Evaluating a leadership development program through co-design and insider outsider action research

Purpose This paper reports on the establishment phase of a co-designed evaluation project of a leadership development program in a rural health service in Victoria, Australia. Design/methodology/approach We used autoethnography to capture the perspectives of key stakeholders in an insider/outsider action research project. Findings Our findings highlight how co-design can effectively be used to build authentic academic and/or practitioner partnerships, the organic nature of action research in human resource management (HRM) interventions and the opportunity that insider and/or outsider research provides for deep engagement and mutual learning involving reflective practitioners, pracademics and impact-driven academics leading to far-reaching outcomes and impact. Our study also highlights how training evaluation can be strengthened by a process involving several stages and diverse stakeholders. Originality/value Our study provides a methodological framework for HRM research that can be used to bridge the research-practice gap in HRM and encourage learning and knowledge sharing. The study contributes towards building leadership capabilities and a resilient rural healthcare workforce.