Sharing Our Story to Build Our Future: A Case Study of Evaluating a Partnership for Co‐Produced Research in Southeast Alaska

Abstract The goal of this paper is to demonstrate the value of incorporating evaluation into the process of co‐produced research in pursuit of climate services. We aim to spur interest in and expand the use of evaluation throughout the climate change and climate services scientific community, whethe...

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Main Authors: E. Figus, S. Friday, J. O’Connor, J. Jeet Koot Saak McDonald, C. James, S. F. Trainor, M. H. C. Rudolf, N. O’Connor
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2025-06-01
Series:Community Science
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1029/2023CSJ000073
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author E. Figus
S. Friday
J. O’Connor
J. Jeet Koot Saak McDonald
C. James
S. F. Trainor
M. H. C. Rudolf
N. O’Connor
author_facet E. Figus
S. Friday
J. O’Connor
J. Jeet Koot Saak McDonald
C. James
S. F. Trainor
M. H. C. Rudolf
N. O’Connor
author_sort E. Figus
collection DOAJ
description Abstract The goal of this paper is to demonstrate the value of incorporating evaluation into the process of co‐produced research in pursuit of climate services. We aim to spur interest in and expand the use of evaluation throughout the climate change and climate services scientific community, whether or not evaluation is a formally required component of funding. We use a case study from Southeast Alaska of the Ellam Yua co‐production model implemented among a research center at a large public university and three leadership entities in a small remote community with a majority Alaska Native population. We describe our experiences with evaluation and share what we learned through the process of evaluation, specifically that local workforce development and healing from trauma were significant aspects of project success. This case study shows how important evaluation is for documenting, analyzing, and planning for multiple definitions of success and successfully implementing equitably co‐produced research. It also underscores the significance of expanding typical conceptions of climate services to include a more holistic view of using Indigenous priorities and values to support local capacity‐building and psychological benefits. Building generalized capacities locally to respond to climate‐related stressors was a key part of climate services for our team. Only through Indigenous evaluation did the Kake Climate Partnership partners realize the full transformative potential of the Ellam Yua co‐produced research process–to produce climate services and to uncover new understandings of what climate services can be for communities.
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spelling doaj-art-eabd289c394848e8a4cda3feb76458e02025-08-20T03:29:53ZengWileyCommunity Science2692-94302025-06-0142n/an/a10.1029/2023CSJ000073Sharing Our Story to Build Our Future: A Case Study of Evaluating a Partnership for Co‐Produced Research in Southeast AlaskaE. Figus0S. Friday1J. O’Connor2J. Jeet Koot Saak McDonald3C. James4S. F. Trainor5M. H. C. Rudolf6N. O’Connor7Alaska Center for Climate Assessment and Policy University of Alaska Fairbanks Fairbanks AK USAOrganized Village of Kake Kake AK USARaven's Group LLC Anchorage AK USAOrganized Village of Kake Kake AK USAKake Tribal Heritage Foundation Kake AK USAAlaska Center for Climate Assessment and Policy University of Alaska Fairbanks Fairbanks AK USAInternational Arctic Research Center University of Alaska Fairbanks Fairbanks AK USARaven's Group LLC Anchorage AK USAAbstract The goal of this paper is to demonstrate the value of incorporating evaluation into the process of co‐produced research in pursuit of climate services. We aim to spur interest in and expand the use of evaluation throughout the climate change and climate services scientific community, whether or not evaluation is a formally required component of funding. We use a case study from Southeast Alaska of the Ellam Yua co‐production model implemented among a research center at a large public university and three leadership entities in a small remote community with a majority Alaska Native population. We describe our experiences with evaluation and share what we learned through the process of evaluation, specifically that local workforce development and healing from trauma were significant aspects of project success. This case study shows how important evaluation is for documenting, analyzing, and planning for multiple definitions of success and successfully implementing equitably co‐produced research. It also underscores the significance of expanding typical conceptions of climate services to include a more holistic view of using Indigenous priorities and values to support local capacity‐building and psychological benefits. Building generalized capacities locally to respond to climate‐related stressors was a key part of climate services for our team. Only through Indigenous evaluation did the Kake Climate Partnership partners realize the full transformative potential of the Ellam Yua co‐produced research process–to produce climate services and to uncover new understandings of what climate services can be for communities.https://doi.org/10.1029/2023CSJ000073climate servicesindigenous evaluationintergenerational traumaco‐productionequity
spellingShingle E. Figus
S. Friday
J. O’Connor
J. Jeet Koot Saak McDonald
C. James
S. F. Trainor
M. H. C. Rudolf
N. O’Connor
Sharing Our Story to Build Our Future: A Case Study of Evaluating a Partnership for Co‐Produced Research in Southeast Alaska
Community Science
climate services
indigenous evaluation
intergenerational trauma
co‐production
equity
title Sharing Our Story to Build Our Future: A Case Study of Evaluating a Partnership for Co‐Produced Research in Southeast Alaska
title_full Sharing Our Story to Build Our Future: A Case Study of Evaluating a Partnership for Co‐Produced Research in Southeast Alaska
title_fullStr Sharing Our Story to Build Our Future: A Case Study of Evaluating a Partnership for Co‐Produced Research in Southeast Alaska
title_full_unstemmed Sharing Our Story to Build Our Future: A Case Study of Evaluating a Partnership for Co‐Produced Research in Southeast Alaska
title_short Sharing Our Story to Build Our Future: A Case Study of Evaluating a Partnership for Co‐Produced Research in Southeast Alaska
title_sort sharing our story to build our future a case study of evaluating a partnership for co produced research in southeast alaska
topic climate services
indigenous evaluation
intergenerational trauma
co‐production
equity
url https://doi.org/10.1029/2023CSJ000073
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