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First Nations Community Access to Archives Understanding, Measuring, Evaluation and Learning (UMEL) FrameworkAbove: Understanding, Measurement, Evaluation and Learning User Experience Workshop participants and MHNSW staff participating in a Smoking Ceremony led by Dharug Elder Uncle Lexodius Dadd at the Western Sydney Records Centre on Dharug Ngurra (Country). Photo Tim Girling-Butcher © MHNSW; Cover image and details throughout report: Cloaked in heritage: the threads of revival, Wayde Clarke (Alejandro Lauren), 2024. © Wayde Clarke First Nations Community Access to Archives UMEL Framework December 2025 Acknowledgement of Country The First Nations Community Access to Archives team acknowledges that we operate on the unceded lands of First Nations peoples. We acknowledge First Nations peoples as keepers of Languages and Cultures that enrich all our connection to Country and as the oldest Knowledge Holders and first record keepers, storytellers, conservators and archivists of Cultural heritage connected to the lands we live and work on today. Ngiyala Dharug-ngurrawa. Bayadyingiyrra warungadgu. We are on Dharug Country (Western Sydney Records Centre). We speak well of their old ones. Translation provided by Corina Norman, Dharug and Dharawal woman.Background 4 Understanding, Measurement, Evaluation and Learning 5 Purpose 6 Scope 6 Understanding 7 Our why: challenges and opportunities 14 Outcomes framework 16 Measurement and evaluation framework 18 Learning 26 Conclusion 27 ContentsMuseums of History NSW (MHNSW) and the NSW Aboriginal Languages Trust (ALT) are working in partnership to improve First Nations people’s experience of accessing archival materials about their Culture and Languages held by MHNSW in the NSW State Archives Collection. The NSW State Archives Collection documents the daily operations of the NSW Government and its agencies, from 1788 to the present. Comprising more than 14 million items, it records history as it unfolds, capturing decisions and events that have shaped Communities, lives and the state itself. Critically, it also documents the impact of government on First Nations peoples and includes Cultural and Language materials originating from First Nations Communities across NSW. MHNSW currently provides access to the collection at the item or series level. This means members of the public can be advised that a particular file, box, or group of boxes may contain relevant material. However, due to the scale of the collection, MHNSW cannot offer access at a page level. As a result, valuable and often vital information relating to First Nations Languages, Culture and histories remains buried, requiring deeper examination and digitisation to enable appropriate access. The First Nations Community Access to Archives (FNCAA) project responds to longstanding calls from First Nations peoples for access to and, ultimately, ownership of government-held archival material concerning their Communities. Following the release, in April 2021, of the NSW Aboriginal Languages Trust First Nations Community Access to Archives draft strategic plan, consultations with First Nations Communities and government agencies reinforced a consistent message: First Nations people want improved access to materials about their families, histories and Languages. Government agencies, in turn, have expressed a need for support in releasing archival material in Culturally appropriate and responsive ways. Strong Culture is widely recognised as foundational to improved life outcomes across all 17 socio- economic targets in Closing the Gap, the national agreement, committed to by all states and territories, to deliver on social and economic outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. The FNCAA project seeks to ensure that archival materials are stored and accessed in Culturally safe ways, led by First Nations voices and supported by First Nations staff. The project aligns with MHNSW’s vision to reveal and share new perspectives on the past, fostering understanding and dialogue about the present and the future. It also supports MHNSW’s mission to be a trusted custodian of the state’s stories through its places, collections and archives. Currently, there is a very small First Nations archival workforce in NSW, and no targeted traineeship or cadetship programs to increase numbers. Through the FNCAA project, MHNSW is committed to working with First Nations people to create appropriate pathways and build a sustainable First Nations archival workforce. First Nations Community Access to Archives UMEL Framework December 2025 Background5 Understanding, Measurement, Evaluation and Learning (UMEL) is a strategic approach used in Community-led and place-based initiatives to assess, improve and sustain social change efforts. It integrates data, reflection and collaboration to ensure that programs are effective, accountable and continuously evolving. UMEL is often used in collective impact models. It includes four interconnected components: · Understanding Building a shared knowledge base about the Community context, needs, aspirations and systems. This includes listening to lived experiences, mapping assets and challenges and co-developing a theory of change. Through understanding activities, critical Community stakeholders are empowered to shape the criteria for success. · Measurement Collecting both qualitative and quantitative data to track progress. This includes indicators of wellbeing, service access and Community outcomes, often using shared measurement frameworks. · Evaluation Assessing what is working, what is not working, and why. Evaluation can be developmental (real-time learning), formative (to improve design) or summative (to assess impact). · Learning Embedding reflection and adaptation into the initiative. Learning is continuous and collective, involving Community members, service providers and government partners to inform decisions and strengthen accountability. In practice, UMEL strategies include: · co-designed data collection tools and dashboards · regular learning cycles (for example, learning circles, reflection workshops) · Community-led storytelling and qualitative research · governance structures that embed accountability and feedback loops. Understanding, Measurement, Evaluation and LearningFirst Nations Community Access to Archives UMEL Framework December 2025 This document is the Understanding, Measurement, Evaluation and Learning (UMEL) Framework for the FNCAA project within MHNSW. The framework describes the approach to evidencing impact and change that results from the project. The aim of the framework is to: · ensure that there is useful and reliable data to inform strategy and decision-making · demonstrate accountability to MHNSW, and to funders and Community who have been engaged and are contributing to the work and shared vision of MHNSW · demonstrate and generate evidence of achieved outcomes to share with relevant stakeholders. This framework is designed to sit alongside the FNCAA project, and seeks to guide data collection and sharing from 2024 to 2029. The framework has been divided into four key sections: 1. Understanding An overview of the intent and reasoning for conducting UMEL and the context in which the UMEL is positioned 2. Measurement