Framing Evaluation in Reality: An Introduction to Ontologically Integrative Evaluation

For over 30 years, calls have been issued for the western evaluation field to address implicit bias in its theory and practice. Although many in the field encourage evaluators to be culturally competent, ontological competence remains unaddressed. Grounded in an institutionalized distrust of non-western perspectives of reality and knowledge frameworks, this neglect threatens the validity, reliability, and usefulness of western designed evaluations conducted in non-western settings. To address this, I introduce Ontologically Integrative Evaluation (OIE), a new framework built upon ontological competence and six foundational ontological concepts: ontological fluidity, authenticity, validity, synthesis, justice, and vocation. Grounding evaluation in three ontological considerations—what there is, what is real, and what is fundamental—OIE systematically guides evaluators through a deep exploration of their own and others’ ontological assumptions. By demonstrating the futility of evaluations grounded in a limited ontological worldview, OIE bridges the current divide between western and non-western evaluative thinking.