Honoring Culture in Evaluation: Co-Constructing Theories of Change that Elevate Community Voice

Abstract Information: Theories of change capture how change happens in context (Annie E. Casey Foundation, 2022). Attendees at this session will learn how co-constructing theories of change with communities helps evaluators move beyond simply acknowledging context, to elevate and honor the role of community culture in fostering positive change. Doing so requires evaluators to “develop a critical consciousness, in which they uncover and understand how their worldviews and values represent dominant frames and cultural values…and how these values manifest in their research practice” (Venkateswaran et al., 2023). Participants will consider how to share power with implementing partners who have lived experience in the communities they serve and practice applying the Community-Driven Theory of Change tool to their own strategies. Presenters will discuss developing the Community-Driven Theory of Change tool, inspired by and under the leadership of a young evaluator new to the evaluation team, and institutionalizing the practice of co-constructing theories of change with community partners. Presenters will share examples from our experience of applying this process in evaluations conducted with and for Native Nations that share geography with the United States and explore ways in which the tool is appropriate for and transferable to many communities. This roundtable will demonstrate how incorporating community voice in evaluation planning can enhance and strengthen efforts, to the benefit of the program being evaluated, evaluators conducting the evaluation, and community in which the evaluation takes place. We will discuss the concepts of community voice and culture and why evaluators should consider elevating culture in evaluation design. We will then introduce the Community-Driven Theory of Change tool, walking participants through the key steps in the process. A mix of self-reflection, sharing with peers, and facilitated discussions will enable participants to engage with the Community-Driven Theory of Change tool and concepts from multiple perspectives and hear examples of its application to further their learning. Attendees and presenters will collectively reflect on targeted questions including: 1) How can and should evaluators engage with partners who are deeply embedded in, and knowledgeable about, the culture(s) of their local community? 2) How is culture made visible in program planning, reporting, and data? 3) How can evaluators “read between the lines” to see culture? 4) Where should we look for culture in a theory of change diagram? 5) If programs and evaluations elevate the role of culture, then what differences will it make for program participants and community members? 6) How does co-constructing theories of change re-position the “researcher” in relation to the “researched”?