Being Culturally Competent Goes Far Beyond Good Business Practice by Leah Goldstein Moses

Over the past several months, the Improve Group team spent some time reflecting on how cultural competence informs and is present in our work.  There is extensive academic and practical work focusing on cultural competence, and we were able to explore several definitions (such as in this compilation). Cultural competence is important to evaluation practice for several reasons:

• By working competently with others, evaluation is more likely to be relevant – addressing issues important to diverse people, and answering multiple questions.
• Cultural competence also helps ensure evaluation data is of higher quality. By using methods and asking questions that are well-suited for respondents, they are more comfortable sharing honest, in-depth information.
• Additionally, cultural competence can lead to more accurate findings.  It ensures that the evaluator is more aware of context and circumstances that influence results.

A recent posting on the AEA365 blog introduced me to a new term: cultural humility. Humberto Reynoso-Vallejo’s full post described a concept that strongly resonates for our practice and perhaps for evaluation broadly. Cultural humility recognizes that while you can recognize cultural differences and factors with competence, each relationship should be approached with opportunities to share or transfer power and with self-critique. Cultural humility seems particularly well-suited for evaluation, where being open-minded, interested in asking questions, and aware of limitations and biases is critical. In fact, it goes beyond culture to a broader humility and awareness – of the full range of life experiences that might come into play for evaluation. Consider these examples from our own work:

• The MNYTD study reaches out to young adults who are in, or leaving, foster care. They share information about their health, housing, education and employment. As with many people aged 18-22, the study participants move, change phone numbers, and forge and end relationships. We had to think very carefully about how we would keep in touch over a 4-year period.  Using Facebook, phone calls and text messages, and by giving a small birthday gift each year, we hope to build a long-term relationship that we and the study participants can depend on. 
• We recently planned some focus groups for Somali women in the Cedar-Riverside neighborhood of Minneapolis. While we worked with our client to understand things like how we should phrase questions, structure the conversation, and plan for the logistics like location and food, we also recognized that we may still be ignorant of important cultural, gender, or other issues. In planning the focus group, we built in an introduction period that will give us a chance to get to know the women and co-create our expectations for the focus group conversation.

Looking for more resources on cultural competency and cultural humility? You can find an overview and application of the concept of cultural humility here. The State of Minnesota’s Department of Human Services has some resources on cultural competence here.