Issues in Evaluation - Using Evaluation in Context: Multicultural Validity and Cultural Competence

In late 2021, the White House issued new guidance to federal agencies calling for the consideration of indigenous knowledge in federal policymaking. The statement, endorsed and embraced by the American Evaluation Association, is long considered part of evaluation practice as part of a broader effort to engage cultural competence.

On April 14th at 2:00 p.m. ET, the Data Foundation hosted its first 2022 installment of the “Issues in Evaluation” virtual discussion series. Co-sponsored by the Government Accountability Office and Data Foundation, participants and experts engaged in a dialogue about what cultural competence means in reality for federal agencies executing evaluation policies and practices in 2022 and beyond.

Importantly, participants reacted to the emerging notion of multicultural validity and its role for evaluation practice alongside other forms of validity such as internal, external, and statistical conclusion. Rather than speculating, the speakers offered real-world applications, ideas, and approaches for applying multicultural validity in practice that are relevant to federal evaluation practice and policy.