April Nakaima
Biographic Data
| ID | 6686244 |
|---|---|
| NAME | April Nakaima |
| GIVEN NAMES | April |
| FAMILY NAME | Nakaima |
| SIGNATURE | NAKAIMA A |
| AFFILIATIONS | University of Toronto |
| ORCID | 0000-0003-3744-6463 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 12 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 2 |
| WORKS AS AUTHOR | 12 |
| WORKS AS EDITOR | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2012 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 1 |
Lessons from Hawai‘i in Building an Ecology of Knowledge
In this paper, we show how widely used evaluation criteria grounded in Western epistemologies—such as the Organisation for Economic Co-operation & Development, Development Assistance Committee framework—fall short, especially in Indigenous and culturally diverse contexts. Drawing on Indigenous critiques and Hawaiian epistemology, the paper highlights fundamental differences in how valuing is understood across traditions. Indigenous worldviews emp…
Nothing about me without me
Towards an evolutionary approach to learning from assumptions
Learning from experiences of evaluators implementing theory-driven evaluations in diverse settings
Causality and Complexity in Evaluating Equity Interventions
We discuss how explicit thinking about a variety of causal pathways, informed by a dynamic systems lens that is responsible for exacerbating and diminishing inequities as well as different types of complexities (related to program pathways), will further help develop theory-driven evaluation approaches such as Contribution Analysis. We argue that contribution claims associated with interventions focused on addressing inequities need to consider t…
The role of evaluation in iterative learning and implementation of quality of care interventions
Background: The Lancet Global Health Commission (LGHC) has argued that quality of care (QoC) is an emergent property that requires an iterative process to learn and implement. Such iterations are required given that health systems are complex adaptive systems.Objective: This paper explores the multiple roles that evaluations need to play in order to help with iterative learning and implementation. We argue evaluation needs to shift from a summati…
Reflections on experiential learning in evaluation capacity building with a community organization, Dancing With Parkinson’s
Valuing and embracing complexity
Till Time (and Poor Planning) Do Us Part
This article describes the need for, and challenge of, representing the sustainability of a program as a dynamic process. Part of what enhances the complexity of programs is the challenge of dynamic complexity—the complexity of the program evolves over time through the interaction of actors and their environment. The problem is not just one of representation but also of planning—specifically planning for sustainability. We argue that an essential…
Heterogeneities in utilization of antenatal care in Uttar Pradesh, India
BACKGROUND: This paper explores the heterogeneities in antenatal care (ANC) utilization in India's most populated state, Uttar Pradesh. Taking an intersectionality lens, multiple individual- and district-level factors are used to identify segments of any antenatal care usage in Uttar Pradesh Objective: This paper seeks to understand the multilevel contexts of ANC utilization. The planning and programming challenge is that such knowledge of contex…
Incorporating gender, equity, and human rights into the action planning process
BACKGROUND: Mainstreaming of gender, equity, and human rights (GER) is an important focus of the World Health Organization (WHO) and other UN organizations. This paper explores the role of action plans in mainstreaming GER. This paper is informed by a theory-driven evaluation lens. DESIGN: A theory of change framework explored the following seven dimensions of how action plans can implement mainstreaming of GER: awareness of the foundations of GE…
Towards an evidence base of theory-driven evaluations
This article discusses the further development of theory-driven evaluation approaches that are informed by contribution analysis. Using an illustrative example of an ongoing dance/physical activity programme for health promotion, a number of challenges are identified when applying a theory-driven evaluation approach. These challenges are reformulated as questions that need to be answered to make further progress with theory-driven evaluation incl…
Towards an evidence base of theory-driven evaluations
This article discusses the further development of theory-driven evaluation approaches that are informed by contribution analysis. Using an illustrative example of an ongoing dance/physical activity programme for health promotion, a number of challenges are identified when applying a theory-driven evaluation approach. These challenges are reformulated as questions that need to be answered to make further progress with theory-driven evaluation incl…
Towards an evidence base of theory-driven evaluations
This article discusses the further development of theory-driven evaluation approaches that are informed by contribution analysis. Using an illustrative example of an ongoing dance/physical activity programme for health promotion, a number of challenges are identified when applying a theory-driven evaluation approach. These challenges are reformulated as questions that need to be answered to make further progress with theory-driven evaluation incl…
Incorporating gender, equity, and human rights into the action planning process
BACKGROUND: Mainstreaming of gender, equity, and human rights (GER) is an important focus of the World Health Organization (WHO) and other UN organizations. This paper explores the role of action plans in mainstreaming GER. This paper is informed by a theory-driven evaluation lens. DESIGN: A theory of change framework explored the following seven dimensions of how action plans can implement mainstreaming of GER: awareness of the foundations of GE…
Heterogeneities in utilization of antenatal care in Uttar Pradesh, India
BACKGROUND: This paper explores the heterogeneities in antenatal care (ANC) utilization in India's most populated state, Uttar Pradesh. Taking an intersectionality lens, multiple individual- and district-level factors are used to identify segments of any antenatal care usage in Uttar Pradesh Objective: This paper seeks to understand the multilevel contexts of ANC utilization. The planning and programming challenge is that such knowledge of contex…
Till Time (and Poor Planning) Do Us Part
This article describes the need for, and challenge of, representing the sustainability of a program as a dynamic process. Part of what enhances the complexity of programs is the challenge of dynamic complexity—the complexity of the program evolves over time through the interaction of actors and their environment. The problem is not just one of representation but also of planning—specifically planning for sustainability. We argue that an essential…
Reflections on experiential learning in evaluation capacity building with a community organization, Dancing With Parkinson’s
Valuing and embracing complexity
The role of evaluation in iterative learning and implementation of quality of care interventions
Background: The Lancet Global Health Commission (LGHC) has argued that quality of care (QoC) is an emergent property that requires an iterative process to learn and implement. Such iterations are required given that health systems are complex adaptive systems.Objective: This paper explores the multiple roles that evaluations need to play in order to help with iterative learning and implementation. We argue evaluation needs to shift from a summati…
Nothing about me without me
Towards an evolutionary approach to learning from assumptions
Learning from experiences of evaluators implementing theory-driven evaluations in diverse settings
Causality and Complexity in Evaluating Equity Interventions
We discuss how explicit thinking about a variety of causal pathways, informed by a dynamic systems lens that is responsible for exacerbating and diminishing inequities as well as different types of complexities (related to program pathways), will further help develop theory-driven evaluation approaches such as Contribution Analysis. We argue that contribution claims associated with interventions focused on addressing inequities need to consider t…
Lessons from Hawai‘i in Building an Ecology of Knowledge
In this paper, we show how widely used evaluation criteria grounded in Western epistemologies—such as the Organisation for Economic Co-operation & Development, Development Assistance Committee framework—fall short, especially in Indigenous and culturally diverse contexts. Drawing on Indigenous critiques and Hawaiian epistemology, the paper highlights fundamental differences in how valuing is understood across traditions. Indigenous worldviews emp…
Sociology (9 works) · Evaluation and Performance Assessment (8 works) · Political science (8 works) · Psychology (8 works) · Computer Science (7 works) · Business (6 works) · Engineering (6 works) · Management science (6 works) · Economics (5 works) · Process management (5 works)