A high-level story of change that is reflective of the project, logic models for each of the streams of work that encompass project activities, and supplementary outcome frameworks to guide routine data collection for each of the streams of work 3. Evaluation Key evaluation questions that will guide how evaluation might be undertaken and applied methodologies 4. Learning Key learning and reflection questions and cycles to ensure the project is regularly reflecting and adapting, based on learnings and evidence generated through measurement and evaluation PurposeScope7 Understanding Evaluating Closing the Gap (CTG) initiatives is critically important because it ensures that efforts to improve outcomes experienced by First Nations people are effective, accountable and Community- led. Evaluation helps to determine whether these initiatives are successful in addressing CTG targets. It provides evidence of impact and activity, ensuring that programs are improving outcomes. The FNCAA project’s approach to UMEL aligns to NSW Treasury’s First Nations Investment Framework and the Closing the Gap Program: Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Package produced by Aboriginal Affairs NSW. The evaluation methodology is structured around the three key objectives of the FNCAA project: 1. Improve First Nations Communities’ access to archive materials for Language and Cultural revitalisation purposes. The NSW State Archives Collection documents the impact of government on First Nations people and includes Language and Cultural materials originating from First Nations peoples of NSW. 2. Work collaboratively with the ALT to improve First Nations people’s experience of accessing archival material to support Languages learning. 3. Build the MHNSW First Nations workforce, particularly archivists. Having a team of skilled and qualified First Nations archivists working within MHNSW will support First Nations Communities to access materials about their families, histories and Languages in a way that is Culturally safe and secure. Audiences The key UMEL audiences and how they will use UMEL information are described below. The following section distinguishes between primary audiences (those who will use the information to make decisions that affect the FNCAA project) and secondary audiences (those with an interest in the FNCAA project). Primary audience MHNSW and the ALT will use UMEL information to: 1. understand if the FNCAA project’s scope of works is contributing to outcomes for collaborators, individuals and the system 2. be accountable to First Nations Communities in NSW 3. make decisions about future projects and internal roles, including resourcing 4. provide evidence to help build on Language resurgence efforts in NSW. Secondary audience First Nations collaborators and individuals will use UMEL information to: 1. make decisions about engaging in future projects 2. strengthen support for the FNCAA project and participation in future projects 3. contribute to the evidence base about what works for whom, how it works and the context in which it works. First Nations Communities will use UMEL information to: 1. make decisions about engaging in future projects 2. strengthen support for the FNCAA project and participation in future projects 3. contribute to the evidence base about what works for whom, how it works and the context in which it works. Funders will use UMEL information to: 1. better inform decisions about future funding and systemic investments.First Nations Community Access to Archives UMEL Framework December 2025 Facing page: Sarah Bunn, Supervising Conservator, FNCAA, explaining conservation techniques to UMEL workshop participants. Photo Tim Girling-Butcher © MHNSW Methodology Overall, the methodology has been designed using a participatory and mixed methods approach. It combines quantitative methods to track trends and qualitative methods to collect rich descriptions of Community change. The methodology for building a knowledge tapestry ensures the culmination of ‘old knowledge’ and ‘new knowledge’. Old knowledge is brought forward through deep knowing over time, and through story. New knowledge is generated through truth-telling and deep listening. Deep knowing over time acknowledges the importance of longitudinal understanding and the deep insights that come from Community leaders and experts. By honouring deep knowing over time, we recognise that the wisdom of Communities – especially as articulated by Elders, leaders and experts – is not static. It is a living, breathing entity that informs present realities and shapes First Nations futures. It is the intertwining of stories, experience and practices that create a resilient and adaptive knowledge system, guiding Communities through the ever-evolving landscape of Culture, Country and Community. Story encompasses tangible and intangible items created by a Community that embody Cultural significance, historical context and collective memory. These Cultural items are threads woven into the broader fabric of a Community’s knowledge system and include a variety of forms, such as tools, artworks, documents, recordings, ceremonial objects and even places that hold Cultural importance. Truth-telling refers to the practice of openly and honestly sharing experiences, histories and perspectives, particularly those that have been marginalised or suppressed. This process is a vital thread in the knowledge tapestry, as it weaves together a more complete and authentic representation of the collective narrative. Through truth-telling, the tapestry becomes a living document that reflects the diversity of experiences within Community and serves as a tool for transformation, providing the groundwork for building more just and respectful relationships. It is a process that requires courage, commitment and compassion from all involved, as it seeks to stitch together a more honest and inclusive narrative for the benefit of current and future generations. Deep listening in place refers to the immersive practice of the FNCAA project team being physically present within the Community or environment in which the project is being evaluated. This presence allows the project team to engage with the Community on a deeper level, attuning to the subtleties of the local context, Culture and dynamics that might be missed through remote or detached methods of evaluation. By embodying deep listening in place, individuals weave themselves into the fabric of Community, gaining a richer, more nuanced tapestry of knowledge. This approach respects Communities’ sovereignty over their own stories, and recognises that the most accurate and respectful evaluation can only be achieved through a direct, engaged and empathetic presence. Strategic learning will be ongoing and will be embedded into yearly MHNSW project cycles. An annual reflection workshop with critical stakeholders is proposed to reflect on progress and enable shared sense-making of the data collected and future directions. The methodology includes scope for evaluation, which will be conducted internally and externally. The mixed methods and participatory approach combining quantitative and qualitative methods will be applied to communicate successes and highlight areas to strengthen against the key objectives of the project.9Next >