This position paper demonstrates that the evidence generated through the evaluation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander programs is rarely used to inform genuine policy and practice shifts across Australia. 

Despite an increase in the number of evaluations in recent years, significant gaps remain in the evaluation and cultural capability of evaluation commissioners, the transparency of evaluation processes, and the implementation of established frameworks and guidelines.

To overcome these current barriers, there is a vital need for evaluations designed by or with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, and for their sustained involvement throughout the evaluation lifecycle. More rigorous impact and outcome evaluations must be undertaken to generate useful evidence to inform policy decisions. 

Addressing these issues is essential to ensure that evaluations contribute meaningful evidence to inform more effective policy and practice, ultimately supporting better outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. To achieve this, a more intentional and accountable approach is needed from policymakers, commissioning bodies and governments. The position paper provides a series of recommendations.