Walking pathways toward becoming a culturally competent evaluator: Boundaries, borderlands, and border crossings

Abstract

In this chapter, I share insights derived from my long and convoluted journey as an evaluation practitioner and as a capacity-building evaluation facilitator committed to demystifying evaluation as a core development resource. I weave in some foundational stories that have shaped and informed my path. Through my work and praxis, I have been striving to walk the convoluted pathways toward being and becoming a culturally competent evaluator and evaluation facilitator. The focus has been on dynamic flows rather than a particular destination status, on a lifelong process rather than a position or product. These dimensions of my journey have often not been conscious, intentional, or deliberately mapped out, but instead more implicit and intuitively guided by a passion and respect for authentic inclusion and responsive engagement.I highlight examples of one practitioner's efforts to give life to this resolve and put wheels under that vision of provocative possibility. Moving the agenda forward involves cultivating evaluative thinking and reflective practice by spotlighting its intrinsic value, relevance, and utility-most notably, through underscoring the intimate interconnections among excellence in program design, implementation, and ongoing improvement. Rather than an alien, externally imposed activity primarily driven by accountability compliance concerns (prove), sustainable engagement in the evaluation process dwells in its inform (knowledge creation) and improve 96 IN SEARCH OF CULTURAL COMPETENCE IN EVALUATION (ongoing development towards excellence) dimensions. Cultivating the will, as well as the skills, fuels my crusade: the energizing search for ways to pump up commitment through framing the evaluation process as congruent with the natural rhythms of one's work processes and practices.In working these processes from the inside out, I strive to ramp up the "pull power" of perceived value and relevance rather than the "push power" of external mandates and fear. My commitment to enhancing the will and the pull power has demanded constant refinement in my capacities to recognize and authentically engage diversity in its many manifestations-diverse persons, groups, perspectives, positions, organizations, and institutions. Through this work, the intimate interconnections between excellence and diversity have come to reside at the center of my life path.Diversity, in its many dimensions and manifestations, is increasingly acknowledged as a necessary prerequisite for excellence. It remains fundamental for discerning and attaining today's as well as tomorrow's best-our best future. Why? For many reasons, but especially because diversity fires up and fuels creativity, innovation, and generative engagement in all sectors of life and living. For example, higher education, like many other social institutions, is being challenged on many fronts to transform its teaching, learning, and working environments so that they are not only multiculturally diverse in appearance but also authentically inclusive and responsive in the...

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“…The importance of this "self-in-dynamic-context" learning and development journey, as described by Symonette (2004), became clear to me during this research journey and previous research journeys, and I regard the journey as a continuing one. The result is that the deepening awareness and knowledge as "self-as-instrument" and "lifelong learning project" has become an integral part of me as a researcher-and as a person.…”

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“…Of utmost importance is a continual awareness of the power structure and its dynamics during interdisciplinary endeavors. As Symonette (2004) describes, multicultural collaboration "requires movement beyond tolerance, accommodation, and pressure to fit in toward a focus on changes in policies, processes, and practices in order to genuinely invite and engage in the full spectrum of diverse voices, perspectives, experiences, and peoples" (p. 96). Efforts to fully include members may require various changes including proactive efforts to ensure that all project participants have equal access to information, data, and meetings, or project leaders who model cross culturally competent practices by communicating his or her appreciation for each member or who communicate a commitment to mentor junior scholars across disciplinary lines.…”

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“…Symonette (2004) describes an assessment she undertook of a problematic evaluation program at the University of Wisconsin. Utilizing an empowerment evaluation lens, Symonette (2004) proposed six goals of a re-envisioned program, including:…”

“…Symonette's (2004) empowerment approach supported staff, changed from the orientation of evaluation from external-accountability-and compliance, to affirming staff progress and engaging staff. For staff, evaluation was transformed from a burden to a resource for program improvement.…”

“…Symonette (2004) explains that continual effort is needed to conduct evaluation work in a multicultural environment; one must proactively survey the shifting socio-political and socio-cultural terrain, continually assess and refine her/his perceptive abilities, and cultivate an empathetic perspective that acknowledges ones own biases. Kirkhart (1995) (Kirkhart 1995, pg 4-5).…”