First Nations communities in Canada are disproportionately impacted by prenatal opioid exposure (POE) and neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS). In response, we developed a research partnership with 13 First Nations communities in Ontario. Phase I of the research project, initiated in 2018, included the development of mixed-methods reports on the impact of POE for each community. This protocol outlines the evaluation of phase II, during which nine communities individually co-designed and implemented community-specific knowledge mobilisation (KMb) plans informed by findings from phase I. The evaluation aims to assess advisory working group engagement, KMb implementation and perceived community-level impacts.

This mixed-methods evaluation integrates survey and qualitative data to assess First Nations-led KMb products and activities. The Public and Patient Engagement Evaluation Tool, a validated survey instrument, will be administered to advisory group members and analysed descriptively. Focus groups and interviews will be conducted to explore advisory working group members’ experiences and analysed using phenomenological methods. Qualitative findings will be mapped to the Engage with Impact framework to assess outcomes across engagement domains.

Ethics approval has been granted by Vancouver Island University. All community contacts and advisory working group members will provide informed consent prior to data collection. Phase II activities are governed by formal community agreements. In alignment with First Nations Principles of OCAP (Ownership, Control, Access and Possession), First Nations community partners retain ownership of their KMb products and are actively involved in the design, implementation and dissemination of the project evaluation. Results will be shared through peer-reviewed publications, community reports and knowledge-sharing events.