Culturally responsive evaluation: A scoping review of the evaluation literature

Evaluators have become increasingly aware of the influence of culture in evaluation, leading to new evaluation approaches that account for the cultural considerations in which evaluations are situated. This scoping review sought to explore how evaluators understand culturally responsive evaluation and identify promising practices. A search of nine evaluation journals yielded 52 articles that were included in this review. Nearly two-thirds of the articles stated that community involvement was essential to culturally responsive evaluation. Power differentials were discussed in almost half of the articles, and the majority used participatory or collaborative approaches to community engagement. Findings from this review suggest that in culturally responsive evaluation, evaluators prioritize community involvement and have an awareness and attentiveness to power differentials. Yet, gaps exist in how culture and evaluation are defined and interpreted, and consequently, inconsistency in how culturally responsive evaluation is practiced.