense-Making: Chloe Wagner (Chloe Visuals) will join the sessions to create a visual artefact that captures the collective insights, themes and discussions shared throughout the series.