The Importance of Culture in Evaluation
Although there's growing interest in and discussion about what it takes to design and conduct a culturally competent evaluation, there is little practical information on the subject available. A new report from the Colorado Trust, The Importance of Culture in Evaluation: A Practical Guide for Evaluators (20 pages, PDF), argues that the process of information exchange, interpretation, and application of knowledge are influenced by the cultures of the participants, including the evaluator. The report provides examples of situations in which cross-cultural competency is critical and recommends a series of questions and strategies for evaluators.
