Eyes on the Prize: Multicultural Validity and Evaluation Theory

Abstract

Examining evaluation theory in cultural context is an important component of evaluating theory; however, it is not the ultimate goal. The foundational element in good evaluation is validity, and appreciating the cultural location of evaluation theory is an important building block in the argument supporting multicultural validity. Multicultural validity requires congruence between theory and context. This article first addresses validity as the foundational aspiration of all evaluation, then moves to a succinct discussion of culture. Suggestions for reflecting on the cultural location of evaluation theory and cultural dimensions of context are described, illustrated by three different approaches to establishing cultural congruence—Indigenous Evaluation Framework (IEF), Talent Development (TD) Model, and Utilization-Focused Evaluation (UFE). Closing comments return to validity as the fundamental prize and to the centrality of culture in supporting it.

Navigating "place" in evaluation design and practice

“…In 1958, Arendt urged "learning about the lived experience of diverse others with our own eyes, but within their stories in their spaces and places" (in Greene, 2005, p. 16). This recognition of place continues in Kirkhart's (2010) argument that evaluation should be "explicitly understood as place-specific" (p. 407), and that evaluators should draw on community values, traditions, and customs to address issues of power, status, culture, and context. LaFrance et al (2012) assert that a place-conscious methodology should be informed by core values that honour place and relate to a community's lived experiences and spiritual expressions, and that honouring a sense of place requires evaluation to fit within the contours of the location, including history and contemporary realities.…”

Establishing and Embedding Evaluation as a Central Landmark on the Organisational Horizon

“…To quote Kirkhart (2010), 'all evaluation occurs in contexts infused with culture; there is no such thing as culture-free evaluation ' (p. 74). According to Kirkhart, culture impacts heavily on evaluation influence and utilisation, because before it has the potential to make a difference and lead to improvements, it first needs to have the capacity to reach and influence those with decision-making authority.…”

Logic models: A useful way to study theories of evaluation practice?

“…Though the political context in which Cousins and his colleagues work in Canada differs somewhat from the political context in which Greene and Mark and Henry practice in the United States, the political contexts are alike in the sense that citizens play a similar role in governance and government plays a similar role in the provision of social programs and benefits. None of the theories appear to locate themselves culturally or fully contend with the implications of cultural position in the theory (see Kirkhart, 2010).…”