Indigenous Evaluation

Date

Thursday, March 14
12:30pm-3:00pm

Presenter(s)

Nicole Bowman
WCER & BPC

Nicole Bowman-Farrell (Mohican/Munsee), PhD, is an Evaluator & Researcher with the University of Wisconsin Madison’s (UW) Wisconsin Center for Education Research (WCER). Dr. Bowman is a subject matter expert in culturally responsive research, policy, and evaluation through the LEAD Center  and the WEC Center.  She is also an affiliate researcher for the Culturally Responsive Evaluation and Assessment (CREA) Center at the University of Illinois-Urbana.  Through these appointments, she provides state, national, and international leadership on creating educational and career pathways for new academics; builds capacity, infrastructure, and resource supports through strategic, business, and operational planning; and develops culturally responsive skills, knowledge, and competencies through training, technical assistance, and scholarship (publications/presentations).  

Description

This practical and interactive workshop will give an overview of evaluation theories and methods to help evaluators become more aware and responsive to culture, context, and indigenous components of an evaluation. Situated alongside the “evaluation theory tree” (Christie and Alkin, 2008 and 2012), other theory trees and methodological roots will be considered for carrying out culturally responsive evaluations (CRE) and culturally responsive indigenous evaluations (CRIE).

Participants will be introduced to CRE and CRIE in order to deepen and broaden their awareness about the diverse content, competencies, and skills available to them as professional evaluators seeing to be more responsive, responsible, and effective in their evaluation practices. Participants will also utilize their critical thinking skills to discuss and understand why there is a critical need for capacity building in the evaluation profession for use of CRE and CRIE to strengthen mainstream/western evaluation practices and effectiveness.

Using small and large group discussions, reflective questioning, higher order thinking skills, and concrete examples – you will find this session is filled with interactive resource use and collegial sharing time. CRE and CRIE will help participants grow their knowledge, skills, and capacities to utilize CRE/CRIE in their own responsive evaluation practices and projects. You will leave this short workshop wanting even more!

Purpose

  1. Where CRE and CRIE is related to and situated within the broader western context and history of evaluation
  2. An overview of CRE and CRIE theoretical foundations, working definitions, and practical applications through real-life examples
  3. Why CRE and CRIE are essential scientific competencies and skill sets of professional, responsive, and ethical evaluation practitioners
  4. Why there is a critical need for capacity building for CRE and CRIE to bridge gaps and addresses needs within the evaluation profession and literature to create more responsive and effective policy and practices
  5. Where key CRE and CRIE publications, websites, and other resources are for supporting their future practice