The credibility of MDRC’s work depends on providing both rigorous and relevant research. It also depends on recognizing that multiple perspectives and frameworks are necessary for better understanding the cultural priorities and needs of the populations we study. At MDRC, this leads us to conclude that adopting more culturally responsive research practices and an equity-based perspective is essential for maximizing the benefits of our work. MDRC’s Equity Collaborative has been learning about culturally responsive evaluation practices and equity-based approaches while considering the challenges and opportunities of integrating these practices into more of our work. In this document, we offer definitions for culturally responsive evaluation and an equity-based perspective, then describe how MDRC staff and the broader policy evaluation field can apply these practices and perspectives.

Over the last two decades, the fields of applied research and evaluation have begun defining and characterizing culturally responsive approaches. For instance, culturally responsive evaluation (CRE) “recognizes that demographic, sociopolitical, and contextual dimensions, locations, perspectives, and characteristics of culture matter fundamentally in evaluation.” It “gives particular attention to groups that have been historically marginalized.” Being culturally responsive also requires reflecting on one’s own culture and relationship to the culture(s) within which evaluators operate.

Read the full article about culturally responsive evaluation by Oscar Cerna, Barbara Condliffe, and Ashley Wilson at MDRC.